Katabatic Winds

Katabatic winds are winds that carry very dense air from a high altitude down to a lower one, this is due to the force of gravity.The word Katabatic comes from a Greek word that means "down Hill" These winds occur all over the world and people have different names for them in different areas.In Southern California they are known as Santa Ana. Throughout the Mediterranean they are known as the Mistral and in Japan they are known as the Oroshi. The Williwaw are particularly dangerous winds that blow over the Antarctic and can even reach speeds of over 100 knots.

 These winds are seen most often in Autumn and tend to bring very cold weather with them. They often occur at night when the weather begins to cool. The air at high Altitudes is cooled and sinks down the easiest path towards coastal areas to form Katabatic winds.








Image from http://thenauticalsite.com information from Listverse and Wikipedia