Wind
is the Word for March
When
I was in elementary school my teachers decorated bulletin
boards with seasonal illustrations that changed with the month.
March always had a huffing puffing cloud to represent wind.
When I think of March, I think of kites and migrating ducks,
two things that can be helped or hindered by wind.
There
are some pretty clever names associated with wind. Some of
the loveliest and most interesting are the hot, desert-born
"sirocco" and the gentle "zephyr."
Our
wind words often originate from roots in other languages.
For example, "zephyr" comes from Zephuros, Greek god of the
west wind. Blackfoot people gave us "chinook." It's a strong
wind that starts from downslope flow in the Rockies. As the
air descends, it warms up, sometimes melting snow - even in
winter.
The
effects of winds can have names every bit as nice as the wind
names themselves. On a warm summer day, a lake breeze can
bring cooling respite. Senior Meteorologist, Sam Lashley,
with the National Weather Service in Syracuse, Indiana, says
his favorite wind is a lake breeze. As a meteorologist, lake
breezes can create havoc with forecasts and change local weather
in an instant. The breeze off Lake Michigan can lower temperatures
by ten or 20 degrees in spring and early summer.
You
might think wind is invisible, but Lashley can see a lake
breeze with the help of radar. Dust and insects get caught
by the breeze and are pushed inland on the leading edge. On
the radar screen it appears as a fine line of echoes. That's
how forecasters know when such a breeze will press through
an area triggering dropping temperatures, and sometimes thunderstorms.
I'd
heard wind can travel in different directions at different
altitudes, but it took a hot air ride balloon ride in Albuquerque
to illustrate it. We lifted off on the outskirts of town and
drifted south following the Rio Grande. After about 30 minutes
of dazzling treetop flying the pilot skillfully added more
hot air to the balloon and we lifted higher into the sky.
Next thing I knew we were flying back north. We landed not
far from our launch site. In New Mexico, this wind effect
is so famous it's called the "Albuquerque box."
The
dusty continent of Australia has a couple of charming wind
words related to airborne particles, as well. "Bricklayer"
is a serious wind that carries dust from the interior and
coats everything in its path. "Willy-willy" is the delightful
down-under moniker for dust-devils, a clever name in itself.
