SWEX Sundowner Winds Experiment
Overview
Downslope windstorms at the lee of the Santa Ynez Mountains (SYM) in Santa Barbara County are one of the most significant fire weather hazards affecting populated areas. These gusty winds known as Sundowner winds, peak from early evening to mid-morning. A team of scientists will be in the Santa Barbara region in Spring 2020 to study these uncertain atmospheric conditions.
Societal Benefits
The Sundowner Winds Experiment (SWEX) is an atmospheric science research study to better understand the variability of downslope windstorms in coastal Santa Barbara County and will take place from 1 April–15 May 2020. The data will be used to refine and improve sophisticated computer simulations that are used for a wide range of applications, including the enhanced prediction of Sundowner winds.
NCAR/UCAR EOL - Earth Observing Laboratory
SWEX | Sundowner Winds Experiment
1 April–15 May 2022 (postponed from 2020)
SWEX UND Principal Investigator
Dr. Harindra Joseph Fernando
Professor - Environmental Fluid Dynamics
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences
University of Notre Dame
0.574-631-9346
hfernand@nd.edu
SWEX UCSB Principal Investigator
Dr. Leila Carvalho
Professor - Meteorology and Climate Sciences
Dpt of Geography & Earth Research Institute
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
o. 806-893 7351 c. 805-679-3216
leila@eri.ucsb.edu
SWEX NCAR Project Manager
Ms. Alison Rockwell
Project Manager - Earth Observing Laboratory
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, Colorado
o. 303.497.8758 | c. 303.898.1730
rockwell@ucar.edu