Due to the locally enhanced conditional instability associated with MAHTEs, understanding the processes responsible for their formation and evolution are important for forecasters to properly assess the probability of severe storm formation. Observations of MAHTEs from prior field campaigns were on the order of 5-10 km in width; a feature this small will not be accurately resolved by a numerical model with grid spacings of 3-4 km. This project will use idealized and real data simulations to explore the different mechanisms responsible for MAHTE formation and evolution. Surface observations of a MAHTE have been collected using a mobile mesonet, and future MAHTEs will be targeted using both a mobile mesonet and an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). These surface and upper air data will complement real-data simulations using WRF-ARW. Numerical experiments will be conducted within a parameter space that includes insolation and surface fluxes.
Participants