Answer to Question 8 |
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Question 8. Move to 0200 UTC (9:00 PM CDT). What physical mechanisms worked together to produce this widespread outbreak of
convection? |
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Answer. A number of factors contributed to the lifting in the atmosphere, including a diffluent 250 mb pattern, 500 mb shortwave and moderate instability (lifted index was -5). Also, an abundance of low-level moisture interacting with the stationary front contributed to the development of convection. The wind profile indicated favorable directional and speed shear for severe weather; however, this pattern is somewhat unusual for flooding given the 500 mb flow was above 25 knots. On the storm scale, when the squall line intercepted the supercell, the supercell began to collapse because the squall line weakened the supercell's updraft. Once the updraft was weakened, all the precipitation suspended in the supercell's updraft fell to the ground. |
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