What is Wind Shear?

What is Wind Shear? Wind shear is the change in wind speed or direction with height in the atmosphere. For hurricane forecasters, it's one of the most critical factors determining whether a tropical storm will strengthen into a dangerous hurricane or fall apart before reaching land. The Simple Analogy Think of trying to build a tower of blocks while someone is pushing the top blocks in a different direction than the bottom ones. The more the difference in pushing direction and strength, the harder it becomes to keep your tower standing tall and organized. This is exactly what happens to hurri…