INITIAL DETECTION OF 50 dBZ ECHOES ALOFT AS AN INDICATOR OF SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL

摘要

The radar meteorologist should have an idea of the freezing level throughout the radar coverage area. In order to follow the development of the middle layers of the storm, the meteorologist should examine all applicable slices of the thunderstorm. If most of the 50 dBZ reflectivity core develops well above the freezing level, the storm may be more likely to produce severe weather during its future evolution. The storm should be watched closely for the progression of the 50 dBZ core and the possible onset of severe weather. Other WSR-88D products may also be used to help identify severe storms such as the use of the LRM or Layer Composite Reflectivity Graphic (Turner, 1995) . The use of one technique over the other or the combination of techniques may serve as a better indicator of identifying potentially severe storms in different geographic regions. Further studies of additional cases are needed and may help the National Weather Service offices issue more timely warnings.