Training Sessions

The VISIT Program

VISIT People

FAQ

Links / Tutorials

RAMSDIS Online

VISIT Blog
Integrated Sensor Training (IST) Professional Development Series

Modern Severe Weather Parameters

Jeff Craven
 NWS, Jackson, MS

with contributions from:
Dr. Harold Brooks (NSSL), Rich Thompson and John Hart (SPC), Dan Lindsey and Dan Bikos (CIRA)

1) Introduction

    The objectives of this session:

  • Utilize observed soundings to help distinguish between significant tornado events versus other severe weather events


  • Evaluate how individual sounding derived parameters perform versus combinations of parameters


  • Attempt to define "thresholds" for easy use by operational meteorologists

2) Prerequisites
3) Teletraining Installation Instructions


4) Training Session Options:

    A.) The interactive VISITview training session. (To be used with a VISIT instructor leading the session ). Click here to signup for teletraining. The session will last 90 minutes. This teletraining session uses the VISITview software, where Windows PC with an Internet connection is needed.

    B.) local Visitview session - This is the same version of the lesson used in a "live" VISITview teletraining session, but no connection is made to an external VISITview server. You may download the file off this page and go through the lesson on your own in "local mode" by starting the "visitlocal.bat" file. Talking points are not included in this lesson version, but can be viewed in a separate Web browser ( or printed out beforehand).


5) References/Additional Links

    Hourly Mesoscale Analysis Page, Storm Prediction Center: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/

    Craven, J. P., H. E. Brooks, and J. A. Hart, 2002: Baseline climatology of sounding derived parameters associated with deep, moist convection. Preprints, 21st Conference on Severe Local Storms, San Antonio, Texas, American Meteorological Society, 643-646.  (PDF)

    Brooks, H. E., and J. P. Craven, 2002: A database of proximity soundings for significant severe thunderstorms, 1957-1993. Preprints, 21st Conference on Severe Local Storms, San Antonio, Texas, American Meteorological Society, 639-642.  (PDF)

    Craven, J. P., R. E. Jewell, and H. E. Brooks, 2002: Comparison between observed convective cloud-base heights and lifting condensation level for two different lifted parcels. Wea. Forecasting, 17, 885-890. (PDF)

    Brooks, H. E., J. W. Lee, and J. P. Craven, 2003: The spatial distribution of severe thunderstorm and tornado environments from global reanalysis data. Atmos. Res., 67-68, 73-94. (PDF)

    Thompson, R.L, R. Edwards, J.A. Hart, K.L. Elmore and P.M. Markowski, 2003: Close Proximity Soundings within Supercell Environments Obtained from the Rapid Update Cycle.
    Wea. Forecasting, 18, 1243-1261.  [2566K PDF]

    Davies, J. M., 2004: Estimations of CIN and LFC Associated with Tornadic and Nontornadic Supercells. Wea. Forecasting, 19, 714-726. An online version can be viewed here.

    Craven, J. P., and H.E. Brooks, 2004: Baseline Climatology of Sounding Derived Parameters Associated with Deep, Moist Convection. In Print, NWA Digest (Accepted April 2004)
    Note: If the figures are not legible you might want to try here:
    http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/research/climo/climopaper.html

6) Content developed/updated
    2004
7) Information contact