Washoe Zephyr
Encyclopedia
The Washoe Zephyr is a seasonal diurnal
wind which occurs across western Nevada
just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It blows primarily in the summer from mid afternoon until late in the evening from the west to southwest, becoming quite gusty. As the terrain is generally arid, the Washoe Zephyr typically lifts a considerable quantity of dust into the atmosphere.
The Washoe Zephyr runs contrary to the usual pattern of diurnal mountain slope winds (upslope daytime, downslope nighttime) and thus its exact mechanism is still being studied. One hypothesis is that the wind is caused by intense heating over the Great Basin during summer afternoons. The heating causes a thermal low
to develop which sets up a pressure gradient which induces the wind, pulling cooler air down from the High Sierra.
The Washoe Zephyr first gained notoriety from a passage written by Mark Twain
in his book Roughing It
.
The wind played a role in a large conflagration which Twain claimed to have accidentally set. This same wind may have played a key role in the conflagration of June 2007 called the Angora Fire
. It may also have played a role in the disappearance of millionaire flier Steve Fossett
in September 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20588788/
Day
A day is a unit of time, commonly defined as an interval equal to 24 hours. It also can mean that portion of the full day during which a location is illuminated by the light of the sun...
wind which occurs across western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It blows primarily in the summer from mid afternoon until late in the evening from the west to southwest, becoming quite gusty. As the terrain is generally arid, the Washoe Zephyr typically lifts a considerable quantity of dust into the atmosphere.
The Washoe Zephyr runs contrary to the usual pattern of diurnal mountain slope winds (upslope daytime, downslope nighttime) and thus its exact mechanism is still being studied. One hypothesis is that the wind is caused by intense heating over the Great Basin during summer afternoons. The heating causes a thermal low
Thermal low
Thermal lows, or heat lows, are non-frontal low-pressure areas that occur over the continents in the subtropics such as near the Sonoran Desert, the Mexican plateau, Sahara, South America over northwest Argentina, Australia, the Iberian peninsula, and Tibetan plateau during the warm season as the...
to develop which sets up a pressure gradient which induces the wind, pulling cooler air down from the High Sierra.
The Washoe Zephyr first gained notoriety from a passage written by Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
in his book Roughing It
Roughing It
Roughing It is a book of semi-autobiographical travel literature written by American humorist Mark Twain. It was written during 1870–71 and published in 1872 as a prequel to his first book Innocents Abroad...
.
The wind played a role in a large conflagration which Twain claimed to have accidentally set. This same wind may have played a key role in the conflagration of June 2007 called the Angora Fire
Angora Fire
The Angora Fire was a wind driven fire that started near North Upper Truckee Road subdivision near Angora Lakes, Fallen Leaf Lake, Echo Lake and South Lake Tahoe, California around 2:15 PM on Sunday, June 24, 2007 as a result of an illegal campfire. As of July 2, 2007, the fire was 100%...
. It may also have played a role in the disappearance of millionaire flier Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
in September 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20588788/