Thunderstorms & Tornadoes Chapter 10 Meteorology 1010 Professor Bunds Utah Valley University

Thunderstorm Types Air Mass –Occur within mT air –Uneven heating of the ground creates unstable air (therefore common in afternoon) –Usually isolated storms & usually do not produce strong winds, hail Severe –Involve uneven heating and lifting of warm air by front or mountains –Usually occur in bands or groups –Can produce strong winds, hail, tornadoes

Average Number of Days per Year with Thunderstorms Lots of air mass T-storms

Stages of Air Mass Thunderstorm Development

Cumulus Clouds – potential initiation of air mass T-storms

Developing Cumulonimbus

Gust Front in Severe Thunderstorm

Roll Cloud in Severe Thunderstorm

Conditions for a Thunderstorm

Dryline

Squall Line line of thunderstorms ahead of a cold front

Lightning!

Stages of a Lightning Strike

Tornadoes! Damage Path from a Tornado

Supercell

Development of a Tornado from a Mesocyclone

Multi-Vortex

Average Tornadoes per Year per 10,000 mi 2 area

Fujita Intensity Scale

Number of Tornadoes-blue Amount of Damage-red

Paths of Tornadoes

Tornado Forecasting Watch-Conditions are Right Warning-Tornado has been Spotted!

Doppler Radar

Doppler Effect

Tornado Outbreak April 14 – 16, Tornados Saturday Night Alone 200 in 3 Days Multiple vortex systems

Greensboro, N.C. Charleston S.C. Morehead, N.C. Locations of Soundings in Following Slides

Morehead North Carolina 04/17/ UTC

Charleston South Carolina 04/17/ UTC

Greensboro Carolina 04/17/ UTC