Pressure Gradient

The pressure gradient is the rate of change of atmospheric pressure over a horizontal distance.

Wind channeling is the increase in wind speed that occurs due to the constricting of air passing through a narrow topographical feature (such as a valley) or man-made feature (such as tall buildings). 

A pressure gradient is largely responsible for air circulation (wind) and is a good indicator of how forceful winds will be over the area of interest, with a “tight” gradient (a large change in atmospheric pressure over a shorter horizontal distance) indicating generally very fast and strong winds.