Weather Tidbits: The Sting Jet

This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss the sting jet. A sting jet is a core of violent winds that can form within a low pressure system. This can happen when a tropical cyclone transitions into a non-tropical cyclone. This is known as extratropical transition. During extratropical transition, cooler and drier air is being entrained into the western flank of a tropical cyclone, like a hurricane. A temperature gradient is formed by cooler and drier air interacting with the warmer and moist air, causing a narrow strengthening of winds aloft. This forms the sting jet. The denser nature of drier and cooler air then forces the air to sink. When this air sinks, it pulls the stronger winds associated with the sting jet down to the surface. This can produce very powerful surface wind gusts on the west side of hurricanes stronger than on the east side.