Why do waterspouts and 34+ knot wind gusts sometimes occur before a Special Marine Warning is issued?
• Convective wind gusts of 34 knots or greater • A large majority of Special Marine Warnings are issued before the strong winds reach the water. Often, strong or severe thunderstorms will have a history of strong or damaging winds on land, so the radar operator can anticipate the effects on the water. • Most commercial and pleasure boaters receive their marine weather forecasts and information from the U.S. Coast Guard, listening to specific radio frequencies. • After the National Weather Service issues a Special Marine Warning the U.S. Coast Guard (among others) receives the warning and retransmits it over their specific radio frequency, a process that can take up to 10 minutes. Usually thunderstorms with strong convective wind gusts move at approximately the same speed as the wind gusts themselves, which can be a considerable distance. • Consider a thunderstorm that is moving at 50 knots, it could track 9 miles in the 10 minutes it may take the U.S. Coast Guard to retransmit the warn
Related Questions
- Top of PageWhat does the term "knot" which is used in marine weather forecasts mean and how does it relate to wind?
- What does the term "knot" which is used in marine weather forecasts mean and how does it relate to wind?
- Why do waterspouts and 34+ knot wind gusts sometimes occur before a Special Marine Warning is issued?
