North Pacific high

[ nawrth puh-sif-ik hahy ]

noun

, Meteorology.

1. a semipermanent subtropical high in the North Pacific Ocean, centered about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) northeast of Hawaii, where it is strongest during the summer: As the North Pacific high becomes weakened and displaced toward the equator with the onset of winter, the Aleutian low becomes more dominant.

Word History and Origins

Origin of North Pacific high¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The North Pacific High strengthens and expands during the summer, creating the hot, dry conditions that are typical for Los Angeles and crowding out the monsoon.

From Los Angeles Times

The reason that the North American monsoon does not reach coastal California is the presence of the North Pacific High, which is a part of the subtropical ridge that typically sits northeast of Hawaii.

From Los Angeles Times

In winter, however, the North Pacific High tends to weaken and shift south, allowing atmospheric rivers to reach the state.

From Los Angeles Times

Along with the occasional shark or sea turtle passerby, this region—which is actually called “the North Pacific High”—hosts a unique array of tiny species that live at the sea surface, from electric-blue seadragons to miniscule snails that ride bubbles like rafts across the open ocean.

From Slate

Currently, there are a variety of companies and organizations operating devices to extract pollution from the open ocean, including the Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit that uses a 1.4-mile net-like screen connected to two ships to slowly skim the water’s surface and collect plastic in the North Pacific High.

From Slate