High country above treeline winds : prevailing vs thermals

[ndmarine]

Curious on people’s experience with winds above treeline (call it 12-13k’).

After scouting this past weekend it seemed that my north/south running mountain range ridgeline would almost always have a strong wind current up and over the peak throughout all times of the day. Then when I would drop to one ridgeline below the peak (still above tree line) then the typical thermal wind currents would be in play.

— what is your experience regarding wind on the top ridge of a range vs ridgelines below? Was my experience an anomaly or typical?

 

[Jimmy]

I don't know much, but it seems like the wind is always a little different for different mountains.

I try not to walk along too many top ridges, in a spot I'm hunting.

What you're saying sounds right to me. Wind blows over the ridge one way, but the thermals should push it up and not down towards deer. Deer seem to see me way more often than smell me first.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Thermal vs Gradient winds:
The Sailor's Wind, Stuart H. Walker