A wake low moved through behind showers this morning in the Tennessee Valley causing gusty winds. These winds knocked down some trees and even some powerlines across the area.

There were several reports of gusty winds across our area this morning. The highest report was from Decatur with a wind gust of 59 mph!

The cause of these strong winds was from what we call a wake low. A wake low is a strong pressure gradient that develops behind storms.

A wake low forms when sinking, drying air behind showers and storms warms as it sinks to the surface. This warmer air behind showers and storms leads to low pressure developing, called a wake low. This development of a wake low leads to a strong pressure gradient across the region. This strong pressure gradient creates an area of gusty winds that can cause damage outside of thunderstorms.