The bow echo: observations, numerical simulations, and severe weather detection methods

Abstract

Bowing convective line segments (bow echos) are often associated with swaths of damaging downburst winds and are sometimes accompanied by tornadoes that may reach violent (F4) intensity. In this manuscript, both past and recent observations of bow echo convective systems will be reviewed. The meteorological environments of long-lived derecho-producing convective systems will also be presented. This will be followed by recent conceptual models and numerical simulations of bowing convective systems. Finally, the evolution of two large-scale bow echo convective systems, which produced extensive wind damage and weak tornadoes, will be described. -from Author