Surface Climate and SnowWeather Relationships of the Kuparuk Basin
23
b. Threshold minimum velocity of 4.5 m s1.
Figure 7 (cont.). Seasonal wind rose diagrams for the five sites and for Prudhoe Bay using
three threshold minimum velocities.
during WS for the period of record. It is also interesting to note that monthly
records for this season seem to be consistent across the network, suggesting that
strong wind events, though rare during this season, tend to arise from pressure
gradients experienced across the entire transect.
Early Cold
During the first month or so of EC, wind speeds are similar to WS, with BET
still clearly the windiest location. As the season progresses, wind speeds in the
upland locations of IMN, SAG, and WKU tend to decrease, reaching a minimum
in mid-October. This is significant because during this time the seasonal snow
cover is beginning to accumulate. The light winds during these first "all-snow"
precipitation events allow the new snow to accumulate in relatively pristine form,
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