2010 - 19th Annual NC State Undergraduate Research Spring Symposium

Session Time : 4/22/10 10:30 AM - 4/22/10 11:45 AM

Content Area : Marine Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Student Presenters :
Logan Colby Dawson Meteorology, Marine Science

Mentors and/or Co-Authors :
Gary Lackmann Marine Earth And Atmospheric Sciences

Abstract Title : Analysis of Summer Convection Over Central Alabama

Abstract :
As was demonstrated in Colorado by Wilson and Schreiber and North Carolina by Koch and Ray, performing an effective mesoanalysis of summertime convergence zones can be achieved by operational forecasters. Utilizing NEXRAD with Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite imagery, and a suite of conventional surface observing sites, real-time analysis are conducted over central Alabama in an attempt to improve the short term forecast abilities of National Weather Service meteorologists. There is also an emphasis placed on attempting to dispel the myth of the random pop-up summertime thunderstorm within the operational forecasting community as it is becoming widely accepted that a triggering or lifting mechanism is needed for convective initiation.
Along with local areas identified as convective origination zones, many types of observed weather phenomena, including thunderstorm outflow boundaries, ridge top or orographic zones, sea breeze fronts, shallow fronts, deep synoptic fronts, convective boundary layer rolls, differential heating boundaries, and boundaries of unknown origin, are shown to be sources of lift for new convective development. Several of the new cells, especially associated with older thunderstorm outflow boundaries, are described as autoconvective or convection that develops without interaction from adjacent boundaries. In addition, nearly every occasion of boundary interaction, classified as merging, intersecting, or colliding, initiates new convection. This presentation will identify preferred origination zones of summer convection and detailed statistics of the autoconvective and boundary interactions to aid forecasters in the often difficult, short term forecast process.