Historical overview of severe convective storms research

An overview of the history of research related to severe convective storms is presented, with a particular emphasis on the connection between this research and forecasting. Since forecasting is also being reviewed in another talk, however, that aspect of this history is not presented here. Forecasting and basic research in severe convective storms have been intertwined since the very beginnings of what we would consider modern research – that is, since the end of World War II. There are good reasons for this interaction, clearly tied to the large societal impact such storms can have. The major revolution in severe convective storms research that began in the early 1970s is reviewed and described in terms of the interaction between observations, tools, and models that was first suggested by Tor Bergeron. This interaction continues to the present, and continues to be a useful way to understand how progress in scientific understanding is developed.