VISUAL OBSERVATIONS OF MOUNTAIN MICROCLIMATES
WHITEMAN, C. DAVID
Meteorology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Mountains are under-represented in climate records, with few long-term climate stations at the
higher elevations. Meteorological observations in these extreme environments, which exhibit
large temporal and spatial variabilities, are often suspect due to measurement difficulties or poor
siting of measurement stations. Of particular concern to researchers in many disciplines is the
lack of information on climate variations at the smallest scales, where visual observations of the
ecosystems show important climate-related changes that are closely tied to the topography and
are occurring over spatial scales from several meters to several kilometers. In this talk, selected
factors affecting meteorological and climate variability on small scales in mountains will be
summarized using photographs and illustrations of weather events. Field-observable features of
mountain weather, their physical basis, and their meaning for mountain microclimates will be
emphasized, and examples will be given of the effects of mountain weather and climate on the
natural environment, ecosystems and natural resources.