  The `local scaling' hypothesis, first introduced by Nieuwstadt two decades
ago, describes the turbulence structure of stable boundary layers in a very
succinct way and is an integral part of numerous local closure-based numerical
weather prediction models. However, the validity of this hypothesis under very
stable conditions is a subject of on-going debate. In this work, we attempt to
address this controversial issue by performing extensive analyses of turbulence
data from several field campaigns, wind-tunnel experiments and large-eddy
simulations. Wide range of stabilities, diverse field conditions and a
comprehensive set of turbulence statistics make this study distinct.
