Weather Center
Joshua-- Amateur Meteorologist
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Know the Weather, Learn the Weather
About Weather
This Section was made to inform viewers about all forms of severe weather that may be experienced or discussed about in posts.
Super Cell
A very large storm system producing severe thunderstorms that produce rotating winds that form an updraft of warm air that may result in hail or tornadoes. They can be recognized visibly by their large and anvil-shape appearance. They typically form in much moisture and warm air. If a Wall cloud or shelf cloud is present, the whole cloud structure is most likely a Super Cell.
Tornado
A Tornado is a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud. Tornadoes form under a wall cloud under certain conditions. Moisture, wind shear, and temperature all come into consideration when tornadoes try to form in a supercell.
Funnel Cloud
A funnel cloud is a funnel-shaped cloud made of condensed water droplets, associated with a rotating column of wind that typically extends down from the base of a cloud (usually a cumulonimbus or shelf cloud) but not reaching the ground or a water's surface. ... If the funnel cloud touches the ground it becomes a tornado. Most of the time a funnel cloud won't actually become a tornado. Also, some strong storms can have up to several Funnel Clouds at a single moment!
Microburst
A microburst is an intense downdraft produced by a thunderstorm causing extreme amount of rainfall within a localized are in a short amount of time.
Wall Cloud
A wall cloud is a large, localized, persistent, and abrupt lowering of cloud that develops beneath the base of a cumulonimbus cloud and from which tornadoes sometimes form if conditions are good.
CAPE
Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) is the measure of the amount of convention there is in the atmosphere. When the layer of the CAPE breaks due to heating or change in pressure, warm air below it mixes with the arctic cool air above it creating a mixture fir severe storm development. The storms intensity is dependent on the CAPE's strength. If the CAPE never does break, there can be no severe storm development.
Rotating Wall Cloud
A Rotating Wall Cloud is a Wall Cloud that has most likely formed a funnel and has caused a circular updraft of winds. A rotating storm is the sign of a very intense Thunderstorm. When a storm is rotating you can visibly see it on RADAR too. If you spot a "Hook" shape in the radar of that storm, it most likely means there is a funnel as well with that Rotating Wall Cloud. Usually Storm sirens will go off when theirs one of these Hooks.
Derecho
Derechos are associated with bands of rapidly moving thunderstorms sometimes different types like bow echoes, squall lines. They come as an intense wall-like wind storm that is long lasting and very damaging.
Squall Line
A narrow band of intense storms that produce damaging winds that are associated with a cold front that moves into an area with a low pressure system and an unstable atmosphere or strong CAPE.
Shelf cloud
A shelf cloud is a low-hanging, well-defined, wedge-shaped formation that occurs along the leading edge of a gust front or Squall Line in a thunderstorm. Shelf clouds most often form just ahead of intense lines of thunderstorms. They often will drop down from a wall cloud and rotate rapidly. Often they drop a funnel at least or sometimes a tornado.
Hurricanes
A hurricane is a large rotating storm with high speed winds that forms over warm waters in tropical areas. Hurricanes have sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour and an area of low air pressure in the center called the eye. The scientific name for a hurricane is a tropical cyclone. Hurricanes weaken when entering areas of high pressure. Hurricanes are most destructive with how they carry in 5-15 feet of water from the ocean and flood the coasts.