Short Wave

[isobars]

Id have to dig out my packed weather books to give you a GOOD answer, but in general a short wave is a small wiggle in the jet stream whereas a low is a bigger wiggle in the jet stream. Thus a short wave can be considered as a weak low for our purposes. It can be faster moving and weaker than a big low, so it may stir up winds only for hours, rather rhan a while day or more.

Mike \m/

[rasdpm]

Mike, I have no grip on these terms, please help me with some basic concepts. If cooler, more dense air has a higher barometric pressure, why is it called a low, and if warm, dry, clear air has a lower b. pressure, why is it called a high. Why is a falling barometer indicative of worsening weather, if lower b.p. is warm, lighter air? It makes sense to me that wind will move from high b. p. to low, so is a thermal gradient created when warming air is also falling barometric pressure? Dense air(high b pressure), vs. light, warm air (lower b p) makes sense, but how is this related to low fronts vs. highs?
...confused wind addict...

[isobars]

Your questions are answered in MANY books, and the answers would almost fill some of them. I hate to put you off, but I havent the time to read them to refresh my memory, then retype them here. Grab one from the library and reads the interesting parts. Youll probably wind up reading most of the book. Ive read many weather books and still cant keep it all straight, but some of the basics stick after a while.

I CAN say, however, that if an air massd has a high (relative to adjacent air masses) barometric pressure, its called a High, not a Low. And the converse applies.