Python code and datasets to analyze and visualize severe convective windstorm events as documented in the dissertation "Examination of the Physical Process of Severe Convective Windstorms".
Severe windstorms resulting from mesoscale convective systems (MCS) cause significant disruption to society, including widespread power outages, tree and structural damage, and transportation accidents that affect multi-state regions and metropolitan areas along their track. A derecho, defined as a long-lived, widespread severe convective windstorm, is composed of numerous downbursts (intense localized storm downdrafts) organized into clusters or families of clusters. Derechos can produce winds above hurricane force along a track that may exceed several hundred kilometers. Convective windstorm potential has been expressed as a grouping of stability parameters that are relevant for downburst generation. These include lower-to-mid-tropospheric and equivalent potential temperature (θe) lapse rates, vertical relative humidity differences, and the amount of convective available potential energy (CAPE) in the troposphere. One major environmental factor addressed in the generation of widespread severe convective winds is an elevated mixed layer and its associated instability that promotes powerful storm updrafts and downdrafts. Another critical factor is developing a rear-inflow jet into an MCS that channels unsaturated mid-tropospheric air into the leading convective storm line. Establishing an elevated, ascending front-to-rear flow originating from deep, moist convection, overlying a strong and deep outflow-induced cold pool has been found to generate and sustain a robust rear inflow jet. The North American Derecho of 29-30 June 2012 exhibits many classic progressive and serial derecho features. It remains as one of the highest-impact derecho-producing convective systems over CONUS since 2000. This research effort will add to the understanding of the science of operational forecasting of severe windstorms through examples of employing new satellite and ground-based microwave and vertical wind profile data. During the track of the derecho through the mid-Atlantic region, clear signatures associated with a severe MCS were apparent in polar satellite imagery, especially from the EPS MetOP-A Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) and NASA TERRA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). In addition, MetOP-A Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) soundings retrieved in the pre-convective environment indicated a favorable volatile tropospheric profile for severe downburst wind generation. An important outcome of this study will be to formulate a correlation between microwave parameters and signatures and severe convective wind occurrence.