wind shear
noun
: a radical shift in wind speed and direction that occurs over a very short distance
Examples of wind shear in a Sentence
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During the El Niño phase, warm water around the Pacific equator spreads far to the east, typically changing patterns of wind shear to favor tropical cyclone activity in the eastern Pacific and decrease it in the Atlantic.
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 June 2026
El Niño, however, is associated with higher vertical wind shear in the Atlantic, which disrupts this process.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 June 2026
The pattern creates more widespread wind shear and sinking air across the Atlantic basin, which tend to break up developing storms.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
The severe threat remains limited because wind shear is fairly weak, but a few storms could still produce gusty winds and small hail.
—Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 26 May 2026
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 June 2026
El Niño, however, is associated with higher vertical wind shear in the Atlantic, which disrupts this process.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 June 2026
The pattern creates more widespread wind shear and sinking air across the Atlantic basin, which tend to break up developing storms.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
The severe threat remains limited because wind shear is fairly weak, but a few storms could still produce gusty winds and small hail.
—Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wind shear
Cite this Entry
“Wind shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wind%20shear. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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