The Temporal Evolution of Tornadic and Non-Tornadic VORTEX2 Near-Storm Environments

The VORTEX2 field experiment provided a wealth of data on the near-storm environments of tornadic and non-tornadic supercell thunderstorms. While previous research has documented the spatial heterogeneity associated with the environment in the vicinity of the VORTEX2 storms, this study focuses on the temporal evolution of the near-storm environment. Thirty-four supercells are examined, (13 tornadic and 21 non-tornadic), each with at least three inflow soundings launched throughout their lifetime. The evolution of common forecasting parameters (including shear, storm-relative helicity, and instability) are compared among the tornadic and non-tornadic categories. Each parameter is analyzed individually as well as grouped with similar measures to understand potential connections with storm behavior. The timing of associated storm reports is examined to identify relationships between environmental trends and observed hazards. The broad goal of this study is to better understand how supercells respond to near-storm environmental changes, ultimately allowing for better understanding and advancements in forecasting.