February 2003 marine atmospheric conditions and the bora over the northern Adriatic

A winter oceanographic field experiment provided an opportunity to examine the atmospheric marine conditions over the northern Adriatic. Mean February winds are from a north-easterly direction over most of the Adriatic and more northerly along the western coast. Wind speeds are fastest in jets over the NE coast during bora events and weakest in the mid-north-western Adriatic. Diurnal air temperature cycles are smallest on the NE coast and largest in the mid-western Adriatic. The maximum sea-air difference is +10 degrees C on the eastern coast and near zero on the mid-western Adriatic. Boras are north-easterly wind events that sweep off Croatia and Slovenia, bringing slightly colder and drier air over the northern Adriatic. Bora season is from December to March. Winter 2002–2003 was normal for bora events. Synoptic-scale temporal variations are correlated over the northern Adriatic. Wind stress is concentrated over the NE half of Adriatic in four bora jets, and weak in the NW Adriatic. There is significant variation in wind stress mean and standard deviation structure over the northern Adriatic with each bora event.