Wind shear
A sudden change in wind direction or speed with height.
What it means
It shows up at a level where the wind above differs sharply from the wind below, and it can also occur over a short horizontal distance. Shear is not the same as turbulence, though it often causes it, and strong shear can tilt thermals or break them apart.
Example in context
Climbing out I went through the shear: westerly below, suddenly northerly above, and bumpy at the boundary.
Sources and review
- NWS Glossary: Wind Shear (opens in a new tab)
- FAA Glider Flying Handbook, Chapter 9 (Soaring Weather) (opens in a new tab)
- Jakub Vrána — Paraglidingový slang: o počasí (opens in a new tab)
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