Why, in North America, does the weather travel from west to east and is it the same for other continents?

Answer 1

It's due to the jetstream which is located at about 250 mb which is approximately 12km above the surface (give or take).
Anyway the jet stream does circle the globe (not always continuously) flowing from west to east (in the northern hemisphere). Our weather systems are steered by the upper level winds associated with the jet stream. Keep in mind though, the jet stream does have troughs and ridges which causes weather systems to move north or south, but the general flow is from west to east.

-For those who say it's the rotation of the Earth... it is in a way because it's the unequal heating of the earth and the rotation of the earth that creates the jet stream. But it really is upper level winds which steer weather systems.

Answer 2

An entire course could be taught involving the details of this question, so a brief answer is very difficult.

The primary reasons are:

1) Much more solar heating at low latitudes than high latitiudes.

2) Large land masses in both hemispheres are primarily located in mid latitiudes.

3) The earth's rotation - counterclockwise looking down at the North Pole.

A complete discussion of the processes would be very lenghty, but suffice it to say that the greater heating in the tropics and lesser toward the poles causes the maximum temperature gradient to be at mid-latitudes. It can be shown that such a temperature gradient causes upper air winds to blow from west-to-east because of a balance of the pressure gradient and Coriolis forces (which is determined by Earth's rotation). This is the reason for the jet stream, but the most relevant height for storm systems is a little below that.

Weather systems form becuase of disturbances in the mean west-to-east flow aloft, and then are advected by them. They can go in other directions, but that certainly is the predominate one.

The above discussion only applies to mid-latitudes, though the westerlies often extend further north toward the poles and south into the tropics. Yet on the average easterly winds actually prevail in the tropics - trade winds which tend to converge around the equator. Thus (open) easterly waves are common there rather than mid-latitude (closed) Lows. There are not as great of land masses in the tropics though.

Notice during the peak of hurricane season (late summer & early fall) that these storms (originating in the topics) do predominately move from east-to-west until they go far enough into mid-latitudes to be caught in the westerlies. At that time of year, the tropical easterlies can extend northward into the continental U.S. such that weather systems in general can occasionally head from east to west - especially over the southern U.S., but also as far north as the mid-Atlantic. During winter it is the opposite - cold fronts with polar continental air masses behind them can advance into the tropics and snow falls in the mountains of Mexico.

Tried to keep it short and still didn't feel I explained it all that well.

Answer 3

It's mainly caused by ocean currents, the earth's rotation which causes "Coriolis force" and typical weather patterns. There are times when "west to east" is not true...could be "north to south" or even "east to west." But normally it's west to east.

That is not the case for the Southern Hemisphere, which would be the opposite.

Answer 4

Actually , in north america, it doesn't. It depends on the weather patterns and storm location.
Alaska Storms will go South, then east.
Pacific Storms will go East
South America Storms will go North through North America, then turn either east or west depending on other weather situations.
Gulf Storms go West, then north, then east.
North East Storms go wherever they like (literally).

Answer 5

The simplistic answer to your very simple question is because of the Coriolis effect.
But due to lots of variables such as air temperature, humidity of air masses, and other things, a general pattern for storms or weather may emerge, but guaranteed specific predictions about individual storms/systems cannot be made--it's just way too complex.

Answer 6

Because of the Earth's rotation (Eastward), in the northern hemisphere, winds blowing north to south/south to north will appear to be traveling west to east because of the Earth's spin. In the southern hemisphere, winds blowing blowing north to south/south to north will appear to be traveling eastward because of the earth's rotation. This is called the corialis effect.

Answer 7

The rotation of the earth mandates the movement of the majority of weather systems

Answer 8

It's the way the world turns...and the air is slower!

Yes, mostly from west to east.

Answer 9

It's the same yes. Better known as the Trade Winds.

Answer 10

could it be counter clock wise ,the same as the draining in the bath ,the same as the vine on the pole ,the same as the currants in the ocean, the same as the way the world turns around the sun.