Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Small-scale dynamics of the south foehn in the lower Wipp Valley

  • Published:
Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In this paper, very-high-resolution numerical simulations are presented to analyze the small-scale dynamics of the foehn in the lower Wipp Valley and the adjacent parts of the Inn Valley. This region was one of the target areas for foehn observations during the Mesoscale Alpine Programme (MAP). Our simulations consider two MAP cases that markedly differed in the depth of the foehn flow. To isolate the dynamical effect of the key orographic features in the Wipp Valley region, we performed sensitivity experiments with different topography modifications. These involve lowering or even removing the Nordkette range, which constitutes the northern side wall of the east–west-oriented Inn Valley, and closing the Stubai Valley, which is the northernmost and largest tributary of the Wipp Valley. A comparison with surface and lidar observations indicates that our present model resolution of 467 m significantly improves the realism of the simulations compared to a resolution of 800 m, as used in a previous study.

The Nordkette is found to have a twofold impact on the dynamics of foehn breakthrough into the Inn Valley. In reality, this mountain chain deflects part of the southerly foehn current coming from the Wipp Valley into the perpendicularly oriented Inn Valley. Our sensitivity tests indicate that this flow deflection tends to accelerate the foehn breakthrough into the Inn Valley, while upstream blocking effects induced by the Nordkette act to slow down the process of foehn breakthrough. The flow pattern in the Wipp Valley reveals that the upstream effects of the Nordkette are not quite far-reaching. The amplitude of the gravity waves over the lower Wipp Valley gets somewhat reduced by these upstream effects, but the overall flow pattern remains largely unaffected. Closing the Stubai Valley also has a minor effect of the wave structure and tends to reduce the cross-valley variability of the foehn flow in the lower Wipp Valley.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • G Beffrey G Jaubert A Dabas (2004) ArticleTitleFoehn flow and stable air mass in the Rhine Valley: the beginning of a MAP event Quart J Roy Met Soc 130 541–560 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.02.228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TL Clark WD Hall RM Banta (1994) ArticleTitleTwo- and three-dimensional simulations of the 9 January 1989 severe Boulder windstorm: comparison with observations J Atmos Sci 51 2317–2343 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0469(1994)051<2317:TATDSO>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BA Colle CF Mass (1998) ArticleTitleWindstorms along the western side of the Washington Cascade Mountains. Part I: a high-resolution observational and modeling study of the 12 February 1995 event Mon Wea Rev 126 25–52

    Google Scholar 

  • P Drobinski C Häberli E Richard M Lothon AM Dabas PM Flamant M Furger R Steinacker (2003) ArticleTitleScale interaction processes during the MAP-IOP 12 south foehn event in the Rhine Valley Quart J Roy Met Soc 129 729–753 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.02.35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C Flamant P Drobinski L Nance RM Banta L Darby J Dusek M Hardesty J Pelon E Richard (2002) ArticleTitleGap flow in an Alpine valley during a shallow south foehn event: observations, numerical simulations and hydraulic analogue Quart J Roy Met Soc 128 1173–1210 Occurrence Handle10.1256/003590002320373256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BJ Garnier A Ohmura (1968) ArticleTitleA method of calculating the direct shortwave radiation income of slopes J Appl Meteor 7 796–800 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0450(1968)007<0796:AMOCTD>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A Gohm GJ Mayr (2004) ArticleTitleHydraulic aspects of foehn winds in an Alpine valley Quart J Roy Met Soc 131 449–480 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.03.28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A Gohm G Zängl GJ Mayr (2004) ArticleTitleSouth Foehn in the Wipp Valley on 24 October 1999 (MAP IOP 10): verification of high-resolution numerical simulations with observations Mon Wea Rev 132 78–102 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2004)132<0078:SFITWV>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GA Grell (1993) ArticleTitlePrognostic evaluation of assumptions used by cumulus parameterizations Mon Wea Rev 121 764–787 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1993)121<0764:PEOAUB>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grell GA, Dudhia J, Stauffer DR (1995) A description of the fifth-generation Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model (MM5). NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-398 + STR, 122 pp

  • Guo Y-R, Chen S (1994) Terrain and land use for the fifth-generation Penn State/NCAR mesoscale modeling system (MM5): program TERRAIN. NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-397 + IA, 114 pp

  • B Ivančan-Picek V Tutiš (1996) ArticleTitleA case study of a severe Adriatic bora on 28 December 1992 Tellus 48A 357–367

    Google Scholar 

  • G Jaubert J Stein (2003) ArticleTitleMultiscale and unsteady aspects of a deep foehn event during MAP Quart J Roy Met Soc 129 755–776 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.02.38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C Keil C Cardinali (2004) ArticleTitleThe ECMWF re-analysis of the MAP Special Observing Period Quart J Roy Met Soc 130 2827–2849 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.03.89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JB Klemp DR Durran (1983) ArticleTitleAn upper boundary condition permitting internal gravity wave radiation in numerical mesoscale models Mon Wea Rev 111 430–444 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1983)111<0430:AUBCPI>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JB Klemp DR Lilly (1975) ArticleTitleThe dynamics of wave-induced downslope winds J Atmos Sci 32 320–339 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0469(1975)032<0320:TDOWID>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M Lothon A Druilhet B Bénech B Campistron S Bernard F Saïd (2003) ArticleTitleExperimental study of five foehn events during the Mesoscale Alpine Programme: from synoptic scale to turbulence Quart J Roy Met Soc 129 2171–2193 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.02.30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GJ Mayr A Gohm (2000) ArticleTitle2D airflow over a double bell-shaped mountain Meteorol Atmos Phys 72 13–27 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s007030050002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GJ Mayr L Armi S Arnold RM Banta LS Darby DR Durran C Flamant S Gabersek A Gohm R Mayr S Mobbs LB Nance I Vergeiner J Vergeiner CD Whiteman (2004) ArticleTitleGap flow measurements during the Mesoscale Alpine Programme Meteorol Atmos Phys 86 99–119 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00703-003-0022-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EJ Mlawer SJ Taubman PD Brown MJ Iacono SA Clough (1997) ArticleTitleRadiative transfer for inhomogeneous atmosphere: RRTM, a validated correlated-k model for the longwave J Geophys Res 102 16663–16682 Occurrence Handle10.1029/97JD00237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MJ Post RE Cupp (1990) ArticleTitleOptimizing a pulsed Doppler lidar Appl Optics 29 4145–4158 Occurrence Handle10.1364/AO.29.004145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J Reisner RM Rasmussen RT Bruintjes (1998) ArticleTitleExplicit forecasting of supercooled liquid water in winter storms using the MM5 mesoscale model Quart J Roy Met Soc 124 1071–1107 Occurrence Handle10.1256/smsqj.54803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C Schär D Leuenberger O Fuhrer D Lüthi C Girard (2002) ArticleTitleA new terrain-following vertical coordinate for atmospheric prediction models Mon Wea Rev 130 2459–2480 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2002)130<2459:ANTFVC>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PC Shafran NL Seaman GA Gayno (2000) ArticleTitleEvaluation of numerical predictions of boundary layer structure during the Lake Michigan Ozone Study (LMOS) J Appl Meteorol 39 412–426 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0450(2000)039<0412:EONPOB>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RB Smith (1987) ArticleTitleAerial observations of the Yugoslavian Bora J Atmos Sci 44 269–297 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0469(1987)044<0269:AOOTYB>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G Zängl (2002a) ArticleTitleStratified flow over a mountain with a gap. Linear theory and numerical simulations Quart J Roy Met Soc 128 927–949 Occurrence Handle10.1256/0035900021643755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G Zängl (2002b) ArticleTitleAn improved method for computing horizontal diffusion in a sigma-coordinate model and its application to simulations over mountainous topography Mon Wea Rev 130 1423–1432 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2002)130<1423:AIMFCH>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G Zängl (2003a) ArticleTitleDeep and shallow south foehn in the region of Innsbruck: typical features and semi-idealized numerical simulations Meteorol Atmos Phys 83 237–261

    Google Scholar 

  • G Zängl (2003b) ArticleTitleA generalized sigma coordinate system for the MM5 Mon Wea Rev 131 2875–2884 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2003)131<2875:AGSSFT>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G Zängl A Gohm G Geier (2004a) ArticleTitleSouth foehn in the Wipp Valley – Innsbruck region: numerical simulations of the 24 October 1999 case (MAP-IOP 10) Meteorol Atmos Phys 86 213–243 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00703-003-0029-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G Zängl B Chimani C Häberli (2004b) ArticleTitleNumerical simulations of the foehn in the Rhine Valley on 24 October 1999 (MAP-IOP 10) Mon Wea Rev 132 368–389 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2004)132<0368:NSOTFI>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Meteorologisches Institut der Universität München, München, Germany

    G. Zängl

  2. Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik, Universität Innsbruck, Austria

    A. Gohm

Authors
  1. G. Zängl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Gohm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zängl, G., Gohm, A. Small-scale dynamics of the south foehn in the lower Wipp Valley. Meteorol. Atmos. Phys. 93, 79–95 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-005-0154-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-005-0154-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation