Airflow on the windward side of a large ridge

In most studies of windflow over mountains the emphasis has been concentrated on lee phenomena. In this paper an investigation of the flow on the windward side is reported. A theoretical model is developed, based on analogy with critical depth flow of water, from which ridge-crest winds are computed from atmospheric sounding data taken at the foot of the ridge. The air is treated as a compressible fluid in laminar two-dimensional flow. The model is tested by comparing computed and observed precipitation on the Sierra Nevada in California.