Written by: E. Philip Krider Last Updated

Weather under thunderstorms

Downdrafts and gust fronts

Thunderstorm downdrafts originate at altitudes where the air temperature is cooler than at ground level, and they are kept cool even as they sink to warmer levels by the evaporation of water and melting of ice particles. Not only is the sinking air more dense than its surroundings, but it carries a horizontal momentum that is different from the surrounding air. If the descending air originated at a height of 10,000 metres (33,000 feet), for example, it might reach the ground with a horizontal velocity much higher than the wind at the ground. ... (100 of 7,746 words)

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