Ridge riders might sound more like a motorcycle club than a weather term. But in weather, these storms move quickly and can sometimes cause trouble. Ridge riders refer to storm systems or areas of convection that travel along the outer edge of a high-pressure ridge in the atmosphere. These disturbances often "ride" the northern edge of the ridge, hence the name, where the flow of air is faster and more unstable. While high-pressure systems are usually associated with calm and dry conditions, the edges can tell a different story, especially in summer.

Ridge riders are commonly seen during heatwaves when a strong upper-level ridge of high pressure dominates the central or southern parts of the country. The air under the center of the ridge is sinking, which suppresses clouds and storms, keeping the area hot and dry. But around the periphery of the ridge, especially along its northern and eastern edges, storms can fire up and track quickly along the jet stream, sometimes becoming intense.

These fast-moving storms can bring damaging winds, hail, and even tornadoes. Because ridge riders move along the boundary between hot, stable air and cooler, more unstable air, they often tap into strong contrasts in temperature and moisture. As a result, meteorologists closely monitor ridge-riding systems during active summer patterns, especially when the heat dome is locked in over a region.

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Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.