Kimberly Frauhammer, Rafal Ogorek, Lindsay Rasmussen, David Wright, Greg Tierney, Derek Posselt
Tornadoes are high impact, unpredictable events that can cause great damage and loss of life. Accurate simulations can improve predictability and warning time, and model resolution may impact accuracy. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used at multiple resolutions to simulate the development and evolution of an EF-3 tornado producing severe weather event that occurred on March 15th, 2012 near Dexter, MI. Here, we evaluate the ability of the model to reproduce the conditions that led to significant convection. Simulations of variable horizontal resolution (9 km, 3 km and 1 km) are analyzed to understand the effect of resolution on the simulation of convective storms. Parameters that drive convection are investigated using simulated radar reflectivity, accumulated precipitation, wind fields, sea level pressure, and outgoing longwave radiation.
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