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General Overview
Task Outline
Hour of Day vs. Month of Year plots
Statistical breakdown of tornado database (Nov.-Mar., 80-94W, 25-36.5N)
--> Charleston NWS Area Tornado Climatology
Climatology Soundings
Surface Station Climatology plot
Mean Seasonal Conditions of 10% least active cool-seasons
By Total Number of Tornadoes
By Number of >=F2 Tornadoes
By Deviation from Linear Trendline (fitted to plot of number of tornado reports per winter season)
Mean Seasonal Conditions of 10% most active cool-seasons
By Total Number of Tornadoes
By Number of >=F2 Tornadoes
By Deviation from Linear Trendline (as above)
Composite Pilot Balloon Calculations
Station Map
Climatology of 1000 hPa winds (1947-1957, Cool Season months) - 3Z, 9Z, 15Z, 21Z
Comopsite hodographs: All Tornado Episodes By Hour
9Z - 21Z difference plots: V-wind (1000 m) Wind Speed (1000 m) 0-1 km shear 0-1 km meridional shear
Sample Climatology Hodographs: All Stations MIA BRO TPA BNA TYS MEM
COMING SOON...Composite Surface Calculations
'Storm-Relative' Composites (from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data)
Composites created based on lat/lon of first tornado of each tornado episode 1950-2001 (tornado
episode consists of all tornadoes which are reported within 24 h of each other)
Temporal distribution of tornado reports
Percent Tornadoes per hour after 1st report
Cumulative Distribution of tornado reports
Spatial distribution of tornado reports
All
0-6Z
6-12Z
12-18Z
18-0Z
Total/geostrophic/ageostrophic wind and acceleration
Hodographs: Total wind Geostrophic wind Ageostrophic wind
Flat maps (925 hPa): Total wind Geostrophic wind Ageostrophic wind ageo. scaled x 10^1 dv/dt
Flat maps (850 hPa): Total wind Geostrophic wind Ageostrophic wind ageo. scaled x 10^1 dv/dt
NEW!!! Ageostrophic wind (contribution of terms) comparison - uses 2d inertial advective term unless otherwise specified
Note: Isallobaric term is calculated from a one-sided 6-hourly height fall
Sample case: 921122 (0-6Z case)
925 hPa ageostrophic wind (pink= V-Vg or 'observed', black=calculated)
925 hPa ageostrophic wind- contribution by term (Red=Isallobaric, Blue=local dVa/dt, Green=2d Inertial Advective, Black=Total)
925 hPa Isallobaric wind and heights
925 hPa ageostrophic wind= (pink = V-Vg, black=calculated using 3D inertial advective term)
850 hPa ageostrophic wind (pink= V-Vg or 'observed', black=calculated)
850 hPa ageostrophic wind- contribution by term (Red=Isallobaric, Blue=local dVa/dt, Green=2d Inertial Advective, Black=Total)
850 hPa Isallobaric wind and heights
300 hPa ageostrophic wind (pink= V-Vg or 'observed', black=calculated)
300 hPa ageostrophic wind- contribution by term (Red=Isallobaric, Blue=local dVa/dt, Green=2d Inertial Advective, Black=Total)
300 hPa Isallobaric wind and heights
0000-0600 UTC Start Time (n=174)
6-panel plot (a) 500 mb height, vorticity, vort. advection, (b) 200 mb height, isotachs, (c) 850 mb
height, temperature, temp. advection, (d) 1000 mb height, 1000-500 mb thickness, 700 mb Rel. Hum,
(e) 700 mb height, vertical motion, (f) 850 mb theta-e, 850-500 mb lapse rate, 850 mb winds, cross
section line CLICK HERE for an ANIMATION
Cross section (isotachs, theta-e, vertical motion, divergence, circulation)
Sounding at tornado location
T-Test against weighted translated climatology
0600-1200 UTC Start Time (n=130)
6-panel plot (a) 500 mb height, vorticity, vort. advection, (b) 200 mb height, isotachs, (c) 850 mb
height, temperature, temp. advection, (d) 1000 mb height, 1000-500 mb thickness, 700 mb Rel. Hum,
(e) 700 mb height, vertical motion, (f) 850 mb theta-e, 850-500 mb lapse rate, 850 mb winds, cross
section line CLICK HERE for an ANIMATION
Cross section (isotachs, theta-e, vertical motion, divergence, circulation)
Sounding at tornado location
T-Test against weighted translated climatology
1200-1800 UTC Start Time (n=192)
6-panel plot (a) 500 mb height, vorticity, vort. advection, (b) 200 mb height, isotachs, (c) 850 mb
height, temperature, temp. advection, (d) 1000 mb height, 1000-500 mb thickness, 700 mb Rel. Hum,
(e) 700 mb height, vertical motion, (f) 850 mb theta-e, 850-500 mb lapse rate, 850 mb winds, cross
section line CLICK HERE for an ANIMATION
Cross section (isotachs, theta-e, vertical motion, divergence, circulation)
Sounding at tornado location
T-Test against weighted translated climatology
1800-0000 UTC Start Time (n=327)
6-panel plot (a) 500 mb height, vorticity, vort. advection, (b) 200 mb height, isotachs, (c) 850 mb
height, temperature, temp. advection, (d) 1000 mb height, 1000-500 mb thickness, 700 mb Rel. Hum,
(e) 700 mb height, vertical motion, (f) 850 mb theta-e, 850-500 mb lapse rate, 850 mb winds, cross
section line CLICK HERE for an ANIMATION
Cross section (isotachs, theta-e, vertical motion, divergence, circulation)
Sounding at tornado location
T-Test against weighted translated climatology
COMING SOON...Ageostrophic wind calculations for each composite
22-23 February 1998
Vorticity Budget at 950 hPa at 23/0000 UTC (Using RUC analysis)
local tendency
horizontal advection
vertical advection
planetary advection
stretching
tilting
friction (calculated as a residual)
950 hPa vertical motion
Surface temp/dewpoint plot
COMING SOON...More on this case AND null case of 29 Nov. 2001.
Abstract
Preprint
Presentation
Preprint
Presentation