Hello and welcome to the next edition of the Mike Wills Podcast! This is the Dog Days of Podcasting edition for August 15, 2018, where I am taking you through some of the basics of weather, storms, and radar.

• Supercells, there is still a lot of research happening on these systems. Here is what is known:
  • They are highly organized with rotation inside (this is key to what makes a supercell)
  • Updrafts can attain speeds of over 100 MPH
  • They can produce extremely large hail and strong, violent tornadoes
  • Rear-flank downdraft can produce damaging outflow in excess of 100 MPH.
• As a chaser, it's important to know the visual aspects of a supercell. The most important characteristics are:
  • Persistent rotation at the rain-free base
  • A rear-flank downdraft (RFD) which is a region of dry air wrapping along the back portion of the circulation within the storm. (Usually referred as the hook echo).
• Variations
  • Low Precipitation Supercell (LP)
    • Barber pole or corkscrew appearance is possible
    • Precipitation is sparse or well removed from the updraft below the cloud base
    • Large hail is often difficult to discern visually. Although precipitation may not be apparent below the storm, sometimes very large hail is falling that cannot be seen at a distance.
  • Classic Supercell (CL)
    • Most supercells are in this category
    • Large, flat rain-free base
    • Can have a wall cloud
    • Barber pole or corkscrew appearance of updraft is possible.
    • Heavy precipitation falls adjacent to the updraft
    • Large hail is possible
    • Potential for strong, long-track tornadoes
  • High Precipitation Supercell (HP)
    • Precipitation often surrounds updraft and wall cloud and may hide it
    • RFD filled with precipitation
    • May have an associated shelf cloud.
    • Tornadoes potentially obscured by heavy precipitation (rain-wrapped) - These are the most dangerous to try to chase.
    • Extremely heavy precipitation with flash flooding

None

Thank you for listening and remember to always watch the clouds and be weather aware.

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