In the Northern Hemisphere, when the center of a high-pressure system is due east of your position, you can expect winds from which direction?
• Clockwise circulation around a high-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere • Winds are named for the direction they come FROM, not where they are going • Your position is west of the high, since the center of the high is due east of you
• Sketch a simple compass rose, mark the high-pressure center to the east, and draw the clockwise wind circulation around it. At the point west of the center (your position), which way is the air flowing? • Once you know which way the air is moving (its path), convert that into the compass direction it is coming FROM. Is it generally from the north side, south side, east side, or west side? • Compare your drawn wind direction with the answer choices, which describe ranges of directions (e.g., south through west, north through east). Which range best matches your sketch?
• Make sure you are using Northern Hemisphere circulation (clockwise around highs), not Southern Hemisphere. • Double-check that you are thinking of wind direction as where it comes FROM, not where it is blowing toward. • Confirm that your position is to the west of the high, since the high is due east of you, and identify what quadrant of the high’s circulation you are in.
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