Opposing Mesoscale Flows in a Broken Midlatitude Squall Line

Abstract

During the period 14-15 June 1985 a broken line of convection with one primary gap (echo-free) region developed along a cold front passing through the Oklahoma-Kansas Preliminary Regional Experiment for STORM-Central (OK PRE-STORM) domain. Radar and satellite data are presented to provide an overview of the life cycle of the line. Observations from the OK PRE-STORM mesonetwork and upper air soundings are used to document the occurrence of the gap and an associated surface mesolow. The convective line initially developed as two mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), one in northeast Kansas, the other in the Texas panhandle, along a weak cold front. As the two MCSs matured, convection developed between the two similar to the broken-line squall line formation described by Bluestein and Jain (1985). Despite strong low-level convergence and strong moisture convergence, an echo-free region remained between the two MCSs throughout the life cycle of the line.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA268011

Entities

People

  • Barbara D. Miner

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundary Layer
  • Case Studies
  • Climate Change
  • Cold Fronts
  • Convection
  • Equations
  • Geography
  • Heat Energy
  • Life Cycles
  • Meteorology
  • Satellite Imaging
  • Stratified Fluids
  • Surface Analysis
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Two Dimensional
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Educational Psychology

Technology Areas

  • Space