Wedge (or Wedge Tornado): Slang for a large tornado with a condensation funnel that is at least as wide (horizontally) at the ground as it is tall (vertically) from the ground to cloud base.
WEDGE
Primarily refers to an elongated area of shallow high pressure at the earth's surface. It is generally associated with cold air east of the Rockies or Appalachians. It is another name for a ridge, ridge line, or ridge axis.
wedge—Same as ridge.
wet bulls—Contraction of either wet-bulb temperature or wet-bulb thermometer.
Wedges often appear with violent tornadoes (F4 or F5 on the Fujita Scale), but many documented wedges have been rated lower. And some violent tornadoes may not appear as wedges (e.g.
Wedge (or Wedge Tornado) - A large tornado with a condensation funnel that is at least as wide (horizontally) at the ground as it is tall (vertically) from the ground to cloud base.
Wind - Air in motion relative to the surface of the earth.
WEDGE - A large tornado that appears wider than its height between the cloud base and ground. Commonly associated with violent tornadoes of F4 or higher.
A low, horizontal wedge-shaped cloud, associated with a thunderstorm gustfront or a cold front, even in the absence of thunderstorms. Unlike the roll cloud, the shelf cloud is attached to the base of the parent cloud above it (usually a thunderstorm).
The colder air, being denser, cuts a wedge under the less dense warmer air, lifting it and finally overtaking it. Cold fronts move rapidly.
(Sometimes called wedge.) In meteorology, an elongated area of relatively high atmospheric pressure, almost always associated with and most clearly identified as an area of maximum anticyclonic curvature of wind flow.
Sheet iceIce formed by the freezing of liquid precipitation or the freezing of melted solid precipitation (see snow depth)Shelf CloudA low, horizontal wedge-shaped arcus cloud, ...
The honking wedges of geese cutting through early March skies showed the light at the end of the tunnel. And at 5:25 a.m. today it ended - or began rate, winter 1983-84 is now part of the National Weather Service's book of statistics.
antitwilight arch"A bright wedge of pink, orange, or purple light that extends around the antisolar horizon during clear twilights and that has the greatest vertical width (∼3°-6°) occurring above the antisolar point.
Shelf Cloud - A low-level horizontal accessory cloud that appears to be wedge-shaped as it approaches. It is usually attached to the thunderstorm base and forms along the gust front.
This term is used by some Canadian meteorologists to refer to a tongue or wedge of warm air isolated aloft. This sometimes happens when a cold front overtakes a warm front (forming an occluded front), lifting the warmer air away from the surface.
Moving at an average speed of about 20 mph, the heavier cold air moves in a wedge shape along the ground. Cold fronts bring lower temperatures and can create narrow bands of violent thunderstorms.
As the fronts sag into the warm and humid air that covers the southern plains, the colder air wedges under the warm air, creating lift.
Initially, the cold air mass wedges into the warmer air mass ahead of it, (separated from each other by the cold front). The lighter warm air is lifted upwards by the denser cold air and if enough water vapor condenses, clouds develop.
Frontal fog A cloud formed when precipitation falls from relatively warm air aloft into a wedge of relatively cool air near the Earth's surface and raises the vapor pressure in the cool air to saturation; ...
SHELF CLOUD - Long, wedge-shaped clouds associated with the gust front. Shelf clouds indicate the downdraft or outflow of a thunderstorm.
NOAA National Weather Service - Cite This Source - This Definition
Browse Related Terms: Cold Air Funnel, Condensation Funnel, funnel cloud, Multiple Vortex Tornado, NRW, Rope, Rope Stage, Tornado, Wedge Tornado ...
 See also: Weather, Air, Cloud, Clouds, Precipitation
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