An application of a simple diagnostic cloud model to the 20 May 1977 storms over the Oklahoma meso-network

Abstract

The average mesoscale environmental properties such as mass, moisture and vorticity that produce heavy rain have been computed by kinematic techniques for the 20 May 1977 severe storm using NSSL meso-network observations. A simple steady-state cloud model derived from the conservation law is applied to these storm data. The rainfall estimated by the condensation rate of the cloud model agrees fairly well with that observed at the ground. The total energy of the storm system is largely supported by the latent heat release.