An Investigation of Radar Returns and Their Relationship to Severe Weather Occurrences

摘要

FPS-77 5.4-cm radar information was gathered throughout the US, geographically and temporally separated to delineate severe from non-severe thunderstorms. The critical success indicator is used to determine the relative reliability of various radar signatures investigated. Thunderstorm structure is reviewed and evolution and development of severe storms is discussed. Environments of severe storms is analyzed and related to well-established severe storm criteria. Results reveal the 30 dBz heights, when correlated with tropopause height or height of the total storm, are excellent signatures which frequently define those thunderstorms likely to be associated with severe weather. (Author)