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Cold Wave
qA cold wave is an influx
of unusually cold air into middle or
lower latitudes.
qCold waves affect much
larger areas than blizzards, ice storms,
and other winter hazards.
qIn the Northern
Hemisphere, cold waves occur when very cold, dense air near the surface move out of its source region in northern Canada or northern Asia.
qThe “wave” in cold wave
is apparent in the upper-air flow (the
jetstream), which is usually amplified into a strong ridge-trough pattern during a major cold outbreak.
qMeteorologists measure
cold waves by the departure from the
normal temperature.