Storm Prediction Center Mesoscale Analysis Contributions to February 7 - 9 2017 Event

This investigative study evaluates meteorological phenomena which made contributions to snow, rain and severe weather periods that affected regions of the United States during the February 7 - 9 2017 event. Considering that this event occurred early 2017, Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Hourly Mesoscale Analysis Archive parameters were chosen to diagnose the contributions of chosen basic upper air/forcing fields, severe weather composite indices, heavy rainfall and winter weather during this event. The uniqueness of this research is that it compares/contrast "real-time" six hourly contributions of chosen SPC Hourly Mesoscale Analysis Archive parameters during event periods of most significant snow, rain and severe weather.

This research compares the regional contributions of SPC Hourly Mesoscale Analysis Archive parameters to snow, rain and severe weather periods of the February 7 - 9 2017 event. The focus is on how the physical and dynamical processes represented by the SPC Hourly Mesoscale Analysis Archive parameters contributed individually or collectively to produce the extremes of snowfall, rainfall and severe weather that occurred during this event.

Since central and eastern United States average winter temperatures are becoming warmer, more significant regional events are likely not only to be accompanied by heavy snow, but heavy rain and even severe weather. So, an important motivation for this research is to show the SPC Hourly Mesoscale Analysis parameters that contribute to heavy rain, even severe weather in one region eventually contribute to heavy snow in another region and provide best practices on observing, forecasting and communicating this event to the impacted regions.