A 10 Year Spatial Climatology of Mesoscale Convective Complexes in the Great Plains Region

Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs) provide large amounts of rain to the Midwest and western portions of the United States. While their precipitation is largely beneficial, it does pose a substantial risk for flooding since these events are often slow moving and long lasting. In order to better understand the frequency and spatial distribution of these storms, a spatial assessment of these characteristics at 3 major points in their lifecycle was investigated using data obtained via the Comprehensive large Array Stewardship System (CLASS). This data was processed using ArcGIS and the spatial and temporal locations of three major life cycle points of each MCC (Initiation, Max Extent, and Termination) were identified. The locations of each of these points were overlaid, and the occurrence per unit area was calculated for each of the three life cycle phases. A composite sounding was generated for each of the three life cycle phases using sounder data, also from CLASS, and is compared with published soundings.