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Reducing NWS Tornado FAR – An Examination of Near-Storm Environmental Parameters in Tornado-Warned Thunderstorms across the Midwest and Ohio Valley
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A large sample of tornado warnings dating back to 2009 was collected from several NWS offices in the Midwest and Ohio Valley, along with corresponding sectorized Storm Prediction Center (SPC) mesoanalysis data. If a tornado occurred within 2 hours and 100 miles of an issued warning, then the environment was classified as a tornado-producing environment. Using mosaicked NWS Doppler base reflectivity data, these tornado-warned storms were then classified into either a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) mode or a discrete cell. Statistical analyses were performed on over a dozen thermodynamic and kinematic environmental parameters. The results of these tornadic versus non-tornadic environments, including detailed comparisons of QLCS-type and supercell environments within the Ohio Valley are discussed. The findings from this study are then compared with existing research on tornadic environments.