# Presentation: 279781

## SPC Mesoscale Analysis and Convective ParametersDavid Imydavid.imy@noaa.gov

*Where Americas Climate and Weather Services Begin*

## Part I:  SPC Mesoscale Analysis

**A Key Part of the Diagnostic**
**Process in the Prediction of**
**Severe Thunderstorms**

## Why do Surface Mesoanalysis?

-   Forecast = diagnosis + trend
-   Incorrect diagnosis of atmosphere  reduces the       probability of making a correct forecast
-  Current operational models poorly predict specific atmospheric characteristics critical in convective forecasting, such as:
-         -  *vertical thermodynamic structure *
*        **-  boundary layer conditions *
*        **-  sub synoptic low-level boundaries*
*        **-  affects of ongoing convection *

## Why do Surface Mesoanalysis? (cont.)

-   Mesoanalysis facilitates our ability to synthesize data from a variety of observational sources
-  Gain a better perspective of actual environmental conditions
- Critical to track and identify mesoscale boundaries

## Use Computer and  Forecaster Analyses Together 

-  Software quickly displays derived computer fields
-  Animation of fields provides unique visual information about trends
_**Let the computer do what it is best at doing**_ => number crunching and visualization techniques
_**Let the human brain do what it is best at doing**_ => synthesizing information from many sources and applying conceptual models

## Map AnalysisA Cornerstone of the SPC 

- Analyze temperatures, dew points, pressure and pressure changes on surface map
- Identify features such as ***gust front/outflow boundary*****, *****cold pool/mesohigh*****, *****mesolow***, and ***wake depressions***
- Also analyze 850 mb, 700 mb, 500 mb and 250 mb each raob run
- Temperatures (2C) and heights (60m) analyzed at 850 mb, 700 mb and 500 mb.
- Also include dew points at 850mb, 12 hours height changes at 500 mb and isotachs at 250 mb.

## Observational Sources used in SPC Mesoanalysis

-  Surface observations, including mesonets
-  Satellite imagery
-  Radar
-  Animation of satellite and radar imagery
-  Lightning Detection Network

## Boundaries of Convective Interest

-  Synoptic Scale Fronts (thermal boundaries)
-  	- cold front, warm front, quasi-stationary front
-  Mesoscale Fronts
- 	- sea/lake breeze fronts, convective outflow 	boundaries, differential heating boundaries owing to     	clouds, fog, vegetation, and terrain

-  Dry Lines (moisture boundaries)
-  Pressure Trough Lines
-  Convergence Zones

## Techniques to Help Identify Surface Boundaries

- _Basic Principles of Mesoanalysis (after Fujita, Miller, etc.)_
-  Incorporate all available data to find sub-synoptic features
-  Be careful ignoring data that may appear “not to fit” with surrounding stations
- ****This is very important****                                            Continuity – What/where boundaries were located on previous analysis    --   _Best accomplished by hourly analyses_!!!

## Thermal and Moisture Gradients – Useful in locating Boundaries

-  Analyze isotherms (red) / isodrosotherms (green) at 4-5F deg.  intervals  (warm season 2F deg. intervals)
-  Temperature analysis may be crucial at locating outflow boundaries (especially for weak wind/pressure fields)
- Thermal and moisture patterns help locate areas of convergence and severe storm potential

**Notes:**
Avoid using objectively derived surface fields (i.e. LAPS in AWIPS) without including the observations in the display. 

Aspects of the objective analysis technique (such as using bad data, weakening gradients in area of low data coverage, spurious max/min in data void areas, etc.) may impact the accuracy of the computerized analysis.

A favorable configuration for severe storm potential is:  Thermal ridge upstream of a moisture ridge with Convection usually beginning on the west side of the moist axis, between the thermal and moisture ridges.

## Mesoanalysis Pressure/Wind Data 

-  Analyze pressure at 2 mb intervals (1 mb in summer).
-  Analyze 2 or 3-hourly pressure changes (1 mb)
-  Surface wind streamline analysis helpful in locating areas of convergence.
-  Wind shifts typically associated with boundaries
-  A wind speed decrease in unidirectional flow often associated with areas of convergence/divergence

##  Surface Pressure Changes

- 1-2 hourly pressure changes help identify:
- -- mesolow /mesohigh couplets and boundaries
-       ** Concentrated fall/rise couplet enhance low- level convergence/shear by backing surface winds (enhancing tornado threat)
- -- clouds associated with  surface pressure falls may be linked to a dynamical feature
- -- implications on thermal advection

## Part II:Severe Weather Forecast Tools 

## Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE)

_**MUCAPE**_    CAPE calculated using the _M_ost _U_nstable parcel in the lowest 300 mb
_**MLCAPE**_      CAPE calculated using a parcel consisting of _M_ean_ __L_ayer values of  temperature and moisture from the lowest 100 mb AGL

- Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE)

## SBCAPE 

## MUCAPE 

## 100 mb MLCAPE 

**100 mb MLCAPE**

## Degree of Instability (MLCAPE)

- 0-1000          J/kg     weakly unstable
- 1000-2500    J/kg      moderately unstable
- 2500-3500    J/kg      very unstable
- 3500+           J/kg      extremely unstable

## Research Proximity Soundings

**** Proximity soundings -- ****observed soundings considered to be “representative” of the storm environment**
**** Proximity sounding parameters vary, but typically +/- 3 hours and located within 100 nm of “storms”**
**** Given the temporal/spatial resolution of radiosonde network, obtaining a large collection of proximity soundings is difficult.**
**** Two results discussed: 1) Craven and Brooks ( 2001)                                                                                                                                                                                       2) Edwards and Thompson (Sep 2000)**

## Craven (SPC)-Brooks (NSSL) Research 

** ****Initially examined 0000 UTC soundings from 1996-1999  (~60,000) and associated each sounding within 5 classes: **
_***No Thunderstorms***_*** (45508 soundings)***
_***Non-Severe Thunderstorms***_***  (11339 soundings)***
_***Severe Thunderstorms***_*** (2644 soundings)***
_***Significant Hail or Wind***_*** (512 soundings)***
_***Significant Tornado***_*** (87 soundings)***
**CG lightning data and Storm Reports were used to determine the convective classes**
**Proximity defined as within 185 km of sounding and event  occurring between 21-03 UTC (+/- 3 hours)**

## Edwards/Thompson (SPC) Research 

- Used RUC2 proximity soundings for identified supercells
- Supercell sample  included 96 tornadic and 92 non tornadic supercells

## Craven/Brooks 0-6km Vector Shear  

***0-6 km AGL Vector Shear***

***Seasonal Variation***

***Large overlap between thunder/severe, better discrimination between severe and sig. severe (especially sig. tornadoes)***

## Deep Layer Shear 

- Deep layer shear = 0-6 km shear vector
- 40+ kt suggests  -- if storms develop -- supercells are likely
- 30-40 kt -- supercells also possible if environment is very or extremely unstable
- About 15-20 kt shear needed for organized convection with mid level winds at least 25 kt

## 0-6 km Shear Vector

## Craven/Brooks  0-1km Vector Shear

***0-1 km AGL Vector Shear***

***Seasonal Variation***

***Considerable overlap except for sig. tornadoes ***

## Edwards/Thompson 0-1 km SRH   

- Edwards/Thompson 0-1 km SRH

## 0-1 km SRH 

- 0-1 km SRH

## Craven/Brooks MLLCL Heights 

***Mean Layer LCL Height***

***Seasonal Variation***

***Again, isolates sig. Tornado from all other classes***

## Thompson/Edwards MLLCL Heights

## MLLCL Heights 

- MLLCL Heights

## Craven/Brooks Findings

**  ****MLCAPE and 0-6 km shear did not discriminate between various classes of significant hail, wind, and tornado events**
**Best discriminators between significant tornadoes (F2-F5) and all other classes were 0-1 km vector shear and MLLCL heights**

## Thompson/Edwards Findings 

** ****Used RUC-2 analysis proximity soundings, but results consistent with Craven/Brooks findings**
***0-6 km shear is a good discriminator between supercells and non-supercells***
***0-1 km SRH and MLLCL showed best discrimination between supercells producing significant tornadoes and other event classes***
** ****Application of parameter assessment depends on convective mode (discrete cells versus lines/multicell complexes).   *****	***

**18 UTC BMX  16 Dec 2000                              18 UTC BMX  16 Feb 2001**

**SIMILAR SOUNDINGS - DIFFERENT CONVECTIVE EVENTS**

## Two SPC Experimental  Research Derived Products

**Significant Tornado Parameter (STP)**

## Supercell Composite Parameter (SCP)

**** Designed to identify areas for supercell development **
**** Incorporates:   ****MUCAPE**** (lowest 300 mb)**
**                                ****0-3 km SRH****, and**
**                                ****BRN denominator**** (1/2U**2)**
**                                **

## SCP Equation 

**SCP = (MUCAPE/****1000 J/kg****) x 0-3 km SRH/****150 m**2/s**2****  x  (0-6 km BRN shear term/****40 m**2/s**2****)  **
**If MUCAPE = ****1000 J/kg****; SRH = ****150 M**2/S**2****; BRN shear term = ****40 m**2/s**2**** , **
**                                    ****then  ****SCP = 1**** **
**> 1 for supercells;              <1 nonsupercell storms **

_**SCP Equation**_

## Example of SCP Graphic

## Significant Tornado Parameter (STP)

- Parameters include:
- 0-6 km AGL vector shear
- MLCAPE (lowest 100 mb)
- 0-1km SRH
- MLLCL Height
- MLCIN

## STP Equation 

- STP = (MLCAPE/1000 J/kg)  x (0-6 km vector shear/20 m/s)  x  (0-1 km SRH/100 m**2/s**2) x (2000-MLLCL/1500 m) x (150 - MLCIN/125 J/kg)
- STP = 1 when, MLCAPE =1000 J/kg, 0-6km shear =20 m/s, 0-1 km shear = 100 m**2/s**2, MLLCL = 500 m, and MLCIN=25 J/kg

## STP Considerations 

- STP = (MLCAPE/1000 J/kg)  x (0-6 km vector shear/20 m/s)  x  (0-1 km SRH/100 m**2/s**2) x (2000-MLLCL/1500 m) x (150 - MLCIN/125 J/kg)
- ** STP approaches zero as any shear or CAPE values nears zero
- **  STP approaches zero as LCL height increases to 2000m
- **  STP approaches zero as CIN increases to 150 J/kg
- MLCIN most useful prior to storm initiation

## Example of STP 

- _Example of STP_

## Mesoanalysis Summary

- Use all available resources to aid in surface analysis (surface observations, mesonet data, satellite, radar, profilers, etc)
- Continuity is extremely critical for mesoanalysis; should be done hourly, if possible
- Mesoanalysis is an important part of the severe weather evaluation process

## Research Summary  

- Proximity sounding research has aided SPC in better tools to  identify areas for severe storm potential
- Research has shown low MLLCL heights and strong 0-1 km SRH/shear vector are best predictors for stronger  tornadoes (all other environmental conditions being equal)
-  30-40+ kt 0-6 km shear is favorable for supercells
- However, information misleading if initiation/ evolution of convective mode is not accurately forecast