extratropical cyclone

American  

[ek-struh-trop-i-kuhl sahy-klohn] / ˈɛk strəˈtrɒp ɪ kəl ˈsaɪ kloʊn /

noun

Meteorology.

1. a cold-core storm system occurring over land or water and energized by the interaction of cold and warm air masses: the common frontal cyclones that produce much of the precipitation of the middle latitudes are examples of extratropical cyclones, as are blizzards and nor’easters.

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extratropical cyclone Scientific  

/ ĕk′strə-trŏp′ĭ-kəl /

1. See under cyclone

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Etymology

Origin of extratropical cyclone

First recorded in 1920–25; extra- + tropical

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

extratropical cyclone

Melissa is not expected to make landfall in North America, but will still be a formidable extratropical cyclone when it nears St Johns, Newfoundland, in Canada on Friday night.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2025

The storm was expected to become a powerful extratropical cyclone by Thursday, according to the U.S.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2023

An extratropical cyclone has been battering southern Brazil, flooding homes, swelling rivers and claiming the lives of nearly two dozen people, state authorities said on Tuesday.

From Reuters ● Sep. 6, 2023

He said about 60 cities had been battered by the storm, which was classified as an extratropical cyclone.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 5, 2023

As Ida morphs into an extratropical cyclone, more unstable and humid air is expected to surge over the Mid-Atlantic, enabling the development of heavy showers and thunderstorms.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 30, 2021