High-Temporal Resolution Observations of the 23 May 2016 Woodward, OK, Tornadic Supercell Using the Atmospheric Imaging Radar

On 23 May 2016, high-temporal radar data were collected on a tornadic supercell near Woodward, OK using the Atmospheric Imaging Radar (AIR).  The AIR is a mobile, X-band, imaging radar that uses digital beamforming to collect simultaneous RHI scans while steering mechanically in azimuth to obtain high-temporal weather data.  During the 23 May deployment, the AIR collected 20º-by-110º sector volumes every 7 seconds of a slow-moving, tornadic supercell.  The deployment lasted one hour and documented the intensification of the supercell and the entire lifecycles of multiple tornadoes at 18-20 km in range.

This study examines the three-dimensional evolution of the radial velocity and reflectivity fields in association with multiple tornado lifecycles.  The main focus will be on rapid vortex intensification and dissipation events.  Special consideration will be given to the vertical development of azimuthal shear during tornadogenesis.  Additionally, temporal variations in tornado intensity for the longest-lived tornado will be examined in relation to nearby kinematic changes and anomalies in reflectivity.