I. Course Intro/Overview (Horel/Steenburgh, Aug 23)
II. Geographical controls of mountain climates (Horel, Aug 28-Sept 2)
III. Orography and the general circulation (Horel, Sep 4)
IV. Terrain-forced flows (Horel, Sep 6-Oct 2; 11 Sep class @ VTMX meeting; Field work Sep 22 or Sep 29)
A. Thermally driven circulations
B. Mountain waves, downslope winds, and turbulence
C. Flow around isolated obstacles
D. Gap winds
E. Ridge and pass winds
V. Fire weather (Guest lecturer, Oct 9)
VI. Air quality issues in complex terrain (Guest lecturer, Oct 11)
VII. Orographically modified cyclogenesis and cyclone evolution (Steenburgh, Oct 16-Oct 25)
A. Climatological impacts of topography on cyclogenesis, cyclolysis,
and storm tracks
B. Basic theory
C. Alpine lee cyclogenesis
D. Orographically modified cyclone evolution over and downstream
of the Rocky Mountains
E. Impacts of the Alaska and Coast Ranges on cyclone evolution
VIII. Orographically trapped disturbances/cold-air damming (Steenburgh, Oct 30-Nov 8; Intermountain Wx Workshop 2 Nov)
A. Review of orographically trapped disturbances
B. Basic theories (there are many)
C. Coastally trapped disturbances along US west coast
D. Cold surges east of Rocky Mountains
E. Appalachian cold-air damming
F. Barrier jets
IX. Orographic precipitation (Steenburgh, Nov 13-Nov 29)
A. Review of cloud microphysics
B. Basic mechanisms for orographic precipitation enhancment
C. Dynamical processes in orographic storms
D. Microphysical processes in orographic storms
E. Cloud seeding
F. Lake-effect precipitation
G. Mountain convection/North American monsoon
X. Avalanches and surface transportation (Guest Lecturers, Dec 4-Dec 6)
