The way that the wind changes direction as a storm approaches reveals whether the low is passing north or south of us.  A backing wind is one in which the wind shifts in a counterclockwise direction (from south to southeast to east to northeast).  A veering wind is one in which the wind shifts clockwise (from south to southwest to west to northwest).  You can figure out whether a backing or veering wind is a harbinger of a major winter storm.

Consider two storms in the vicinity of Fargo-Moorhead (FM), storm #1 and storm #2, which move progressively toward the northeast (as marked by time-steps L₁, L₂, and L₃).  In which case would the wind be a backing wind, and in which case would it be a veering wind?

Answers:

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