wind shear

noun

: a radical shift in wind speed and direction that occurs over a very short distance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In August, however, wind shear was higher than average in the region of the Atlantic Ocean where tropical systems commonly form. —

Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 28 Nov. 2022 Within the supercell, wind shear becomes a crucial component to the storms development. —

Jennifer Gray, CNN, 28 Nov. 2022 Strong vertical wind shear can inhibit the development of hurricanes by tilting the structure of a storm and by forcing cool, dry air into its core. —

Elena Shao, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2022 Forecasters say dry air, Saharan dust and wind shear have been among the reasons there haven’t been more storms this year. —

David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel, 17 Sep. 2022 Forecasters say dry air, Saharan dust and wind shear have been among the reasons there haven’t been more storms this year. —

Victoria Ballard, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 The culprit is wind shear, which is when two huge air masses close to each other move at different speeds. —

Dallas News, 21 Dec. 2022 These upper-level westerlies increase vertical wind shear. —

Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 28 Nov. 2022 Scientists hypothesize that the jet stream, which creates strong wind shear, could be pushed north as global temperatures rise. —

Scott Dance And Kasha Patel, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wind shear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.