California Fire Weather Wind Profiling Network

Predicting and diagnosing the meteorological conditions that increase the risk for wildfire, or exacerbate the spread of existing wildfires, is a critical management issue that affects not only utilities and their use of Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) decisions, but also fire management agencies that need to allocate resources during critical fire weather events. While California has the most extensive surface weather station network in the world, it lacks upper-level observations and wind profiling facilities. The California Fire Weather Profiling Network was established to address this need. The network was established in 2023 in northern California with 5 fixed sites using Halo XR Doppler lidars. Profiles of the horizontal winds within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are made routinely every 5 minutes. Characteristics of the PBL structure and evolution, such as its height, are observed from the attenuated backscatter and vertical velocities routinely provided by the lidars. This presentation will provide an overview of the network design and highlight case studies of downslope winds events and smoke episodes observed during the 2024 wildfire season.