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Patrick J. Ayd and Joshua W. Scheck NOAA/National Weather Service – Bismarck, ND. 20 May 2009 HeatBurst Across South Central North Dakota. Outline. How rare are heat bursts? Ingredients for a heat burst? Review of the 20 May 2009 Heat Burst Significance in operations. How Rare Are They?.
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Patrick J. Ayd and Joshua W. Scheck NOAA/National Weather Service – Bismarck, ND 20 May 2009 HeatBurst Across South Central North Dakota
Outline • How rare are heat bursts? • Ingredients for a heat burst? • Review of the 20 May 2009 Heat Burst • Significance in operations
How Rare Are They? • In order for a heat burst to be noticed it either has to be reported by a spotter, or seen within surface observational data. • How often do spotters not report weather phenomena? • Would you notice a rapid rise in temperature at a non ASOS site?
How Rare Are They? • Dependent on the density of the observational network, and actually having the phenomena pass over the sensors. • Do we actively seek to find a heat burst?
How Rare Are They? • The rarity of a heat burst may be due in large part to our inability to sense microscale events and properly analyze all data sources to acknowledge their presence.
Heat Burst • Ingredients: • High LCL • Large subcloud dewpoint depression • Shallow nocturnal inversion – How shallow? • Cumulonimbus cloud/Downdraft initiation
Heat Burst 7 Miles South of St. Anthony • 235 am CDT 20 May 2009 • Two thermometers in spotter’s yard read 90.5 and 95.6 respectively. • 8 foot corral doors blown 25 ft from their rail road ties
Significance • How does this play into operations?
Significance • Low POD, High FAR for any attempts at High Wind Warnings. • Best served by Nowcasts, SPS and AFDs • Be sure to include inherent uncertainty in the timing, location and severity of the event. • Can we tell the difference between a shallow inversion that can be displaced and one that cannot?
Questions • Thank You