Role of the Rear-Flank-Downdraft in the Evolution of an Occluding Mesocyclone in a Tornadic Supercell

On 19 June 2010 two mobile C-band SMART radars collected 110 minutes of dual-Doppler data on a high precipitation tornadic supercell near Concordia, KS. During this period, the supercell underwent three episodes of low-level mesocyclogenesis, each producing a tornadic vortex signature. Single- and dual-Doppler analysis of the third mesocyclone that formed approximately 10-15 km from one of the SMART radars illustrates how surges in the rear-flank downdraft affect the evolution of the low-level mesocyclone, from organization to intensification and later occlusion. These analyses will be represented and compared against other cases with storm-scale wind syntheses to further elucidate the impact of the rear-flank downdraft on the evolution of low-level mesocyclones in supercell thunderstorms.