Four stages characterize the economic cycle: expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. During expansion, the economy experiences relatively rapid growth, interest rates tend to be low, and ...

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Troughs play a crucial role in shaping storms and delivering all types of precipitation. A trough is an elongated area of low pressure that can stretch for hundreds of miles.

These troughs tilt northwest to southeast, and peak during the late winter and early spring months. Negative tilted troughs are associated with severe weather outbreaks.