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Williwaw. In meteorology, a williwaw (archaic spelling williwau [1]) is a sudden blast of wind descending from a mountainous coast to the sea. The word is of unknown origin, but was earliest used by British seamen in the 19th century. The usage appears for winds found in the Strait of Magellan, the Aleutian Islands and the coastal fjords of the ...
williwaw: [noun] a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes. a sudden violent wind.
- Atmospheric River/Pineapple Express
- Bomb Cyclone/Bombogenesis
- Derecho
- Firenado/Fire Whirl
- Flash Drought
- Graupel
- Haboob
- Pogonip/Ice Fog
- Saskatchewan Screamer/Alberta Clipper
- Siberian Express
A “river” of water vapor in the sky that can grow to 2,000 miles long, 500 miles wide and two miles deep. Strong winds sometimes push these series of connected rainstorms from midocean areas toward the western coasts of continents. The heaviest atmospheric rivers strike the U.S. and Canada—where they can carry vapor equivalent to 25 times the flow ...
A bomb cyclone is a rotating, rapidly intensifying storm that brings heavy rain or snow. It is generated by bombogenesis—when a storm’s barometric pressure plummets by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours, causing the system to “blow up” in strength. The nastiest nor’easters (storms that spin up along theU.S. East Coast and typically result in strong ...
A widespread, severe and long-lived windstorm that moves rapidly in a straight line, usually driven by thunderstorms. The term derecho—a Spanish word meaning “straight”—designates a storm with gusts of at least 58 miles per hour and “straight-line wind” damage that extends more than 240 miles [see “Straight-Line Wind/Downburst/Microburst” at bottom...
Spinning vortex of hot air, gases and embers that rises rapidly from an intense wildfire and can carry smoke, debris and flames hundreds of feet into the atmosphere. These whirls range from a few feet to 500 feet in diameter, and the largest ones can carry embers long distances.
The rapid onset of drought, triggered by low precipitation, abnormally high temperature, strongwinds and searing sun. Flash droughts accelerate evapotranspiration—soil and plants giving up excessive moisture—which can ruin crops.
There are soft snowflakes and hard hail pellets. In between, there’s graupel—a kind of soft hail. In uncommon atmospheric circumstances, verycold water droplets aloft freeze onto snowflakes and fall with them, hitting the ground with a squishy plop.
In Arabic this term means “blasting” and it describes a thick, violent dust storm or sandstorm. The word caught on as more intense haboobs have cut across the Middle East, northern Africa and India, grabbing media coverage. Winds can drive dust at up to 60 mph, crippling transportation and infiltrating people’s lungs, even though these events often...
Fog is made of water vapor, yet sometimes ice particles can create the ephemeral mistWhen the air temperature is below freezing and relative humidity is greater than 100 percent—an infrequent combination—these ice crystals can form and hover to form a “pogonip,” or ice fog. Pogonips typically happen in deep mountain valleys. The term is usually cre...
A fast-moving, low-pressure weather system that forms when frigid Arctic air drops into Canada’s province of Saskatchewan as moist Pacific Ocean air simultaneously arrives from the west. The resulting collision sets off howling winds that blow southeast toward the U.S. Great Lakes region, whipping up local blizzards and whiteouts even when snowfall...
A surge of extremely cold air created by a high-pressure system that develops over Siberia, travels across the North Pole and drops down into Canada or the U.S., causing temperatures there to plunge. Sometimes these systems move directly eastward instead and grip Japan.
- Mark Fischetti
Welcome. Located in downtown Anchorage, Williwaw Social is Anchorage's premier multi-faceted gathering space and intimate venue. Since its inception in the summer of 2015, Williwaw has been a cornerstone of downtown Anchorage, situated conveniently at the bustling intersection of 6th & F Streets, adjacent to the Performing Arts Center.
Mar 29, 2024 · A williwaw is a sudden and violent gust of cold wind that blows down from mountain passes toward the coast in far northern or southern latitudes. It can be found on the Alaskan coast and Aleutian ...
Feb 1, 2016 · Williwaw, a Colloquial Word for Katabatic Wind. Elizabeth Borneman. Updated: February 1, 2016. Physical Geography. A williwaw is a windstorm that is created by gravity’s effects on cold air. The cold air from a williwaw has a very high density and as it’s pulled down by gravity, the force creates a violent windstorm that can be devastating ...
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Synonyms for WILLIWAW: commotion, disturbance, stir, hurry, fuss, storm, hurricane, turmoil; Antonyms of WILLIWAW: calm, rest, hush, stillness, peace, quiet ...
