supercells
Severe rotating thunderstorms
Supercells are the most powerful and organized type of thunderstorm, characterized by a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone.
They can persist for hours and produce the most violent weather phenomena: large hail, damaging winds, and strong tornadoes.
The supercell tracked across Oklahoma for three hours, spawning multiple tornadoes.
Meteorologists track supercells closely because of their destructive potential.
Rotating updraft in supercells
- updraftUpward air movement
- wall cloudRotating lowered cloud base
- anvil cloudFlat-topped storm formation
- downdraftDescending air current
Violent rotating windstorm
- funnel cloudRotating condensation pendant
- vortexRotating fluid column
- twisterRotating destructive windstorm
- mesocycloneRotating updraft in supercells
rotation · cyclonic · anticyclonic · touchdown · tornado alley · storm chaser · warning · watch
Icy precipitation pellets
- downburstSudden descending windstorm
- microburstLocalized descending air blast
- macroburstLarge-scale descending windstorm
- lightningAtmospheric electrical discharge
flash flood · wind shear · squall · derecho · destructive · swath · wind damage · severe weather
Heat transfer via motion
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- CAPEBuoyancy energy measure
- dew pointCondensation begins here
moisture · outflow boundary · dryline · thermodynamics · sounding · forecast model · discrete
One who pursues tornadoes
- spotterSafety backup person
- Doppler radarMotion-sensing weather instrument
- storm spottingMonitoring severe atmospheric events
- tornado warningImminent vortex notification
intercept · notch · inflow · positioning · escape route · target area · nowcasting
mesocyclone
Rotating updraft in supercells
- updraftUpward air movement
- wall cloudRotating lowered cloud base
- anvil cloudFlat-topped storm formation
tornado
Violent rotating windstorm
- funnel cloudRotating condensation pendant
- vortexRotating fluid column
- twisterRotating destructive windstorm
mesocyclone · rotation · cyclonic · anticyclonic · touchdown · tornado alley · storm chaser · warning · watch · siren
hail
Icy precipitation pellets
- downburstSudden descending windstorm
- microburstLocalized descending air blast
- macroburstLarge-scale descending windstorm
lightning · flash flood · wind shear · squall · derecho · destructive · swath · wind damage · severe weather · outflow
convection
Heat transfer via motion
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- CAPEBuoyancy energy measure
dew point · moisture · outflow boundary · dryline · thermodynamics · sounding · forecast model · discrete
storm chaser
One who pursues tornadoes
- spotterSafety backup person
- Doppler radarMotion-sensing weather instrument
- storm spottingMonitoring severe atmospheric events
tornado warning · intercept · notch · inflow · positioning · escape route · target area · nowcasting
- meteorologyweather, rain, wind, snow, clouds
- mesoscale weathersquall lines, derechos, microbursts, downbursts, lake-effect snow
- disastersdisaster, earthquake, earthquakes, catastrophe, floods
- driving weathericy roads, wet roads, slippery roads, hydroplaning, black ice
supercellsclear skies
Absence of cloud cover
fair weather · blue skies · anticyclones · stagnant air · doldrums