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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This is because water temperatures are often at their warmest, wind shear is at its lowest and humidity has increased across the basin, all of which contribute to hurricane formation.
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Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2024
Conditions are most favorable for tornadoes when there's warm, humid air near the Earth's surface and wind shear ― a change in direction and/or speed of winds from near the ground to higher in the atmosphere that helps storms rotate, Vavrus explained.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 29 July 2024
While most fire whirls form in a similar ground-up fashion as dust devils, strong wind shear created by the fire itself can force those pyrocumulonimbus clouds to acquire the rotation needed to generate a tornado.
—Dennis Mersereau, WIRED, 22 July 2024
Hardin said tornados typically form during a convergence of moisture, hot rising air and quick wind speed changes, known as wind shear.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for wind shear 
Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2024
Conditions are most favorable for tornadoes when there's warm, humid air near the Earth's surface and wind shear ― a change in direction and/or speed of winds from near the ground to higher in the atmosphere that helps storms rotate, Vavrus explained.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 29 July 2024
While most fire whirls form in a similar ground-up fashion as dust devils, strong wind shear created by the fire itself can force those pyrocumulonimbus clouds to acquire the rotation needed to generate a tornado.
—Dennis Mersereau, WIRED, 22 July 2024
Hardin said tornados typically form during a convergence of moisture, hot rising air and quick wind speed changes, known as wind shear.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for wind shear
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wind shear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Wind shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wind%20shear. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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