The role of storm dynamics on cloud electrification: The 29 May 2004 tornadic supercell observed during TELEX

A tornadic supercell thunderstorm crossed central Oklahoma on 29 May 2004 and was observed by the two C-band Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching (SMART) radars. Coordinated dual-Doppler scans where collected every 2.5 minutes from 2247 UTC on 29 May to 0212 UTC on 30 May. The storm produced several tornadoes as it moved across the heart of the dual-Doppler domain. In addition to the SMART radars, the storm was also observed by the KOUN polarimetric S-band radar and the central Oklahoma three-dimensional lightning-mapping array (LMA). Moreover, an intercept team launched two electric field meters into the supercell. This integrated data set provides a unique opportunity to study the relationship between storm dynamics and cloud electrification for this class of storm system.

In this paper, we will present a radar overview of the storm and relate the retrieved three-dimensional airflow to the total lightning flash rate observed by the LMA. Analyses from both the pre-tornadic and the tornadic stages will be presented. This paper is part of a series of papers on the Geary, OK tornadic supercell and the TELEX field campaign.