Thunderstorm downdraft wind speeds can range up to 60-75 mph.

Thunderstorm downdraft wind speeds can range up to 60-75 mph.

• A. 60-75 mph
• B. 65-85 mph
• C. 20-50 mph
• D. 45-60 mph

Answer: (A)

Thunderstorm downdrafts are the sinking air inside a storm that cools and gains weight from evaporating precipitation, causing it to rush toward the ground. When this air reaches the surface, it spreads out horizontally and can generate strong gusts at the outflow boundary. In many thunderstorms, this downdraft winds peak in the 60–75 mph range, which makes that span the best description of typical upper-bound speeds for a downdraft. While extremely intense events like microbursts can exceed this, the 60–75 mph range captures the common, expected strength of thunderstorm downdrafts. The other ranges either describe speeds that are too low or don’t align with what’s commonly observed in standard downdraft events.

Thunderstorm downdrafts are the sinking air inside a storm that cools and gains weight from evaporating precipitation, causing it to rush toward the ground. When this air reaches the surface, it spreads out horizontally and can generate strong gusts at the outflow boundary. In many thunderstorms, this downdraft winds peak in the 60–75 mph range, which makes that span the best description of typical upper-bound speeds for a downdraft. While extremely intense events like microbursts can exceed this, the 60–75 mph range captures the common, expected strength of thunderstorm downdrafts. The other ranges either describe speeds that are too low or don’t align with what’s commonly observed in standard downdraft events.