Reading Guide
for October 27

from Henson, Rough Guide to Weather

Chapter 2: The wild stuff

p. 96. Other windstorms. This reading looks at names people give to local wind patterns, and explains how the patterns occur.

p. 97. “Blowing hot and cold.” This section describes downslope winds.

• What makes hot downslope winds hot?
• Given that, how can cold downslope winds be cold?

pp. 97–99. “Downbursts and derechoes.”

• What causes the downdraft in a downburst?
• What is the wind pattern on the ground from a downburst?

pp. 99–102. “Quick spins.” This describes some vortex winds that are quite different from tornadoes. Read this to find out what waterspouts and dust devils are, and how they form.

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