RECIPE FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS... SAT. T-STORM POTENTIAL

When a dry layer of air exists in the atmosphere and we’re conditionally unstable, thunderstorms that do pop have the capability of dishing out some gusty winds as they’re dying out or collapsing. As rain and hail become too heavy in the updraft of a thunderstorm, the precipitation begins to fall into the dry layer. Evaporation processes make this air very cool and dense in relation to surrounding warmer air and it can fall quickly, making for some high surface wind gusts!

The above model sounding from the NAM for KFSM Fort Smith, shows a dry layer of air from roughly 8500’ to 27,500’. There is plenty of CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) in place by the afternoon too, so If storms are able to break a moderate cap tomorrow afternoon with the heating of the day, we may have a very localized threat of high wind gusts as any storm that develops, begins to decay.

Posted by Ted Zarras at 6:01 PM