squall line

noun

, Meteorology.

1. a line or extended narrow region within which squalls or thunderstorms occur, often several hundred miles long.

squall line

noun

1. a narrow zone along a cold front along which squalls occur See also line squall

squall line

1. A line of sudden, sometimes violent thunderstorms that develop on the leading edge of a cold front. Squall lines can form up to 80 to 240 km (50 to 149 mi) in front of an advancing cold front and can be more than 160 km (99 mi) long. The thunderstorms of a squall line can produce severe weather conditions, such as hail and rain accompanied by winds of over 96 km (60 mi) per hour; they are also associated with tornadoes, especially in spring and early summer.

Example Sentences

Thunderstorms, clustered into a squall line producing heavy rainfall, had become reinvigorated midday Tuesday as they moved into a humid air mass heated by the sun.

From Washington Post

While the storms weren’t tall enough to garner charge separation and contain thunder and lightning, their structure was otherwise similar to a thunderstorm squall line.

From Washington Post

The tornado spun up within a squall line that raced east through the metro area just before midnight local time.

From Washington Post

Part of a Metairie elementary school's roof was ripped off its foundation, which NOLA.com said was likely due to intense winds following the squall line of the storm.

From Fox News

A squall line with severe storms and fast-moving winds was headed for north Florida on Christmas Eve.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• cold snap
• cold spell
• cold wave