Norther is a cold winter wind that sweeps over the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and the east coast of Central America, destroying crops and wrecking ships. The northers occur most frequently between October and April. Northers often cause the temperature to drop rapidly as much as 30 to 50 Fahrenheit degrees (17 to 28 Celsius degrees).
The wind usually blows over regions that border the western part of the Gulf of Mexico. Sometimes the wind reaches as far south as Panama. Occasionally, a norther starts as far north as Canada and extends over the entire Mississippi Valley. Scientists can predict a norther about 24 hours in advance. In Central America, this wind is called el norte.
