Classification of Synoptic Patterns With Mesoscale Mechanisms for Downslope Windstorms in Korea Using a Self‐Organizing Map

Abstract Downslope windstorms (DWs) are responsible for wildfires, wind gusts, and turbulence on the lee side of the Taebaek Mountains in the Yeongdong (YD) region of Korea. We classified the synoptic conditions of the windstorms in the YD region using a self‐organizing map (SOM). For windstorm events from 1979 to 2019, sea level pressure anomalies were used to train the SOM. It was found that the synoptic patterns could be classified into three representative types: (1) the south‐high and north‐low pattern in the spring, (2) the west‐high and east‐low pattern in the winter, and (3) the strong low‐pressure system passing through the northern part of Korea. At 850 hPa, prevailing southwesterly and northwesterly flows with warm and cold advections were dominant in Types 1 and 2, respectively. And, Type 3 presented a well‐developed baroclinic system of cyclone. Adiabatic warming by downslop…