WW2010
University of Illinois

WW2010
 
welcome
 
online guides
 
archives
 
educational cd-rom
 
current weather
 
about ww2010
 
index

Online Guides
 
introduction
 
meteorology
 
remote sensing
 
reading maps
 
projects, activities

Meteorology
 
introduction
 
air masses, fronts
 
clouds, precipitation
 
el nino
 
forces, winds
 
hurricanes
 
hydrologic cycle
 
light, optics
 
midlatitude cyclones
 
severe storms
 
weather forecasting

Severe Storms
 
introduction
 
dangers of t-storms
 
types of t-storms
 
tstorm components
 
tornadoes
 
modeling

Types of T-storms
 
storm spectrum
 
single cell storms
 
multicell clusters
 
multicell lines
 
supercells

Single Cell Storms
 
introduction
 
evolution

User Interface
 
graphics
text

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Single Cell Thunderstorms
also known as pulse thunderstorms

Single cell storms typically do not produce severe weather and usually last for 20-30 minutes. Also known as pulse storms, single cell storms seem quite random (perhaps because of our lack of understanding) in the production of brief severe events such as downbursts, hail, some heavy rainfall, and occasional weak tornadoes.

[Image: characteristics of single cell storms (35K)]

The "degree of predictability" is extremely low as forecasters are never quite sure which storm will produce severe weather and from which portion of that storm the severe events will occur. However, the microburst threat to aviation cannot be over-emphasized.

[Image: Texas single cell storm (54K)]
Photograph by: NSSL

This is a single cell storm, looking east from about 15 miles. The storm was moving east (into the photo). Some of the anvil cloud has been left behind the storm, but the greater portion of the anvil is blowing off in advance of the storm and is not observable from this perspective. (May storm in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo.)

[Image: Oklahoma single cell storm (53K)]
Photograph by: Moller

True single cell storms are relatively rare since even the weakest of storms usually occur as multicell updraft events. Some single cell thunderstorms are called "air mass" storms. This late May storm in Oklahoma, looking northeast from about 20 miles, occurred with weak to moderate vertical wind shear. It did not produce any severe weather.



Types of T-storms
Terms for using data resources. CD-ROM available.
Credits and Acknowledgments for WW2010.
Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

evolution