The Types of Non-Synoptic Wind Systems

Abstract This is a brief summary of the names, characteristics, and dynamics and thermodynamics of subsynoptic-scale and smaller weather systems that can produce damaging surface winds in midlatitudes and wherever the damaging winds occur within the systems. Those systems associated with convective storms include tornadoes, gust fronts, and microbursts; those not associated with convective storms include downslope wind storms and, to a lesser extent, bores, katabatic winds, sting jets, dryline bulges, and the diurnal oscillation of the (nocturnal) low-level jet. Fundamental physical processes discussed include extreme positive or negative buoyancy, production of horizontal vorticity baroclinically, production of vertical vorticity through tilting and stretching, gravity-wave generation over orography and downstream propagation, and turbulent vertical mixing.