21st Conf. on Severe Local Storms

17.1

Mesoscale analysis of the dryline on 29 May 2001 with attendant severe convection

Mark R. Conder, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX; and G. D. Skwira, C. B. Chang, A. L. Doggett, and R. E. Peterson

On 29 May 2001, a upper-low moved across the Rocky Mountains and into the plains region. The accompanying 75-100 kt jet streak at 250 mb moved from Southwestern New Mexico into the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles during the day. This system triggered severe convection across the central and southern plains. In the Texas panhandle, several supercells developed in the vicinity of a dryline-outflow intersection near Amarillo, while another supercell developed further south along the dryline near Tulia.

Texas Tech researchers were conducting a field experiment on this day along the dryline northwest of Lubbock. Using data collected during this experiment from mobile mesonet and West Texas (fixed) mesonet observation platforms, analysis reveals a rather complicated structure which includes at least two north-south dryline bands and a dryline bulge. In this case initial cumulus development occured along the western dryline band while lifted parcels apparently were only able to reach the level of free convection ahead of the eastern-most band.

In addition, mesoscale model simulation of the dryline evolution for this case will be performed to examine the capability of the model to produce realistic results.

Session 17, mesoscale processes and severe convection
Friday, 16 August 2002, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

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