Making observations of the spatial structure of atmospheric boundary layer flows is an ongoing challenge that we attempt to address with the development of the surface-based mobile observing platform UWOW (University of Virginia Wind Observatory on Wheels. UWOW uses a Doppler wind lidar, a GPS, and an inertial navigation system placed in a custom trailer to measure boundary layer winds while traveling on the road. UWOW can measure wind profiles from approximately 100 to 3000 m above ground with 30 m vertical spacing. We show some observations made during the Sundowner Wind Experiment (SWEX) in Santa Barbara, CA, where UWOW travelled about 7000 km on roads around the Santa Ynez Mountains to document the spatial wind variability during downslope windstorm events.
Wekker et al. (Thu,) studied this question.