Climatology of westerly wind events in the lee of the Sierra Nevada

Thermally driven up- and down-valley flows are found to account for a large part of the diurnal wind variability in this approximately north-south-oriented deep U-shaped valley. High-wind speed events at the western side of the valley deviate from this basic pattern by showing a higher percentage of westerly winds.

In general, strong westerly winds in Owens Valley tend to be more persistent and to display higher sustained speeds than strong winds from other quadrants. The highest frequency of strong winds at the valley floor is found in the afternoon hours from April to September, pointing to thermal forcing as a plausible controlling mechanism. However, the most intense westerly wind events (westerly windstorms) can happen at any time of the day throughout the year.