26
ERDC/CRREL TR-02-10
S to W increases substantially, especially at WKU, where NE winds exceeding
10 m s1 are nonexistent in this record.
Late Cold
For March, the first month of LC, wind speeds are similar to the last half of
February. A similar tendency is seen in mean temperatures in the first half of
March, suggesting that, though the daily increase in insolation is near its peak at
this time, winter weather continues to dominate the Arctic Slope with an iron
grip. In April, one of the driest and least stormy months of the year in northern
Alaska, the coastal plain winds (BET and FRA) decrease substantially for a short
period, but by May coastal winds increase to the point that BET sees its largest
mean wind speeds of the year. At IMN wind speeds slowly decline throughout
LC, and by late May the wind speeds at the three most inland locations are simi-
lar. Monthly record wind speeds at IMN also decrease through the season, with
the 12.6 m s1 for May the lowest for this station. The likelihood for strong winds
at the sites for LC is similar to that in DC with the exception of IMN, where the
conditions necessary for terrain-enhanced winds are less likely to occur.
Previous Page
