Diablo Winds: Extreme Wind Events over Central and Northern California

One of the most significant extreme weather events over central and northern California is the Diablo wind phenomenon, in which strong synoptic northeasterly winds can be accelerated through mountain wave amplification in the lee of terrain. Such northeasterly winds can cause both direct damage and initiate wildfires, as occurred during the October 8-9, 2017 wine country wildfire events. This presentation will describe the climatology of Diablo winds and examine the mesoscale meteorology of some of the most extreme occurrences. We will show that Diablo wind events are highly predictable using modern numerical weather prediction, creating the potential to save both life and property from their impacts