What is the best description of wind shear?

What is the best description of wind shear?

• A. Sudden changes in wind speed and direction.
• B. Gradual wind change with altitude.
• C. Turbulence from thunderstorms only.
• D. Wind reversal near the ground.

Answer: (A)

Wind shear is the rapid change in wind velocity over a short distance, meaning both speed and direction can shift abruptly as you move through a layer of air. In flight this shows up when you cross a boundary, gust front, or a sharp edge of a thunderstorm, causing a sudden headwind or tailwind component and possibly a sideways component that affects lift and airspeed. This isn’t just a gradual change with height—that’s wind gradient and it’s less abrupt. It’s also not limited to storms, though storms are a common source; wind shear can occur in clear air too and can even happen near the ground in microbursts or at the edge of a jet stream. So the best description is the sudden changes in wind speed and direction over a short distance.

Wind shear is the rapid change in wind velocity over a short distance, meaning both speed and direction can shift abruptly as you move through a layer of air. In flight this shows up when you cross a boundary, gust front, or a sharp edge of a thunderstorm, causing a sudden headwind or tailwind component and possibly a sideways component that affects lift and airspeed. This isn’t just a gradual change with height—that’s wind gradient and it’s less abrupt. It’s also not limited to storms, though storms are a common source; wind shear can occur in clear air too and can even happen near the ground in microbursts or at the edge of a jet stream. So the best description is the sudden changes in wind speed and direction over a short distance.