The Oklahoma-Kansas mesoscale convective system of 10-11 June 1985: precipitation structure and single-Doppler radar analysis

Abstract

A rear inflow jet, front-to-rear flow aloft, and a mesoscale updraft and downdraft were all present. The mesoscale downdraft commenced at the top of the slanted rear inflow jet. Sublimation and evaporation of hydrometeors in this flow apparently generated the necessary cooling to drive the mesoscale downdraft circulation. The intensity and slope of the rear inflow jet varied with location in the storm, which apparently led to differences in both the intensity and depth of the mesoscale downdraft. The intrusion of this inflow jet into the rear of the storm occurred at quite high levels and was probably responsible for disruption of the continuous oval cloud shield as viewed by satellite. Vertical velocities obtained by the EVAD (Extended Velocity-Azimuth Display) method reveal a strong mesoscale updraft, with speeds approaching 50cm s-1. Vertically pointing observations indicated that convective updrafts and downdrafts were present within 20km of the convective line. -from Authors