wind

[trailerman]

John; thanks for the great website you have created. It is neat to read all the comments that people have about whatever. I have a question that I have hesitated asking in the past, but after the last few days have to find out. How is wind made (in simple terms) and how can it just keep blowing like it has the last couple of days. I kinda get the low and high fronts, and pressure systems, but to me it is just amazing how the wind has been blow constantly the last few days. thanks for your time.

 

[jd]

Wind is simply mother natures way of trying to balance things out between high and low pressure. The air flows from high to low (much line a vacuum cleaner) and has it's direction modified a bit by friction and something we call the Coriolis effect. That is why winds angle into a low rather than travel directly at it.

As long as that pressure difference exists, the wind will blow.

-John