***Official 2023 Weather Thread***

Gunnerclone

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2010
75,615
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DSM
They're basically saying, if there are showers/storms/clouds too early, it will keep the atmosphere from destabilizing as much for the main show this afternoon. If the sun comes out (clouds clear out), then the atmosphere will be primed for severe weather.

Seeing a lot of breaks/thinning of the clouds over a central IA right now.
 
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jbhtexas

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
14,321
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Arlington, TX
From this morning's AFD. What does it mean by clear out?

Need to keep an
eye on the CAM trends, but currently this threat area looks to be
along and south of I80. The main question here for me is SBCAPE
and sfc based storms. If we clear out, game on, if you don't,
supplemental soundings will up us determine any cap. Soundings do
have a cap for sb storms that quickly erodes and any sun would
help this happen quicker. The current runs of the HRRR have very
strong midlevel mesos over IL. I think the best area for strong
tornadoes in our area is located east of a line from Memphis, MO
to Walcott, IA to Milledgeville, IL. We may see more tornadoes
with the line later, but the stronger ones will likely be along
and east of the Mississippi River.
The current Davenport sounding doesn't really show any kind of significant "cap" (i.e. warm layer of air higher in the atmosphere) to impede storm development. If the clouds clear out, the sun will heat up the moist surface air, which will make it less dense, and it will start rising (convection). As there is no cap to impede this rising air, it will be able to rise high into the atmosphere and make strong storms.
 
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aeroclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
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Muggy and clear it seems in the metro.
samuel-l-jackson-hold-on-your-butts.gif
 

wxman1

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jul 2, 2008
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Cedar Rapids
Sun is breaking out in CR...this is fine. It's not like we have a rising DP and a strengthening LLJ or an approaching Low or anything.
 
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clone52

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2006
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The current Davenport sounding doesn't really show any kind of significant "cap" (i.e. warm layer of air higher in the atmosphere) to impede storm development. If the clouds clear out, the sun will heat up the moist surface air, which will make it less dense, and it will start rising (convection). As there is no cap to impede this rising air, it will be able to rise high into the atmosphere and make strong storms.

If you are far away to be safe, watching those thunderheads grow upward is pretty awesome. When there is a cap and they tip over is pretty cool too.
 
  • Agree
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