Hurricanes Versus Middle-Latitude Cyclones
Feature Hurricanes Cyclones
 Energy Source  Warm water, latent heat of condensation  Horizontal temperature gradient (baroclinic zone)
 Site of Lowest Relative Pressure  Surface  Aloft (cold trough west of surface low)
 Core Temperature  Warm  Cold
 Central Air Flow  Sinking  Rising
 Site of Strongest Winds  Surface, near eye-wall  Aloft, in jet stream near trough axis
 Isobar Shapes  Nearly circular  Roughly circular
 Pressure Gradient  Very steep  Gradual to steep
 Associated Fronts  None  All types, sometimes none
 Central Conditions  (Eye) Little wind, sometimes clear or
 thin, broken clouds, no precipitation		  Usually cloudy, often stormy