The climatology of high wind events in the Owens Valley, California, a deep valley located just east of the southern Sierra Nevada, is described using data from six automated weather stations distributed along the valley axis in combination with the North American Regional Reanalysis dataset. Potential mechanisms for the development of strong winds in the valley are examined. Contrary to the co...

The remarkably high frequency of strong surface winds in the region of Big Delta, Alaska, is studied with respect to its cause, characteristics, and local effects. During the winter, the winds are predominantly east-southeast and, unlike glacier or valley winds, are caused by a topographically induced convergence of the flow of air down the Tanana Valley which occurs at times of southeast gradi...

This paper provides an appropriate method for predicting strong winds acting on tall buildings erected in close proximity to one another at the center of a city. We first check the accuracy of strong winds estimated using the meso-meteorological model (MM5) without an urban-canopy model above and inside an urban canopy, in comparison with the observational data taken at the rooftop of a high-ri...

The submitted fluid dynamics video (see larger and smaller sized versions) shows roll-up and aquaplaning in tree and vine leaves in both strong winds and water flows. The specific goal of this work is to determine how leaves roll up into drag reducing shapes during storms and aquaplane above the water surface during floods. In addition to gaining insight into mechanical adaptation in the natura...