Weather forecasters talk about wind shear a lot during hurricane season, but what exactly is it? I teach meteorology at Georgia Tech, in a part of the country that pays close attention to the Atlantic ...

I teach meteorology at Georgia Tech, in a part of the country that pays close attention to the Atlantic hurricane season. Here’s a quick look at one of the key forces that can determine whether a ...

Wind shear can make or break a single tropical storm and can have long-term impacts on a tropical season. But, what exactly is wind shear and why is it so important in forecasting hurricanes and other ...

Wind shear is defined as the change in wind speed, wind direction, or both, over some distance. You may have heard airplane pilots talk about turbulence and warn passengers that they’re in for a bumpy ...

Imagine trying to build a tower of cards in a wind tunnel. No matter how strong the foundation, the upper layers won’t stand a chance. That’s what wind shear does to a developing storm. Wind shear ...

Whenever thunderstorms are in the forecast, meteorologists are always looking to see if there will be any wind shear present, and if so, just how much. Wind shear is the measurement of the difference ...

A large temperature/dewpoint spread (15-30°C) with nearby convective storms indicates a high risk of wind shear for light aircraft. Wind shear, a sudden change in wind speed and direction, can cause ...

Zachary Handlos receives funding from the National Science Foundation. He is affiliated with the American Meteorological Society. I teach meteorology at Georgia Tech, in a part of the country that ...