Stupid physics question regarding the hurricane...

[Throd]

So hurricane Sandy has winds at 90mph...

Suppose I was driving my car at 90mph in the same direction as the wind. If I were to hold a lit cigarette out the window, would there be some sort of equilibrium where the smoke would just waft around as if inside an enclosed room?

[Kali]

1. no

[NYC_SKP]

2. Yes, conceivably, but no, in actuality.

You are right to think that it might seem like there would be no air movement outside the window relative to the car.

But...

In practice the air would be moving at different speeds outside your car depending upon it's distance from the ground, so even on a perfectly flat landscape the air would be turbulent around the car, just due to that uneven wind speed closer to the ground versus 3, 4, 5 feet above the ground.

[grntuscarora]

3. Smoking is bad for you.

Stop.

[yawnmaster]

4. In a system with zero turbulence, possibly, but that wouldn't be in a hurricane. eom

[yawnmaster]

5. also...the rain would put out your cigarette. eom

[lastlib]

10. well, you could use your other hand to hold an umbrella over it....

that'd keep it dry....

[JBoy]

6. Driving at 90mph in a hurricane with a cigarette out the window

You'd be so fucking cool, who cares what the smoke is doing.

[MAD Dave]

12. I couldn't agree more!

[HopeHoops]

7. No. The rain would douse the cigarette and you'd have wet trousers. Sorry, but that's that.

Besides, driving in a hurricane is dumber than fuck. Don't do it. And smoking is bad for you anyway.

[Throd]

8. You wear pants when you drive?

[HopeHoops]

11. Not on NO PANTS WONDER DAY!

[undeterred]

9. The water would put out your cigarette.

[rug]

13. I once threw a gigarette out the window while I was doing 60.

It bounced back like it hit a wall of glass and made a perfect Death Star dive between my t-shirt and my back. I was in the middle lane and it was the worst 40 seconds of my life until I was able to pull over and stomp the shit out of that fucker.