Articles | Volume 6, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-863-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-863-2025
Research article
 | 
01 Sep 2025
Research article |  | 01 Sep 2025

Benefits of kilometer-scale climate modeling for winds in complex terrain: strong versus weak winds

Danijel Belušić and Petter Lind

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Cited articles

Belušić, A., Prtenjak, M. T., Güttler, I., Ban, N., Leutwyler, D., and Schär, C.: Near-surface wind variability over the broader Adriatic region: insights from an ensemble of regional climate models, Clim. Dynam., 50, 4455–4480, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-017-3885-5, 2018. 
Belušić, D., de Vries, H., Dobler, A., Landgren, O., Lind, P., Lindstedt, D., Pedersen, R. A., Sánchez-Perrino, J. C., Toivonen, E., van Ulft, B., Wang, F., Andrae, U., Batrak, Y., Kjellström, E., Lenderink, G., Nikulin, G., Pietikäinen, J.-P., Rodríguez-Camino, E., Samuelsson, P., van Meijgaard, E., and Wu, M.: HCLIM38: a flexible regional climate model applicable for different climate zones from coarse to convection-permitting scales, Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 1311–1333, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1311-2020, 2020. 
Belušić Vozila, A., Belušić, D., Telišman Prtenjak, M., Güttler, I., Bastin, S., Brisson, E., Demory, M.-E., Dobler, A., Feldmann, H., Hodnebrog, Ø., Kartsios, S., Keuler, K., Lorenz, T., Milovac, J., Pichelli, E., Raffa, M., Soares, P. M. M., Tölle, M. H., Truhetz, H., de Vries, H., and Warrach-Sagi, K.: Evaluation of the near-surface wind field over the Adriatic region: local wind characteristics in the convection-permitting model ensemble, Clim. Dynam., 62, 4617–4634, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-023-06703-z, 2024. 
Berthou, S., Kendon, E. J., Chan, S. C., Ban, N., Leutwyler, D., Schär, C., and Fosser, G.: Pan-European climate at convection-permitting scale: a model intercomparison study, Clim. Dynam., 55, 35–59, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4114-6, 2020. 
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Short summary
Kilometer (km)-scale climate models have large added value for modeling precipitation, but their benefits for winds are less studied. We show that the km-scale model better reproduces strong winds in complex terrain, which are up to twice as strong as in a coarser model, and can capture downslope glacier winds in higher terrain. Future changes in mean and strong winds are governed by the large-scale circulation change, whereas for weak winds, they are governed by the temperature change, which is less uncertain.
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