WeatherQuesting
with April Holladay
to solve weather mysteries, your wonders.

Also, WonderQuest with April Holladay
 

Home   Top 10    Newsletter    Fast answers    Site Map

Google
 
Web www.WeatherQuesting.com


RSS Add to Google

Weather answers:  

    Lightning
    Atmosphere 
    Extremes & freaks
    Clouds
    Sky wonders
    Extraterrestrial
    Winds
    Rain & snow
    Seasons
    Climate
    Forecasts

Special Features  

    Current Column
    Answer a question
    Newsletter
    Interact with nature

Interacting with nature by K:

How to Offer Wild Birds Shelter in the Winter

Not all birds migrate south for the winter.  Winter is a hard season for birds, and many risk freezing to death. It doesn't take much effort or money to provide shelter for them.

More Articles >>

Hurricane spin speeds at various latitudes

Continued from Why hurricanes spin counterclockwise (and cyclones clockwise):

It is easy to see how different rotational speeds at different latitudes cause a counterclockwise rotation, when we examine the speeds themselves. The latitude of Hurricane Ivan's low is about 29 degrees north; so, the low rotates west to east about 908 mph (1460 k/h).  Hurricane Ivan extends north to about 35 degrees north (about the latitude of Spartanburg, SC).  The air at this latitude spin about 852 mph (1370 k/h) — slower than the low.  Ivan sweeps south to about 24.5 degrees north; those air masses spin at about 945 mph (1520) — faster than the low. 

The diagram shows these two most northerly and most southerly air masses, and some points in between.  I subtracted the speed of the low (908 mph) from each of the W to E speeds, to give the speeds relative to the low.  The winds north of the low blow from east to west, as indicated by the little red arrows.  The winds south of the low blow from west to east, relative to the low.  The result is counterclockwise motion.  (To illustrate the concept, I read the latitudes off the figure and are, therefore, approximate.)

(Answered March 10, 2008)

Site Map

Archive Features Info
Question Archive WeatherQuesting's Search
    Ask a question About April

 

  Lightning Rain & snow   Top 10 questions Add RSS feed to Google

 

  Sky wonders  Seasons   Newsletter Contributors
    Extraterrestrial Climate      
    Clouds Winds Correspondents'  
    Extremes & freaks Forecasts   Interact with nature  
    Atmosphere     Weather forecast at any location  
             
             
       

  Copyright 2007 by April Holladay