The spatial structure of nearshore wind, as measured by aircraft and analyzed in high-resolution atmospheric models (e.g., COAMPS), has strong influence on the patterns of upwelling circulation, surface temperature, and biogeochemical processes in coastal regions. Using a regional oceanic model for both the Southern California Bight and the Central California Coast, we demonstrate the nature of this upwelling sensitivity and infer that present wind analyses do not adequately determine the most important wind properties, viz., the strength of the nearshore curl and the speed drop-off near the coast.