A Multiscale Analysis of the 29 May 2013 Severe Weather Outbreak near Albany, New York

On the afternoon of 29 May 2013, convection initiated over western and central New York ahead of an upper-level short-wave trough on the eastern flank of a broad ridge over the eastern U.S. The initial convection developed along a weak frontal boundary, and featured a mixture of isolated supercells and a larger, relatively disorganized mesoscale convective system (MCS). This convection formed in a region that contained modest CAPE values that exceeded 1000 J kg^-1. The environmental wind profile featured veering in the low-levels, indicative of warm advection that contributed to a curved hodograph and large values of low-level shear as the convection approached Albany. As a result, these supercells produced three separate tornadoes, an EF1 in Schoharie County, an EF1 in Saratoga County, and an EF2 in Montgomery and Schenectady Counties that was on the ground for thirteen-miles. The convection grew upscale as it passed Albany, and the resulting bow-echo MCS produced numerous severe wind reports across eastern New York and western Massachusetts.

This presentation will utilize observations and archived model data as part of a multiscale investigation of the variety of ingredients that contributed to this relatively localized severe weather outbreak. In addition, dual-polarimetric radar data will be examined to show the formation, evolution, and structure of the various tornado-producing supercells.