Weather forecasters talk about wind shear a lot during hurricane season, but what exactly is it?  School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Senior Academic Professional Zachary Handlos teaches meteorology in a part of the country that pays close attention to the Atlantic hurricane season. In this article, Handlos provides a quick look at wind shear, one of the key forces that can determine whether a storm will become a destructive hurricane. (This story also appeared at Scientific American, Down to Earth, and The Weather Network.)