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Abstract This case study analyzes a tornadic supercell observed in northeast Louisiana as part of the Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment Southeast (VORTEX-SE) on 6–7 April 2018. One mobile research radar (SR1-P), one WSR-88D equivalent (KULM), and two airborne radars (TAFT and TFOR) have sampled the storm at close proximity for ∼70 min through its mature phase, tornadogenesis at 2340 UTC, and dissipation and subsequent ingestion into a developing MCS segment. The 4D wind field and reflectivity from up to four Doppler analyses, combined with 4D diabatic Lagrangian analysis (DLA) retrievals, has enabled kinematic and thermodynamic analysis of storm-scale boundaries leading up to, during, and after the dissipation of the NWS-surveyed EF0 tornado. The kinematic and thermodynamic analyses reveal a transient current of low-level streamwise vorticity leading into the low-level supercell updraft, appearing similar to the streamwise vorticity current (SVC) that has been identified in supercell simulations and previously observed only kinematically. Vorticity dynamical calculations demonstrate that both baroclinity and horizontal stretching play significant roles in the generation and amplification of streamwise vorticity associated with this SVC. While the SVC does not directly feed streamwise vorticity to the tornado–cyclone, its development coincides with tornadogenesis and an intensification of the supercell’s main low-level updraft, although a causal relationship is unclear. Although the mesoscale environment is not high-shear/low-CAPE (HSLC), the updraft of the analyzed supercell shares some similarities to past observations and simulations of HSLC storms in the Southeast United States, most notably a pulse-like updraft that is maximized in the low- to midlevels of the storm. Significance StatementThe purpose of this study is to analyze the airflow and thermodynamics of a highly observed tornado-producing supercell. While computer simulations can provide us with highly detailed looks at the complicated evolution of supercells, it is rare, due to the difficulty of data collection, to collect enough data to perform a highly detailed analysis on a particular supercell, especially in the Southeast United States. We identified a “current” of vorticity—rotating wind—that develops at the intersection of the supercell’s rain-cooled outflow and warm inflow, similar to previous simulations. This vorticity current develops and feeds the storm’s updraft as its tornado develops and the storm intensifies, although it does not directly enter the tornado.
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This content will become publicly available on June 1, 2026
Low-Level Mesocyclone Evolution of a Cyclic Tornadic Supercell Observed during TORUS on 17 May 2019
Abstract This case study analyzes the 17 May 2019 cyclic, tornadic supercell from southwest Nebraska observed by the Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells (TORUS) field experiment. Specifically, 12 multi-Doppler wind syntheses are generated over a 96-min period from 2301 UTC 17 May to 0037 UTC 18 May using two P-3 airborne radars and the ground-based NOXP research radar. Synthesized winds and reflectivity are assimilated into a diabatic Lagrangian analysis for the retrieval of thermodynamic data. The 4D wind fields are found to correlate well with observed tornadic and nontornadic periods, and several storm-scale features related to low-level mesocyclone (LLM) and near-ground rotation processes are documented. This includes vortex line arches that are a defining feature during the first EF2 tornado, followed by an occlusion process and reorganization period. During the most active tornadic period, backward trajectories reveal both inflow parcels and forward-flank parcels participate in the core of the 0–1-km rotation. While tilting of streamwise vorticity into vertical vorticity and subsequent powerful vertical stretching occurs for both inflow and forward-flank parcels, the solenoidal generation of streamwise vorticity is dominant with the latter. This resembles streamwise vorticity currents found within numerical simulations. Last, an intense left-flank convergence boundary develops coincident with the intensification of storm-relative inflow winds, with its formation and dissipation correlated with the final tornado. The 96-min analysis period with 4D kinematic and thermodynamic data makes this study one of the most detailed supercell case studies presented in the literature. Significance StatementA detailed analysis of a supercell that produced nine tornadoes within a 96-min period is presented. The supercell was observed by five radars, which are used to obtain information about the 3D wind, temperature, and moisture fields. Although computer simulations can provide detailed looks into supercell processes, collecting and analyzing observed supercell data of this quality is challenging and rare. We identify features within the supercell that are correlated with periods of strong and weak tornado production. Additionally, we identify the source region of air that is associated with low-level rotation in the supercell and comment on the importance of temperature gradients observed within the supercell, comparing these results to what has been found in simulations.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2312090
- PAR ID:
- 10594563
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Meteorological Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Weather Review
- Volume:
- 153
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0027-0644
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 909 to 937
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract The development and intensification of low-level mesocyclones in supercell thunderstorms have often been attributed, at least in part, to augmented streamwise vorticity generated baroclinically in the forward flank of supercells. However, the ambient streamwise vorticity of the environment (often quantified via storm-relative helicity), especially near the ground, is particularly skillful at discriminating between nontornadic and tornadic supercells. This study investigates whether the origins of the inflow air into supercell low-level mesocyclones, both horizontally and vertically, can help explain the dynamical role of environmental versus storm-generated vorticity in the development of low-level mesocyclone rotation. Simulations of supercells, initialized with wind profiles common to supercell environments observed in nature, show that the air bound for the low-level mesocyclone primarily originates from the ambient environment (rather than from along the forward flank) and from very close to the ground, often in the lowest 200–400 m of the atmosphere. Given that the near-ground environmental air comprises the bulk of the inflow into low-level mesocyclones, this likely explains the forecast skill of environmental streamwise vorticity in the lowest few hundred meters of the atmosphere. The low-level mesocyclone does not appear to require much augmentation from the development of additional horizontal vorticity in the forward flank. Instead, the dominant contributor to vertical vorticity within the low-level mesocyclone is from the environmental horizontal vorticity. This study provides further context to the ongoing discussion regarding the development of rotation within supercell low-level mesocyclones. Significance StatementSupercell thunderstorms produce the majority of tornadoes, and a defining characteristic of supercells is their rotating updraft, known as the “mesocyclone.” When the mesocyclone is stronger at lower altitudes, the likelihood of tornadoes increases. The purpose of this study is to understand if the rotation of the mesocyclone in supercells is due to horizontal spin present in the ambient environment or whether additional horizontal spin generated by the storm itself primarily drives this rotation. Our results suggest that inflow air into supercells and low-level mesocyclone rotation are mainly due to the properties of the environmental inflow air, especially near the ground. This hopefully provides further context to how our community views the development of low-level mesocyclones in supercells.more » « less
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