Research Tools: WSR-88D Mesocyclone and Tornado Signature Case Studies
Below are links to various cases studies depicting WSR-88D observations of mesocyclone and tornado signatures. These cases were compiled by Greg Stumpf, Pat Burke, Christina Hannon and Valerie McCoy, from a number of WSR-88D locations from around the United States. The cases shown on these pages were used for evaluation of NSSL's MDA (Stumpf et al. 1998) and TDA (Mitchell et al. 1998) [these papers are part of the special NEXRAD issue of Wea. Forecasting, June 1998 ].
The purpose of these case studies was to demonstrate examples of thunderstorms containing storm-scale vortices of a variety of strengths and dimensions. With the advent of the nationwide deployment of WSR-88D Doppler radars, it was found that many rotating storms do not fit the “classic” paradigms of supercells and tornadoes that were first hypothesized from Central Oklahoma data. For a complete discussion, consult the papers in the Wea. Forecasting special issue.
- 11 May 1992 Oklahoma tornado outbreak
- 6 Sep 1992 Norman Oklahoma (non-supercell tornado?)
- 15 Apr 1994 St. Louis bow-echo tornadoes
- 30 Apr 1994 Pond Bank PA low-topped supercell
- 28 May 1994 Texas Panhandle (LP or not LP?)
- 13 February 1995 Phoenix Mini-Supercell
- 2 June 1995 Texas Panhandle
- 18 March 1996 - Alabama
- 22 June 1996 Eastern Michigan training supercells.
- 12 July 1996 Hurricane Bertha-spawned tropical tornadic supercells.
- 26 October 1996 Minnesota low-topped highly-sheared tornadic supercells.
- 12 December 1996 Central Valley Calfiornia mini-supercell.
- 11 June 1997 Kellerville/Lela Texas
- 8 January 1998 Rare (?) HP mini-supercell in West Virginia
- 23 February 1998 Central Florida Outbreak
- 8 April 1998 Central Alabama (Birmingham F5)
- 4 May 1998 Tornadic Meso-anticyclonic supercell in Sunnyvale California
- 13 June 1998 Oklahoma City supercell
- 3 October 1998 Low-Topped tornadic supercells in Oregon and Washington
- 4 October 1998 Oklahoma tornado outbreak
- 4 October 1998 Colorado mini-supercells
- 28 October 1998 Oklahoma mini-supercells
- 14 April 1999 Southern Hemisphere supercell—The Sydney, Australia Hailstorm
- 3 May 1999 Oklahoma F5 tornado outbreak
- 3 July 1999 Cyclic supercell in Northeast Michigan
- 29 May 2001 TX Panhandle Supercells (White Deer, Conway)