What is Katabatic flow?
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:19 pm
by Lowpressure
NWS Charlotte says area might be a bit warmer towards the end of the week in regards to high temps due to insolation and KATABATIC flow.
wxman247 took care of it through PM, thanks.
Re: What is Katabatic flow?
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:42 pm
by senorpepr
I'll go ahead and answer the question publicly, in case anyone else wants to know about katabatic winds.
A katabatic wind is a wind that blows down a hill, mountain, or glacier. Such winds, particularly when they occur over a wide area, are sometimes called fall winds.
A distinction is drawn between winds that feel warmer than their surroundings (generally called Föhn or regionally, Chinook, Santa Ana, Bergwind or Diablo) and those that are cooler (for instance the Mistral in the Mediterranean, the Bora (or Bura) in the Adriatic or the Oroshi in Japan).
(Thanks again to Wikipedia for the simplification in terms.)
Now... to tackle the temperature part... as a parcel of air falls on the leeside on the mountain/hill, it undergoes warms and dries by adiabatic compression. That's why these katabatic winds can quickly warm temperatures by a few degrees...if not more.