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wind shadow The area downwind of an obstruction where the wind is blocked. The ambient wind generally fills in downwind of the obstruction some 8 times the height of the obstruction, depending on seveal factors. See discussion in Modern Marine Weather. There is also a much shorter "shadow" on the upwind side under where the main flow lifts to go over the obstacle. This is a more nebulous concept. Note that "wind shadow" is also a name sometimes used for a sailboat's dirty air. See dirty air.

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