Temporal and Spatial Variability of Wind Profiles for Use in Aviation Planning

Vertical profiles of atmospheric variables are used for numerous meteorological purposes (e.g., model initiation and verification, nowcasting, and aviation planning) to estimate the state of the atmosphere for a given area and time period. This study uses observed and modeled wind speeds to assess the representativeness of these wind profiles at varying distances and time lags. Observations from profilers, lidars, and rawinsondes from 40 different locations across the U.S. show that the mean time-lagged autocorrelation of U and V wind speeds for the lowest 1 km above ground level remain above 0.6 for at least 6 hours. Likewise, in output from the WRF Model centered over Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, correlations of wind speeds over the lowest 1 km of the atmosphere exceed 0.6 for radii to roughly 100 km and beyond. Further findings and implications will be discussed.