Why can windy tundra sites with little snow experience drought in summer?

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tundra biome — Polar ecosystem Southern limit of Arctic tundra and approximate line of demarcation between Low and High Arctic.

In tundra and polar barrens, winter snow accumulation serves as a critical reservoir of moisture for plant growth during the short summer season.1

Windy tundra sites often experience summer drought because strong winds redistribute snow, blowing it away from exposed ridges and landscape convexities and depositing it elsewhere as drifts in concavities or leeward areas. Because these windswept sites lack a significant winter snowpack, they are deprived of the primary source of moisture that would otherwise be released through melting during the summer months. Consequently, while snow-bed plant communities remain well-watered throughout the summer, these exposed, windy areas suffer from a lack of available water, which limits plant growth.1