TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

HEAT LOW [2 records]

Record 1 2006-03-18

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atmospheric Physics
DEF

An area of low pressure caused by very warm, dry air.

CONT

Heat lows or thermal troughs often build north along the coasts of California and Oregon in the summer. Thermal troughs can cause "east winds" in the Washington and Oregon Cascades. If however, a relatively strong disturbance in the upper atmosphere moves across the NW, it will force the thermal trough east of the Cascades. In most cases, a moderate to strong push of marine air will follow, along with strong, gusty, west winds along the east slopes of the Cascades. Gusty winds and thunderstorms can be associated with the passage of a thermal trough.

CONT

A front may have troughing along its length, but not all troughs are frontal! Indeed, not all troughs have 'weather' associated with them in the cloud/rainfall sense. Lee troughs found downwind of a major range of hills/mountains are often cloudless, and thermal troughs forming over land during the day due to mesoscale heating may only be found by careful drawing of isobars: if the air is dry and/or stable, little significant cloud will be associated with this feature.

OBS

trough: A feature on a weather map where mean sea level pressure (or upper contour heights) are lower than surrounding areas of the atmosphere, with a 'V' shape to the isobars/contours evident in the pattern. Often associated with unsettled/cloudy weather, but not always.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Physique de l'atmosphère
OBS

thalweg (s'écrit aussi talweg) - trough : Axe de basses pressions prolongeant une dépression. Les isobares sont en forme de V. Son passage est marqué par une brusque rotation du vent (grain).

OBS

talweg : Cette graphie, puisée des Rectifications de l'orthographe recommandées par le Conseil supérieur de la langue française, est attestée dans le Petit Robert (2004).

Spanish

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Record 2 2004-09-23

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atmospheric, Climatic and Meteorological Phenomena
DEF

Depression resulting from high temperatures due to intense heating of the Earth's surface.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Phénomènes météorologiques, climatiques et atmosphériques
DEF

Dépression résultant des températures élevées provoquées par un réchauffement intense de la surface terrestre.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Fenómenos meteorológicos, climáticos y atmosféricos
DEF

Depresión que se origina como resultado de las temperaturas altas producidas por un calentamiento intenso de la superficie de la Tierra.

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