Kyle Pittman
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Universtiy of Nebraska - Lincoln
kpittman2@huskers.unl.edu
Abstract:
A conditional environment for intense supercells and tornadoes was in place across a large portion of Oklahoma on 22 May 2019, resulting in the issuance of a PDS Tornado Watch. While deep convection initiated in multiple locations throughout the watch polygon, the majority of the storms that formed were relatively short-lived and non-tornadic. The goal of this work is to understand the environmental characteristics that resulted in the observed convective evolution during this event, particularly why more supercells were unable to develop from the deep convection that did form in what was a seemingly favorable environment (characterized by strong instability and a favorable vertical shear profile, leading to high Supercell Composite and Significant Tornado Parameter values). Using the Thunderstorm Observation by Radar (ThOR) algorithm to track the deep convection that initiated across the domain, vertical profiles from the inflow region of the convective cells that formed can be examined using the 13-km Rapid Refresh (RAP) modeling system’s hourly analysis. By focusing on sounding-derived parameters which have been shown to be important to convective initiation and storm longevity (lift, inhibition, buoyancy, and dilution parameters), it is possible to gain insight into which of these characteristics helped best distinguish the near-storm environments that fostered intense convective development from those that did not.
Links:
Slides from 2022 AMS Conference Presentation
Conference Presentation Page: https://ams.confex.com/ams/102ANNUAL/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/395698
Conference Session Page and Recording: https://ams.confex.com/ams/102ANNUAL/meetingapp.cgi/Session/59490