Thursday, 15 August 2002
Radar Examination and analysis of a Bow Echo in south Carolina in the Remains of Tropical Cyclone Danny 1997
After Hurricane Danny (1997) made landfall on 16 July 1997, near Mobile, Alabama, the remains meandered northeastward across Georgia and South Carolina before exiting north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. During the exit phase (Edwards 1998) over South Carolina, the remnant tropical cyclone (TC) was responsible for six tornadoes indicated by the WSR-88D at Columbia, SC (KCAE). Five of these were spawned by one cell contained in a confluence line extending south from the center of circulation, and configured as a bow echo. Using WATADS software with WSR-88D level II data and conventional data, a close examination of this storm will be presented. The objective of this research is to present an observational and analytic overview of a breed of cyclically tornadic storm sparsely documented in the TC environment. In this case, a mesoscale low-level baroclinic zone can be found in the southern flank of the TC as well, which may have served as a source of enhanced CAPE, lift, low level shear and vorticity for the cell in question. A table consisting of kinematic parameters (i.e., rotational velocity, diameter of the mesocyclone) will be presented and analyzed, along with WATADS derived quantities such as vertically integrated liquid water (VIL) and maximum reflectivity.
Supplementary URL: