What weather phenomenon is characterized by rotating winds?

The correct answer identifies tornadoes as the weather phenomenon characterized by rotating winds. Tornadoes are highly localized, rapidly rotating columns of air that extend from a thunderstorm to the ground. The rotation is a critical feature of tornadoes, which stems from the interaction between warm, moist air at the surface and cooler, drier air aloft. This dynamic creates strong wind shear, fostering the vertical rotation needed to form a tornado.

In contrast, while tropical storms and hurricanes also involve rotating winds, their scale and characteristics differ significantly from those of tornadoes. Tropical storms and hurricanes are organized, large-scale weather systems that develop over warm ocean waters, featuring a defined circulation pattern. They usually have a much broader wind field than tornadoes.

Cold fronts, on the other hand, are not phenomena characterized solely by rotating winds. They are boundaries between cold and warm air masses, and while they can lead to severe weather conditions, including thunderstorms, they do not typically involve the tight, rotating winds seen in tornadoes. This sharp distinction in the mechanics and scale of these weather phenomena helps clarify why the attribute of rotating winds is specifically tied to tornadoes.