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Identifying a supercell has some key features to its shape and form. From its unique wind physics to its power. Fact: CAPE in a supercell stands for Convective Available Potential Energy. Cape is the amount of energy a storm has; for example, 200 cape is low for a storm, but 4500 cape is very high for a storm. Identifying a supercell thunderstorm is not too difficult, on radar, and in person. Supercell thunderstorms are usually around 10 miles wide, so identifying one can be a little difficult. The characteristics of a supercell thunderstorm are a big anvil-shaped cloud or storm. Even in rare instances, have a small rotating wall cloud on the bottom. That is called a wall cloud, which is the rotation that forms a funnel cloud. Another feature Supercells have that is visible is the overshooting top; it looks like a bubble on the top. However, seeing the overshooting top is rare. The rarest instance is seeing a shelf cloud, which can rarely replace the wall cloud.
In summary, Supercell thunderstorms are a huge anvil shaped storm with an overshooting top, sometimes a wallcloud or a shelf cloud. These storms also release huge amounts of hail, heavy winds, and heavy rain. The other side of the storm is well-lit up by the sun which is shown in the image.
Spotting a supercell thunderstorm on a radar can be a lot more difficult. Supercell thunderstorms can come in different shapes and sizes on radar, being hard to distinguish. However there are some key features to spot a supercell thunderstorm, if your lucky enough to see a tornado on radar. First check to see if there is a tornado watch or warning near the storm. Secondly, look for a hook echo, this signifies rotation usually where the wall cloud or shelf cloud is located. Lastly, try to see if there is any pink or white in the center, this shows heavy amounts of rain and hail.
This supercell and tornado were spotted on September 9th, 9:00 PM. This supercell formed a rare shelf cloud forming an EF-2 tornado. You can see a little tail at the end, which is the hook echo. The red polygon represents a tornado warning. The yellow polygon represents a tornado watch or a severe thunderstorm warning. The pink represents the hailcore in the storm.
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