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Gap Winds: Mother Nature’s Gusty Side
March 12, 2022 at 07:25 PM EST
By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, Chad Merrill
March is a constant tug-of-war battle between the frigid Arctic chill that sweeps south into the U.S. and the warmer, moisture-laden southern flow from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. While these temperature differences foster their own gusty winds, there are specific spots where high winds can catch someone off-guard even on a quiet day with no major frontal system.
A strong pressure gradient, usually triggered by a change in temperature, is the main culprit for gusty winds. March frontal systems are known for producing big pressure changes that unleash gusty, perhaps destructive winds over a large region.
However, aside from the transition season, outdoor enthusiasts should be aware of local effects that trigger gusty winds. For anyone hiking in a narrow valley between two mountain ridges, the rapid change in pressure due to the air being forced through the valley will trigger gusty winds. A great example of where gustiness could occur due to gap winds would be the Columbia River Gorge in the Pacific Northwest.
The Cumberland Gap in western Maryland is another spot where air would be able to accelerate through this channel before reaching the city of Cumberland. The Tehuantepecer of Central America is a traditional windy spot, even in a quiet weather pattern, due to gap winds.
Gusty winds also occur in major cities where buildings are aligned on both sides of the streets. The same principle with gap winds in the wilderness applies to streets in downtown urban corridors. As air moves from outlying rural spots where the pressure is higher to the urban corridor where pressure is lower, the air accelerates and it becomes windy. Again, this occurs in pretty much any weather pattern.
The strength of the wind gusts in a mountain gap and urban corridor ultimately depends on the magnitude of the change in pressure as the wind accelerates through the channel. On a day with a frontal system pushing through, winds will be even stronger in a gap or urban corridor than a day with high pressure. Another factor that allows wind speeds to increase is sunshine. The atmosphere is more capable of mixing down stronger winds aloft on a sunny day, so the magnitude of gusts generally follows a diurnal pattern: strongest gusts occur in the afternoon and lightest wind happens overnight.
Knowing that gusty winds will be a factor in your hike through a canyon could be the deciding factor on how you pack for your adventure. Additionally, the next time you venture into the city and have to walk to your destination, you might consider securing your belongings to avoid losing valuable material to strong urban gap winds.
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Story Image: A mountain gap is seen. (Courtesy of Pixabay.com)
A strong pressure gradient, usually triggered by a change in temperature, is the main culprit for gusty winds. March frontal systems are known for producing big pressure changes that unleash gusty, perhaps destructive winds over a large region.
However, aside from the transition season, outdoor enthusiasts should be aware of local effects that trigger gusty winds. For anyone hiking in a narrow valley between two mountain ridges, the rapid change in pressure due to the air being forced through the valley will trigger gusty winds. A great example of where gustiness could occur due to gap winds would be the Columbia River Gorge in the Pacific Northwest.
The Cumberland Gap in western Maryland is another spot where air would be able to accelerate through this channel before reaching the city of Cumberland. The Tehuantepecer of Central America is a traditional windy spot, even in a quiet weather pattern, due to gap winds.
Gusty winds also occur in major cities where buildings are aligned on both sides of the streets. The same principle with gap winds in the wilderness applies to streets in downtown urban corridors. As air moves from outlying rural spots where the pressure is higher to the urban corridor where pressure is lower, the air accelerates and it becomes windy. Again, this occurs in pretty much any weather pattern.
The strength of the wind gusts in a mountain gap and urban corridor ultimately depends on the magnitude of the change in pressure as the wind accelerates through the channel. On a day with a frontal system pushing through, winds will be even stronger in a gap or urban corridor than a day with high pressure. Another factor that allows wind speeds to increase is sunshine. The atmosphere is more capable of mixing down stronger winds aloft on a sunny day, so the magnitude of gusts generally follows a diurnal pattern: strongest gusts occur in the afternoon and lightest wind happens overnight.
Knowing that gusty winds will be a factor in your hike through a canyon could be the deciding factor on how you pack for your adventure. Additionally, the next time you venture into the city and have to walk to your destination, you might consider securing your belongings to avoid losing valuable material to strong urban gap winds.
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Story Image: A mountain gap is seen. (Courtesy of Pixabay.com)