A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts can cause extensive damage at the surface, and …

A microburst often causes aircraft to crash when they are attempting to land or shortly after takeoff (American Airlines Flight 63 and Delta Air Lines Flight 318 are notable exceptions). The microburst is …

Feb 15, 2025 · During a thunderstorm, you might experience a powerful blast of air rushing straight down, slamming into the ground, and spreading out in all directions. That’s a microburst. They’re …

Sep 19, 2025 · A microburst is a powerful localized downdraft created by a column of sinking air through the base of a storm or rain cloud. This meteorological phenomenon can be divided into dry and wet …

Jun 19, 2025 · With a dry microburst, all of the precipitation evaporates before the column of descending air reaches the ground. This makes them particularly dangerous, because they can be hard to see.

Jul 24, 2025 · A downburst of winds from a decaying thunderstorm is considered a “microburst” if the width of the damaging winds is 2.5 miles or less, with winds that persist for 15 minutes or less.

Oct 19, 2025 · Microburst, pattern of intense winds that descends from rain clouds, hits the ground, and fans out horizontally. Microbursts are short-lived, usually lasting from about 5 to 15 minutes, and they …

Jun 22, 2024 · Microbursts: These are small downbursts with an affected area less than or equal to 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in diameter. Despite their size, microbursts produce intense winds potentially …

Jul 24, 2025 · A downburst of winds from a decaying thunderstorm is considered a “microburst” if the width of the damaging winds is 2.5 miles or less, with winds that persist for 15 minutes or less.

Microbursts are small scale intense downdrafts which, on reaching the surface, spread outward in all directions from the downdraft center.