A Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Splitting Severe Storms on 3 April 1964

Abstract

A three-dimensional numerical storm model is used to investigate the observed splitting of several reflectivity echoes on 3 April 1964 in Oklahoma. Representative soundings from this day exhibit a nearly one-directional environmental wind shear vector and the presence of strong low-level wind shear. In the numerical simulation an initial cloud splits into two long-lived rotating storms, one that moves to the left of the mean winds and the other to the right. The left-moving storm develops more slowly than the right-moving one due to the deviation of the environmental wind hodograph from a straight line below 1 km. Further, the left mover eventually splits. Convergence induced by the cold, low-level storm outflow plays a major role in the development of both the first and second splits. However, the second split appears to be dynamically different than the first as the left-moving updraft remains essentially unchanged while a new updraft forms immediately adjacent to it. Because of the different propagational characteristics of the new storm it separates from the left mover. As the left-and right-moving storms move apart, new clouds develop in between them along an expanding cold outflow boundary. In this manner the evolving storm configuration becomes similar to that of a squall line, but has evolved from a single convective cell in the absence of imposed convergence. A comparison of the simulation with observed reflectivity and surface data reveals sufficient similarity to suggest that the explanations for the model storm development also may apply to some of the observed events.