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El Niño stills winter winds across the southern Canadian Prairies
Author(s) -
St. George Scott,
Wolfe Stephen A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2009gl041282
Subject(s) - environmental science , climatology , wind speed , prevailing winds , atmospheric sciences , wind power , global wind patterns , wind direction , meteorology , geology , geography , electrical engineering , engineering
Analysis of long‐term terrestrial wind speed ( u ) records demonstrates that interannual variability is a major component of near‐surface wind dynamics in the southern Canadian Prairies (SCP). Since the early 1950s, there have been several periods when negative anomalies in regional u persisted for 8 to 13 consecutive months, with anomalies for individual months exceeding −1 m s −1 . Calm conditions on the SCP usually coincided with negative u anomalies across much of western Canada, and nearly all low‐wind events occurred during a ‘moderate’ or ‘stronger’ El Niño. Wind energy facilities in the SCP have been built during a period of relatively stable wind conditions, and the next El Niño may test their ability to maintain expected energy outputs. El Niño may affect u in other parts of the North American wind corridor and be useful for predicting seasonal or interannual changes in regional wind energy production.