outflow boundary
Thunderstorm's cool exhale
An outflow boundary is a weather phenomenon—the leading edge of cool air spreading outward from a thunderstorm's downdraft.
When rain-cooled air hits the ground and rushes outward, it creates a boundary that can trigger new storms where it meets warmer air.
Meteorologists track these boundaries because they often spawn severe weather: The outflow boundary from yesterday's storms initiated a new line of cells.
Linear thunderstorm formation
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- downdraftDescending air current
- microburstLocalized descending air blast
- downburstSudden descending windstorm
derecho · haboob · convection · mesoscale · supercell · severe weather · wind shift · shelf cloud
Process of approaching sameness
- collisionForceful contact between objects
- liftingRaising something heavy
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- propagationAct of spreading widely
Subtle distinction between things
- thin lineNarrow separating boundary
- reflectivityLight-bouncing capacity
- Doppler radarMotion-sensing weather instrument
- satellite imageryEarth views from orbit
weather station · anemometer · pressure sensor · wind vane · time-lapse · nowcasting
squall line
Linear thunderstorm formation
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- downdraftDescending air current
- microburstLocalized descending air blast
downburst · derecho · haboob · convection · mesoscale · supercell · severe weather · wind shift · shelf cloud · outdraft
convergence
Process of approaching sameness
- collisionForceful contact between objects
- liftingRaising something heavy
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
propagation · interaction · merging · triggering · instability
fine line
Subtle distinction between things
- thin lineNarrow separating boundary
- reflectivityLight-bouncing capacity
- Doppler radarMotion-sensing weather instrument
satellite imagery · weather station · anemometer · pressure sensor · wind vane · time-lapse · nowcasting
- weather frontscold front, warm front, stationary front, arctic front, squall line
- Storm Featureseye, eyewall, rainband, updraft, downdraft
- atmosphereair, humidity, atmosphere, temperature, oxygen
- severe stormstornado, hurricane, thunderstorm, supercell, hailstorm
- airborne particlesdust particles, dust, particulates, aerosol, particulate matter
- storm systemscyclone, cyclones, supercell, hurricane, hurricanes