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wind <br />• <br />The synoptic flow in the area is characterized by prevailing <br />westerly winds, which influence air quality in the region. The <br />direction and speed of the winds are greatly affected by the local <br />topography. <br />The general area contains two large drainage basins: the Yampa <br />River Basin and the Williams Fork River drainage system. The Yampa <br />Valley forms a broad canyon which channels the airflow into an <br />east-west orientation reflecting upslope and downslope motion. <br />Similar upslope-downslope wind flow exists in the Williams Fork <br />Valley. The flow draining this Valley is directed northwardly <br />along the high ground west of Craig prior to joining the main <br />stream flowing up and down the Yampa Valley at the end of the <br />ridge. <br />The high frequency of near-calm conditions exists because of the <br />protection afforded by the local terrain in most of the valleys. <br />These conditions generally occur at night and in the early morning. <br />The strongest winds in the area can be expected during the winter <br />• and early spring, especially in March, and briefly during summer <br />thunderstorms. <br />The prevailing winds over most of the permit area will be from the <br />southwest at an average speed of approximately 8 to 9 miles per <br />hour; some 10 to 15 percent of the time the wind will blow out of <br />the northeast. Strong winds will occur due to cold fronts and <br />thunderstorms moving through the area, but fair weather winds will <br />rarely exceed 20 to 25 miles per hour. <br />• <br />2.04.8-8 <br />