A Comparison of Tornadic Events in Complex Terrain during VORTEX-SE

In regions of complex terrain such as the Southeast, it is essential for forecasters to have an awareness of the role that the local terrain plays in enhancing tsevere weather environments. With this in mind, the 2017 NOAA-fundedVerification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment-Southeast (VORTEX-SE) project utilized mobile Dopplers, boundary layer profilers, and multiple mobile rawinsonde systems to improve understanding of how terrain influences the severe environment. Hourly balloon soundings, observations, and remote sensing profileswere focused on parts of the Southern Cumberland System (SCS), primarily the Tennessee River Valley, Sand Mountain, and Lookout Mountain Plateaus. The goal of the present study is to understand how the operational model data compares to the in-situ data collected during the VORTEX-SE 2017 campaign. To better understand each event, quick-look radar images for each intensive operating period (IOP) including the VORTEX-SE facilities and the terrain were created atthe beginning of the project. Using these images, remotely sensed profiles were used to validate sounding data pulled from within the terrain. The data will be validated using a microwave profiling radiometer (MPR), 915 MHz Wind Profiler, and a Doppler Wind Lidar. It is then be compared to the 40-km resolution SPC mesoanalysis to analyze how well the analysis is capturing the evolution of the environment. The observed data will also be compared to the 13-km resolution Rapid Refresh (RAP) model, as well as the 3-km resolution High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model. This project aims to shed light on potential inaccuracies in the models listed above through comparison of in-situ data to archived model runs. In doing so, our ultimate goal is to inform forecasters of the physical processes that take place and model limitations that may exist in areas of diverse terrain leading up to severe events.