Three Kinds of Squalls ... Or One?

[shamrock838]

Three Kinds of Squalls … Or One?

What is the difference between a “white squall” … a “bull’s-eye squall” … and a “microburst squall”?  Are these different names for the same storm phenomena … or do they differ in important ways?  I would also welcome links to additional sources of information, especially in a maritime sense.

Thanks.

[wetterdale]

Interesting question.  Here in Southwestern Ontario we get tons of "snow squalls" coming off Lake Huron in the winter.  They are often also called "streamers" since that is what they look like on a high res. radar.  Just a bunch of long narrow bands that dance around.  Never heard of the terms you use.

[Scalphunter]

 A white squall is just as the name inplies. it takes place at sea and all you see is a white wall of rain coming at you . Once into it  it heavy rain and wind with very rough seas. Generally short lived.  The Pride of Baltimore was sunk by this type of squall in 1986. They later made a movie about it.

John

[Scalphunter]

A bull's eye squall develops during fair weather, characteristic of the ocean off the coast of South Africa. Its name derrived from the peculiar appearance of the small isolated cloud marking the top of the invisble vortex of the storm.


 The Microburst and white squall seem to be one and the same. Just in a whitew squall there are no dark clouds to portray it's coming.

[Strgazr27]

A white squall is just as the name inplies. it takes place at sea and all you see is a white wall of rain coming at you . Once into it  it heavy rain and wind with very rough seas. Generally short lived.  The Pride of Baltimore was sunk by this type of squall in 1986. They later made a movie about it.

John

The name has nothing to do with the rain but the color of the water which is whipped into a fenzy and turned to foam and whitecaps. There is almost never any rain involved. They are less rare at see yet quite common over our very own Great Lakes.

Shamrock,

They are all TYPES of squalls. Here in the US there is a definitve term for a squall and certain criteria must be met for it to be considered a "Squall". That is, a sudden increase of at least 18mph in the wind speed and sustaining at at least 25 mph for at least 1 minute. There MANY different types of "Squalls" all basically describing a very similiar phenomenon.

[Bushman]

Here's a list of some related stuff:  http://ggweather.com/winds.html  Interesting...

[shamrock838]

A bull's eye squall develops during fair weather, characteristic of the ocean off the coast of South Africa. Its name derrived from the peculiar appearance of the small isolated cloud marking the top of the invisble vortex of the storm.

 The Microburst and white squall seem to be one and the same. Just in a whitew squall there are no dark clouds to portray it's coming.

1.  Since the "bull's eye" squall is rotational (rather than "straight-line" like the common frontal squall) ... could this be the early stage of a fair-weather (not tornadic) waterspout ... before it condenses into visible form?  Also, I wonder why this phenomena is said to occur most notably off the coast of South Africa?  BTW ... I've also heard of them occuring in Nova Scotian waters.  Yes?

2.  I too have seen the terms "white squalls" and "microbursts" used interchangeably ... but how can one display dark clouds overhead and the other doesn't?  Or does the "white squall" advance ahead of an oncoming cold front as do line squalls (or squall lines)?  Would this explain the ruffled, whitecapped sea disturbance rushing ahead?  Wouldn't this also explain the wind-only nature of "white squalls" ... and pre-frontal squalls ... where the rain often follows with the frontal passage itself?  Just thinking out loud.

Thanks.

[shamrock838]

A white squall is just as the name inplies. it takes place at sea and all you see is a white wall of rain coming at you . Once into it  it heavy rain and wind with very rough seas. Generally short lived.  The Pride of Baltimore was sunk by this type of squall in 1986. They later made a movie about it.

John

The name has nothing to do with the rain but the color of the water which is whipped into a fenzy and turned to foam and whitecaps. There is almost never any rain involved. They are less rare at see yet quite common over our very own Great Lakes.

Shamrock,

They are all TYPES of squalls. Here in the US there is a definitve term for a squall and certain criteria must be met for it to be considered a "Squall". That is, a sudden increase of at least 18mph in the wind speed and sustaining at at least 25 mph for at least 1 minute. There MANY different types of "Squalls" all basically describing a very similiar phenomenon.

1.  Just curious but why are "white squalls" more prevalent on the Great Lakes than at sea?

2.  Yes, squalls as local winds do have many names the world over.  Aren't many of these of katabatic origin?  I'm wondering if these are generally wind-only or accompanied by rain, etc?

3.  I'm currently reading a book by Daniel S Parrott entitled, "Tall Ships Down."  It tells of five tall ships who never returned: - Pamir (1957-hurricane), Albatross (1960-squall), Marques (1984-squall), Pride of Baltimore (1986-squall, and Maria Assumpta(1995-driven onto rocks).  Notably, three succumbed to sudden squall-related conditions.

Thanks.