INSTRUCTION:

DOPPLER RADAR AND SEVERE CONVECTIVE STORMS

This seminar is comprehensive, and addresses all radar (and visual) identification signatures, radar use techniques, and severe storms phenomena. Emphasis is on the interpretation of radar base data, rather than algorithm use, because the development of human expertise is far superior to algorithm performance. However, radar system algorithms and the strengths and weaknesses of these and related products may also be included, if needed. The seminar is designed and taught to a variety of educational and experience levels, for those using radar and interpreting severe storm signatures.

Set 1. Convective Storm Environment & Concepts

Thunderstorm cell structure and evolution
Environmental factors affecting thunderstorms
Required ingredients: moisture, instability, lift
Sounding Interpretation
Conditional available potential energy
Vertical wind shear and its affects on convective storms
Weak/moderate/strong shear profiles
Hodograph construction and layer shear
Storm examples in variable shear profiles
Storm motion, concept, and definition - updraft propagation and advection
Storm relative wind and wind shear
Horizontal vorticity generation (sources for mesocyclone development)
Streamwise vorticity definition and relevance
Storm relative helicity (integrated streamwise vorticity)
Helicity and tornadoes
Storm dynamics as related to environmental factors
Sources for tornadic vorticity

Set 2. Single & Multicell Convective Storm Structure

Radar Limitations
Radar Echo Features Indicative of Severe Weather
General Radar Updraft Strength Indicators in a Sheared Environment
Storm classification - ordinary and supercells
Radar and visual characteristics and identification of Pulse storms
Radar and visual characteristics and identification of Multicellular storms
Multicell cluster storm radar and visual identification
Radar and visual examples and radar/visual relationships

Set 3. Supercell Convective Storm Structure

Radar characteristics and identification of Supercell storms
Supercell storm variation - Classic
Supercell Visual Appearance and Variation & the Relationship to Radar Structure
International Supercell Examples - Examples from Outside the U.S.
Supercell Evolution & Life Cycle Variations
Supercell Storm Variation - High Precipitation (HP)
Supercell Storm Variation - Low Precipitation (LP)
Mesocyclone and Tornadic Vortex Signatures (TVS)
A summary Video

Set 4. Convective Storm Mesocyclones

Mesocyclone structure
Draft Structure and Rear Flank Downdraft, Visual Examples
Tornadogenesis - What We Know
RFD Visual Example
Mesocyclone identification, examples

Set 5. Convective Storm Tornadoes

Discussion of Tornadoes - Supercell vs. Non-supercell
Basic Ingredients for Supercell Tornadoes
Forecasting, Nowcasting & Near Storm Environment - Recent Findings
General Guidelines to Forecasting/Nowcasting & Trends Leading to Tornadogenesis
Tornadic Vortex Signature Structure & identification and the "Tornado cyclone",
TVs life cycle, examples
TVs Types
TVs - What are we detecting
Radar and visual examples and radar/visual relationships
TVs Relationship to the Damage Path
Tornado Warning Guidance
Non supercell tornadoes
Non Supercell Tornadoes - A Case Study
Examples of Visual Tornado Appearances, Variations, Life Cycle


Set 6. Convective Hail Storms

Required Ingredients for Hail
Hailstone Formation
Hail Identification with Weakly Sheared Storms, Examples
Hailstorm Structure in a Sheared Environment, Examples
Hail and hailstorm radar and visual identification
Three-body Scatter Spike, TBSS Examples


Set 7. Convective Windstorms

Required Ingredients For Convective Windstorms
Damaging Wind Forecasting
Near-Radar Windstorm Recognition
Microbursts Types & Characteristics
Microbursts & Downbursts Visual and Radar Identification, Example
Hybrid Microbursts & Example
Multicell Line Windstorms
Bow Echoes, examples
Derechoes, Types, Characteristics
Capabilities of Thermodynamic and Kinematic Severe Weather Parameters
Radar characteristics of High-End Extreme Wind Events, Derecho - the Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC), Example

Set 8. Convective Storm Deep Convergence Zone

The Deep Convergence Zone Characteristics
Mid-Altitude Radial Convergence (MARC) Signatures
DCZ/MARC Examples
DCZ/MARC Application
Applications of Velocity Spectrum Width


Set 9. QPF & Flash Flooding

Required Ingredients for Flash Floods
Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting, Where, When, & How much
Moisture, Lift, & Instability (MLI)
Medium, Long Range, near term Forecasting
Pattern Recognition & Typical Synoptic Situations
Synoptic & Mesoscale MLI Analysis
MLI Region Motion
MCS Motion, Regeneration, Propagation
Jet Streaks, LLJ, Cyclogenesis, Upper Divergence
Flash Flood Characteristics, Types of FF Producing Cloud Systems, Rainfall Efficiency
Sounding Characteristics
Weakly Sheared Cells, FF Threat, Examples
QPF & Radar, Satellite use, Radar Indicated FF
Basin Characteristics

Set 10. The Mesocyclone - ETC Analog & Review

Mesocyclone structure and the ETC analogy
Review of Basics
Warning Basics
Conclusions

Set 11. What Have We Learned?

You Make The Call
A Class exercises in Doppler radar data interpretation
Closing remarks and evaluation

Optional Modules

The following modules may be selected with or instead of the above

  1. An Integrated Warning System
  2. A Successful Convective Warning System
  3. Effective Warning Environments
  4. Forecasting the Onset of Damaging Winds - MARCH Applications and Signatures,
  5. Storm Interrogation - Tornado Warning Guidance and Mesocyclone Evaluation
  6. WSR-88D Radar Products - Strengths and Limitations
  7. Radar Evaluations of Severe Storms - A detailed Overview of Severe Storm Signatures
  8. Warning Decision Making: 1. Situation Awareness; 2. Warning Methodology Overview
  9. Warning Methodologies - A Systematic Approach to the Severe Weather Warning Processes
  10. A Future Warning Tool - Dual Polarization Doppler Radar
  11. Recent Dual Polarization Radar Developments & Examples
  12. Leaning From History - Warning Decision Making Implications from Significant Events
  13. QPF & Flash Flood Forecasting
  14. Assessing Hazards - A Systematic Approach
  15. Societal Impacts of Severe Weather
  16. Our Current Understanding of Tornadogenesis
  17. Severe Convection - Forecasting and Nowcasting
  18. Lemon Applications - Updraft Strength Indicators
  19. A Modernized Lemon Technique




 

 

 

Les Lemon has provided radar and severe storms training for the US National Weather Service (NWS), the private sector, and international weather services since 1976 (29 years). As part of the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) program, he designed and taught the original 4- and 5-week operational training program for the Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB). In fact, the WDTB originated in this training program.



Because Mr. Lemon designed the first generation of WSR-88D products (as well as designed a significant portion of the system) and recently updated FMH-11, the US Government handbook on Doppler Radar Meteorological Observations (which covers the updated WSR-88D system in a comprehensive manner) for the US Radar Operations Center in Norman, OK, he can teach, in seminar form, much more than the above. This includes S-band and C-band Doppler and conventional radar products and algorithms and the design features, functionality, applications and strengths and limitations of each. Moreover, Mr. Lemon is also prepared to teach radar application to all forms of weather and non-weather targets such as insects, birds, smoke, volcanic ash, etc.

What sets this seminar apart from similar radar training presentations is the integration and explanation of visual storm structure and characteristics to the radar storm structure. The human eye is an excellent remote sensing tool, but is often neglected in storm warning programs. The visual recognition and discrimination between the severe and the non-severe convection is covered within the seminar. Storm cloud structures are addressed, as is their relationship to the radar echo.