The Occurrences of Significant Tornadoes Across the High Plains Under Favorable Synoptic Conditions

Forty-two cases across the High Plains dating back to 1990 have been identified to contain weather events with tornadoes rated EF3 or higher. These significant tornadoes have been shown from past studies to include kinematic and thermodynamic signatures that are unique to the traditional severe tornado environments.

A composite analysis of synoptic patterns for significant High Plains tornado days is investigated. The purpose of this research is to distinguish setups and features that can be used to identify environments that are favorable for the formation of significant tornado events across the High Plains region.

With the increase in population along the High Plains corridor over the recent years, the likelihood of causalities and property damages have increased. The risk associated with the region prompts the need for a better understanding, both conceptually and operationally, of these significant tornado days to provide a better forecast accuracy.