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AN OVERVIEW OF A COOL SEASON
TORNADIC SUPERCELL OVER CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
Alan E. Gerard
Gregory R. Garrett
Clay Morgan
National Weather Service Forecast Office,
Jackson, Mississippi
Abstract
Shortly after 0000 UTC on 10 December 1999, a relatively low topped supercell moved
along the Big Black River in central Mississippi, producing a short track F3 tornado near
the small town of Bentonia. This paper will present a multiscale meteorological
analysis of the event. To begin, the overall synoptic pattern will be discussed, as
well as the near storm environment as indicated by the 0000 UTC 10 December upper air
sounding from Jackson, MS (JAN), which was a near proximity sounding for the storm.
Storm scale analysis utilizing Weather Surveillance Radar-88 Doppler (WSR-88D) data will
then be presented. Additionally, implications that this event has for the warning
process will be discussed.
1. INTRODUCTION
Shortly after 0000 UTC on 10 December 1999, a relatively
low topped (echo top less than 32 kft) supercell moved along the Big Black River in
central Mississippi, producing a short track F3 tornado near the small town of Bentonia (Fig. 1). This supercell developed in advance of a pre-frontal squall
line, and was the only known tornadic supercell in the region for this event.
This paper will begin by looking at this sounding, which
was characterized by weak instability and relatively low values of storm-relative
helicity, but strong deep-layer shear, as well as the synoptic environment. The role of
the pre-storm environment in the evolution of this storm will be discussed. Then, a
Weather Surveillance Radar-88 Doppler (WSR- 88D) radar discussion will be presented,
including the evolution of several distinct reflectivity features which were observed.
Additionally, the operational use of time series of velocity parameters in monitoring
rotational trends and tornadogenesis mode during the lifetime of a storm will be
discussed. The implications that this storm has for the warning process will also be
presented.
2. PRE-STORM ENVIRONMENT
The synoptic pattern of 9-10 December 1999 was
characterized by a deepening upper low moving through the central plains states, well to
the northwest of Mississippi. However, to the east of this low, a well defined middle and
upper tropospheric wind maximum was in place across the middle Mississippi valley. This
wind maximum was in a favorable position during the evening hours such that northern and
western Mississippi were in the right entrance region, with the jet induced ageostrophic
circulation likely providing broad scale upward vertical motion over the region. This was
in advance of a surface cold front which was approaching the region from the northwest.
A line of strong thunderstorms was already in progress at 0000 UTC over extreme
western Mississippi and northeastern Louisiana. This activity developed in an axis of
Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) values near 1000 J kg-1 ahead of
the cold front.
Ahead of the main convective line, scattered convection
developed in a marginally unstable airmass. Most of this convection was ordinary multicell
clusters; however, one storm did become supercellular, tracking through northern Warren
and southern Yazoo counties (see Fig. 1), about 50 nmi northwest of
the Jackson, MS (JAN) upper air site, shortly after 0000 UTC. Due to the temporal and
spatial proximity of this storm to the JAN site, the 0000 UTC JAN upper air sounding was a
near-proximity sounding for this storm.
This upper air sounding was analyzed (Fig.
2) using the N/AWIPS - Skew-T/Hodograph Analysis and Research Package (N-SHARP,
Hart, et. al 1997). CAPE values were quite marginal for supercellular storms, with a value
of 678 J kg-1. The 0 to 3 km storm-relative environmental helicity (SREH)
value, a parameter commonly used operationally to forecast the likelihood of tornadic
storms (Davies-Jones and Burgess 1990), was 146 m2s-2, which is a
value generally considered quite marginal for tornadic storms. The resulting combined
Energy Helicity Index (EHI) was 0.76, which is below the commonly accepted value of 2.0
for tornadic storms, and well below the value of 3.0 which is operationally utilized as a
cutoff for strong and violent tornadoes (Davies 1993).
Comparing the sounding parameters to a climatology
developed by Rasmussen and Blanchard (1998) indicates that the CAPE, SREH, and EHI for
this event were all well below the mean for tornadic storms. However, they were in
the "window" of probability for tornadic storms above the 25th percentile.
Additionally, the 0 to 2 km SREH was actually greater (176 m s-2 ) than the 0
to 3 km value, indicative of the available SREH being concentrated near the ground which
may mean the SREH was more favorable for tornadic storms than indicated by the 0 to 3 km
SREH. Deep layer shear parameter values were quite large and indicative of the potential
for supercellular storms. The Bulk Richardson Number shear value was 98 m2s-2,
which is well above the operationally accepted value of 40 m2s-2
required for supercellular storms. The combination of marginal instability and strong deep
layer shear appears to have provided a somewhat favorable environment for supercellular
storms ahead of the main squall line moving through extreme western Mississippi and
northeastern Louisiana at 0000 UTC.
3. RADAR ANALYSIS OF SUPERCELL STORM
a. Methodology
The National Weather Service forecast office at Jackson
(NWSFO JAN) utilizes the National Severe Storms Laboratory's (NSSL) Next
Generation-Warning Decision Support System (NG-WDSS, see Gerard and Conway 2000) as its
primary analysis tool for Weather Surveillance Radar-88 Doppler (WSR-88D) data during
severe weather operations. The radar display software with NG-WDSS is the Radar Analysis
and Display System (RADS), which can be utilized for post-storm analysis as part of the
WSR-88D Algorithm Testing And Display System (WATADS, NSSL 1999).
The evolution of this storm was examined utilizing the
WATADS software. As a part of RADS, derived and base reflectivity and velocity data can be
viewed in planar and cross-section views. Additionally, output from NSSL algorithms such
as the Mesocyclone Detection Algorithm (MDA, Stumpf, et.al 1998) and Tornado Detection
Algorithm (TDA, Mitchell, et.al 1998) can be viewed, as well as time series of values
generated by the algorithms. Discussions based on all of these different products from
WATADS will be presented below, and it is important to note that these products were
available and utilized by NWS personnel in Jackson for warning operations during this
event.
Two unique parameters which can be displayed from the MDA
using RADS are the Mesocyclone Strength Index (MSI) and the Strength Rank. These are
non-dimensional values which indicate to the meteorologist the strength of the circulation
as determined by the algorithm. In general, a circulation must be at least a rank 5 to be
considered a mesocylone; the MSI value must reach 2300 to be considered a moderate
mesocyclone and be greater than 3600 to be a strong mesocyclone (NSSL 1999).
b. Overview of Storm Evolution
The cell of interest developed on the Jefferson/Claiborne
county line near the Mississippi River around 2245 UTC 9 December as part of a
multicellular cluster of storms. Already at this time, a line of storms from southeast
Arkansas to northeast Louisiana was approaching from the west. The multicellular cluster
of storms was tracking northeast. From 2355 to 0011 UTC the northern two cells of this
cluster began weakening while the southern cell intensified rapidly. The reflectivity core
associated with the storm intensified with 55 dBZ values increasing in depth from 16 kft
to 21kft. Storm-relative velocity products indicated an increase in mid level convergence
and upper level divergence, while cross sections of reflectivity generated by WATADS
indicated that a weak echo region was developing on the inflow side of the southern
portion of the storm.
By 0011 UTC (Fig. 3), WATADS
indicated a mesocyclone with a mesocyclone rank value of 5. The WATADS MDA indicated a 46
kt maximum gate-to-gate velocity difference; WATADS planar views of velocity and
reflectivity indicated that this mainly mid level circulation was near the weak echo
region and a developing inflow notch on the southern end of the storm. The reflectivity in
the core of the storm had continued to increase and was now 63 dBZ extending to around 18
kft. At 0016 UTC, a slight decline in the circulation was indicated by the MDA with
only a rank 4 weak circulation indicated with 52 kt maximum gate to gate velocity
difference, a maximum shear of .017 s-1 and a mesocyclone depth of 10 kft. A
low level reflectivity pendant was also becoming more visible as the mid level rotation
was becoming more cyclonically convergent. The weak echo region had become more impressive
with height and was now bounded above 6 kft.
Once again at 0021 UTC (Fig. 4) a
rank 5 mesocyclone was indicated by the MDA with the MSI now 3827. By 0026 UTC, low
level rotational velocity values showed an indication of an increase, now 40 kt at the 0.5
degree elevation angle with the maximum rotational velocity, 44 kt, at the next elevation
or around 4 kft. Although the low level pendant was still visible, the reflectivity
structure aloft was more indicative of a bow echo with a rear inflow notch noticeable on
the southwest flank. This may have been an indication of a descending rear flank downdraft
and a possible precursor of tornadogenesis.
At 0031 UTC (Fig. 5), the MDA and
TDA indicated a TVS/Mesocyclone with the storm. The lowest elevation gate to gate velocity
difference dramatically increased to 84 kt and was now also the maximum anywhere in the
storm. Again in the reflectivity, an impressive rear inflow notch was observed aloft on
the southwest flank of the storm. A well developed weak echo region continued to develop
aloft over the low level inflow notch. An investigation of planar views of storm relative
velocity revealed a strong rotational velocity couplet in the lowest two elevation angles,
with much weaker rotation above this.
By 0036 UTC (Fig. 6), a TVS
continued to be indicated by the TDA with the MDA yielding an MSI of 5581. Rotational
velocity values continued to increase with low level and maximum gate to gate velocity
difference now at 114 kt with a shear of .047 s-1. Eight panel representations
of reflectivity and storm relative velocity data produced by WATADS continued to yield
evidence of a rear flank downdraft descending into the lower levels of the storm, while in
the reflectivity, a marked collapse in the storm core was apparent. The first reports of a
tornado were received at this time.
Little change in the low level velocity data was noted on
the next volume scan at 0041 UTC. Rotational velocity values aloft were becoming even less
impressive. The reflectivity structure also continued to show a drastic decrease in
intensity and depth. A TVS continued to be indicated by the TDA at 0046 UTC, but
rotational velocity values had decreased. While the maximum gate to gate was still at the
lowest levels, values had decreased to 54 kt, and the overall rotational pattern had
become much broader. There was some still some evidence of a slight weak echo region, but
only in the very lowest levels as reflectivity continued to decrease. Based on surface
reports, this volume scan is assumed to be the time of the dissipation of the tornadic
vortex.
By 0051 UTC (Fig. 7), the MDA
indicated a rank 5 low top mesocyclone with an MSI of 3839. While the rotational velocity
values did increase slightly at 1.5 degrees (actually weakly divergent), the remaining
elevations showed little in the way of rotation, and the rotation in the lower levels
appeared to be primarily due to linear shear. The reflectivity data indicated that the
original cell had occluded.
c. Time/Height Series
With the availability of WDSS at NWSFO JAN, radar products
other than the standard planar and cross-sectional views are available to the warning
meteorologist. Meteorologists at NWSFO JAN have found that examination of time/height
trend plots of reflectivity and velocity parameters output from the NSSL WDSS algorithms
are an excellent means of monitoring trends within a given storm. As an example,
time/height trend plots of velocity parameters from the MDA and TDA can assist in
monitoring the rotational trends within a storm, and can assist in determining the
tornadogenesis mode of a given storm as discussed by Trapp, et. al (1999).
A time series of rotational velocity is shown for the
tornadic supercell discussed above is shown in Fig. 8. As can be
seen, from 0016 UTC to 0036 UTC, the middle and upper level rotation associated with this
supercell dramatically dissipated while rotation rapidly increased in the lower levels of
the storm, particularly at and below 7 kft. The rotation at the 0.5 degree elevation angle
increased from very little at 0011 UTC to 60 kt at 0036 UTC, which was the approximate
tornadogenesis time.
Another time/height series which is often used
operationally at NWSFO JAN is a plot of shear (Fig. 9). This plot
clearly indicated a rapid increase in shear values between 0016 and 0036 UTC below 4 kft,
peaking at .047 s-1 at 0036 UTC. It should be noted that in Figs. 7 and 8 that
prior to 0016 UTC, the mesocyclone associated with the supercell was being identified by a
different number by the MDA, and that deep, mainly mid level, rotation of 20 to 30 kt was
present between about 2355 UTC and 0016 UTC as discussed in section 3b (see Fig. 10). After that time, however, the rotation above about 10 kft
decreased dramatically while below that level rotation increased dramatically, peaking at
the lowest two volume scans (an elevation of 1.5 kft to 4 kft) the volume scan prior to
and the volume scan of tornadogenesis.
4. DISCUSSION AND WARNING IMPLICATIONS
WSR-88D observations indicate that the storm which
produced the F3 tornado near Bentonia, MS at 0036 UTC 9 December initially developed as a
part of a multicellular cluster of storms. Around 0000 UTC, the storm began to develop mid
level rotation and reflectivity characteristics indicative of a supercell. Between 0000
UTC and 0016 UTC, the storm maintained weak to moderate mid level rotation. After this
time, the circulation above 10 kft weakened dramatically in the 20 minutes leading up to
tornadogenesis. By 0031 UTC there was little discernible rotation above 10
kft, and by 0041 UTC (5 min after the tornado touched down and while the tornado was still
on the ground) there was little in the way of rotation above 7 kft. At the same time,
rotational velocity increased very rapidly in the lower levels of the storm, peaking near
the surface at tornadogenesis time.
In this case, radar products (not shown) did indicate that
an area of weak convection moved across Yazoo county prior to the approach of the
supercell, and between 0000 and 0011 did show the presence of a weak fine line just to the
south of the area where the storm later passed through. While there is not sufficient
evidence to say definitively that there was a defined boundary left by this initial weak
convection which the supercell then interacted with, it seems probable that the storm
interacted with a local source of horizontal vorticity which assisted tornadogenesis with
this storm (as per Markowski, et. al 1998) and may have resulted in greater SREH values in
the local area of the storm than observed on the 0000 UTC JAN sounding.
While the rotational velocity trends through the entire
life of this particular storm do not seem to clearly fit either the non-descending or
descending TVS mode as discussed by Trapp, et. al (1999), it is clear that during the
critical four volume scans leading up to tornadogenesis, the rapid increase in rotational
velocity took place mainly at or below 7 kft, while rotation above dramatically weakened.
This rapid increase in low level rotation while mid level rotation was weakening made
warning effectively for this storm a challenge. As will be discussed below, this challenge
would have been much greater had the storm been farther away where radar horizon problems
would have been a larger factor.
It should be pointed out that the means to operationally
determine if the pre-storm environment favors a given mode of tornadogenesis could be of
tremendous assistance to the warning meteorologist. In this event, the JAN 0000 UTC upper
air sounding indicated that instability was weak and SREH was not particularly large.
Hence, one could speculate that although supercells might develop, tornadogenesis would
most likely occur when storms interacted with a local source of low level horizontal
vorticity (e.g., a boundary per Markowski, et. al. 1998) or as part of bowing segments
within the main squall line. Research by Trapp, et. al (1999) indicates that the latter
type of tornadogenesis is more commonly associated with non-descending TVS signatures, and
operational experience at NWSFO JAN suggests that the former process may be more
frequently associated with non-descending TVS signatures as well. Further research should
pursue more proven means of discriminating environments more favorable for a given TVS
mode, enabling warning meteorologists to more easily anticipate tornadogenesis and issue
the most effective warnings possible.
Even if the warning meteorologist is fully anticipating
rapid intensification of low level rotation as is commonly observed in non-descending TVS
development, it would remain very difficult to warn with a tremendous amount of lead time
for these types of storms. In this event, the earlier presence of mid level rotation and
development of reflectivity structures indicative of a supercell likely aided the warning
process, and the proximity of the storm to the radar made monitoring low level trends of
rotation possible. A tornado warning was issued by NWSFO JAN with about 10 min lead time.
Reliance upon an algorithm identified TVS would have resulted in a lead time of virtually
zero.
Warning meteorologists should always be cognizant of the
potential for a storm to interact with a boundary, and when seeing such a potential
interaction should be keenly aware of the possibility of rapid tornadogenesis with the
storm involved. All means of boundary detection (radar, satellite, surface data, etc.)
should be utilized to monitor such events. This may be a means of increasing lead times
with such storms, although, as in this case, such boundary interactions can be subtle and
difficult to discern.
Another challenge from this type of event was the low
topped nature of the storm and the concentration of rotation in the lowest levels of the
storm. The echo top of this storm never exceeded 32 kft, and Vertically Integrated Liquid
values never exceeded 37 kg m-2. Hence, reflectivity patterns and velocity data
would have to be relied upon in the warning decision. Also, as can be seen in Fig. 8, the significant rotational velocity values during the
tornadogenesis process were mainly confined to below 10 kft. Clearly, radar horizon
problems would reduce the ability to discern significant rotation and effectively warn for
this type of storm at greater ranges from the radar. If the storm had been beyond a range
of about 75 nmi, velocity data from the lowest elevation angle would have likely indicated
a decreasing trend in rotation during the tornadogenesis period, potentially hampering the
issuance of effective warning products.
Finally, this case also demonstrates that large values of
CAPE, 0 to 3 km SREH, or EHI are not required to have strong or violent tornadoes, as the
near proximity sounding for this strong tornado had marginal values for these parameters.
Parameters such as storm-relative winds or 0 to 1 km SREH, while not discussed here, may
have proved more useful in indicating the tornadic potential for this event, and will be
examined in future research.
5. REFERENCES
Davies, J.M., 1993: Hourly helicity, instability,
and EHI in forecasting supercell tornadoes. Preprints, 17th Conference on
Severe Local Storms, St. Louis, Amer. Met. Soc., 107-111.
Davies-Jones, R. and D. Burgess, 1990: Test of
helicity as a tornado forecast parameter. Preprints, 16th Conference on
Severe Local Storms, Kananaskis Park, AB, Canada, Amer. Met. Soc., 588-598.
Gerard, A.E. and J.W. Conway, 2000: Utilizing the
NSSL Next Generation Warning Decision Support System in real-time warning operations at
the Jackson, Mississippi National Weather Service. Preprints, 20th
Conference on Severe Local Storms, Orlando, Amer. Met. Soc.
Hart, J.A., R. Lindsay and J. Whistler, 1997:
N-SHARP: Advanced Interactive Sounding Analysis Program for NAWIPS.
Markowski, P.M., E.N. Rasmussen, J.M. Straka, 1998:
The occurrence of tornadoes in supercells interacting with boundaries during
VORTEX-95. Wea. Forecasting, 13, 852-859.
Mitchell, E.D., S.V. Vasiloff, G.J. Stumpf, A. Witt, M.D.
Eilts, J.T. Johnson, and K.W. Thomas, 1998: The National Severe Storms Laboratory
Tornado Detection Algorithm. Wea. Forecasting, 13,
352-366.
National Severe Storms Laboratory, 1999: WATADS:
WSR-88D Algorithm Testing and Display System. Documentation available at http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/~watads/
Rasmussen, E.N. and D.O. Blanchard, 1998: A baseline
climatology of sounding-derived supercell and tornado forecast parameters. Wea.
Forecasting, 13, 1148-1164.
Stumpf, G.J., A. Witt, E.D. Mitchell, P.L. Spencer, J.T.
Johnson, M.D. Eilts, K.W. Thomas, and D.W. Burgess, 1998: The National Severe Storms
Laboratory Mesocyclone Detection Algorithm for the WSR-88D. Wea. Forecasting,
13, 304-326.
Trapp, R.J.; E.D. Mitchell; G.A. Tipton, D.W. Effertz,
A.I. Watson, D.L. Andra, and M.A. Magsig, 1999: Descending and non-descending TVS
signatures detected by WSR-88Ds. Wea. Forecasting, 14, 625-639.
Fig. 1. Map indicating track of F3 tornado
over Yazoo County, MS near the town of Bentonia. River just to the southeast of the
track is the Big Black, northwest edge of the Jackson, MS metro area can be seen as the
ground clutter return in the southeast corner of the image. Warren County lies just
to the southwest of Yazoo County.
Fig. 2. Skew-T/log-P depiction of the 0000
UTC 10 December 1999 upper air sounding from Jackson, MS.
Fig. 3. 8 panel radar display from the
Jackson, MS, WSR-88D radar valid at 0011 UTC 10 December 1999. Top images are
reflectivity, bottom images are storm relative velocity. From left to right,
elevation angles are 0.5 degrees, 1.5 degrees, 3.4 degrees, and 6.0 degrees. The
storm of interest is storm number 46 in the cell algorithm table.
Fig. 4. Same as Fig. 3, only 0021 UTC.
Fig. 5. Same as Fig. 3, only 0031 UTC.
The storm of interest has been reidentified as storm number 13 in the cell table.
Fig. 6 . Same as Fig. 3, only 0036 UTC.
Fig. 7 . 6 panel radar display from the Jackson,
MS, WSR-88D radar valid at 0051 UTC 10 December 1999. Top images are reflectivity,
bottom images are storm relative velocity. From left to right, elevation angles are
0.5 degrees, 1.5 degrees, and 2.4 degrees.
Fig. 8. Time height plot from WATADS at 0041
UTC of rotational velocity associated with Bentonia supercell.
Fig. 9. Same as Fig. 7, only shear.
Fig. 10. Same as Figure 8, only for 0011 UTC.
1. Corresponding Author Address: Alan E.
Gerard, 234 Weather Service Dr., Jackson, MS, 39208; e-mail: Alan.E.Gerard@noaa.gov
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