Anatomy of a Supercell
a one hour time lapse (every 10 minutes) from the La Crosse Doppler Radar.
A supercell is persistent thunderstorm consisting of an intense rotating updraft and downdraft. Usually in thunderstorms, the updraft dominates the storm's life early on. A downdraft then develops with the onset of precipitation, and eventually cuts off the updraft. This essentially "kills" the storm. However, in a supercell, the updraft and downdraft co-exist...producing a long lived thunderstorm which usually produces large hail and sometimes tornadoes.
Radar Signatures
- hook echo: an appendage that forms due to precipitation being wrapped around a strong circulation. This is where a tornado can/will develop.
- inflow notch: this developes before a hook echo and can be viewed as a precursor to a possible hook echo developing. Inflow notches are indicative of a strong "inflow" into the storm.
- gust front: gust fronts can usually be found along the leading edge of the reflectivity returns. A gust front is created by the rain cooled air being forced outward from the storm.
- hail: this is the best location for hail in a supercell.
- v-notch: this forms as the winds aloft are forced around the core (the thunderhead or tower) of the supercell.
Click here for an actual picture of the July 1st storm.
