Annual variability of boundary layer height and its correlation to surface meteorological variables in the California valley

One year of observations from 915-MHz boundary layer radar wind profilers and radio acoustic sounding systems located in the California valley are used in this study to investigate the annual variability of convective boundary layer depths and its correlation to surface parameters and synoptic scale conditions. Surface meteorological variables such as pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, net radiation, and precipitation, were measured by surface sensors at the same sites, or nearby. The instruments were positioned in five different locations and the data were collected over the entire year 2008. Large-scale meteorological forcing were investigated by calculating composites of 850-mbar and 700-mbar geopotential height and omega from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. Results from our analysis illustrate interesting features in the annual variability of boundary layer heights. Dependencies of this variability on temperature and wind speed are investigated, and its correlation to surface measurements is examined.