 Wind occurs as air moves between high and low pressure cells and between the equator and the poles. Because the sun heats the earth more at the equator than at the poles, warm air masses at the equator move north, while cold air masses at the poles move south. Since the earth rotates, the force of the earth's rotation deflects the air masses to the right. That change in the wind's direction creates whirling masses of air called high-pressure cells (highs) and low pressure cells (lows). The highs generally bring fair weather, like breezy, sunny days. The lows usually bring unsettled weather, like storms. The direction and speed of the wind is a factor of air pressure, surrounding pressure cells and location
Another factor is terrain. Regions which are more exposed, such as deserts and plains, are more likely to have strong winds as there are fewer terrain features to break up or deflect the wind. Other terrain features such as valleys or mountain passes channel the wind, leading to stronger winds in a localized area. |
