Observations of a Storm Containing Misocyclones, Downbursts, and Horizontal Vortex Circulations

Abstract

On 30 June 1982, a multicellular storm in Colorado produced four downbursts, three misocyclones, a miso-anticyclone, and horizontal vortex circulations within a relatively small area of the storm. Weather events associated with this storm included hail, heavy rain, and strong winds. A sounding taken two hours before storm formation showed the mixed layer was characterized by a nearly dry adiabatic lapse rate to ?2 km and was relatively moist for eastern Colorado. A hodograph showed the environment had weak to moderate vertical shear of the horizontal wind, a condition conducive to the formation of downdraft misocyclones. The four-dimensional structure of this storm is documented below cloud base using winds, reflectivity, and thermodynamic data derived front multiple Doppler analysis. One misocyclone (<4 km scale) is particularly intense with a peak vorticity of ≈100 ? 10?3 s?1 near cloud base. Despite the intense rotation, no tornadoes or funnels were observed and no damage was reported. Radar characteristics of this misocyclone are similar to those of mesocyclones that produce tornadoes or funnels except that vorticity is a maximum near cloud base and the low-level divergence created by the downbursts weakens the low-level, positive vorticity. While the misocyclone is initially separated from the downdraft, the two features evolve to become collocated. Each misocyclone becomes associated with a local downdraft maximum, suggesting that the misocyclones are important to downdraft development. Pressure perturbation analysis does not show any evidence for strong, downward-directed pressure gradient forces below cloud base that would act to accelerate a downdraft. Since the downdraft is observed to accelerate below cloud base, other forces must be important. Observations and buoyancy estimates calculated from radar reflectivity show negative buoyancy is playing a role in downdraft intensification. Despite the lack of dynamical forcing of the downdraft by the misocyclone below cloud base, dynamical forces may be playing a role in accelerating the downdraft above cloud base. Horizontal vortex circulations, or rotors, form along the edge of the misocyclone and downdraft and propagate away from their source region. Strongest surface winds are associated with the rotors. Pressure perturbation analysis shows that a low forms at the center of the circulation that may cause an acceleration of the low-level outflow into the rotor and may explain the strong winds. Rotors may be an integral part of downburst outflows and perhaps multiple rotors are created by pulsating downdrafts. An explanation of these circulations is important since they seem to have been involved in the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport crash of an L-1011 jet.