Movement and propagation of multicellular convective storms

Abstract

Migration velocities of convective storms are summarized for six situations, with different environmental wind fields. Small-and medium-sized storms generally moved to left of the direction of, and at speeds somewhat less than, the vector mean wind in the troposphere. Large-diameter (ca. 20–30 km) storms generally deviated to the right, in proportion to their sizes and to the veering of wind with height. This behavior, and the tendency for large storms to move appreciably slower than the mean wind, are even more pronounced when giant clusters of thunderstorms are considered. An example is analyzed in which a multicellular storm, 80 km wide, moved 55° to right of the mean wind and with half its speed. This behavior results from a characteristic pattern of propagation, in which new cells tend to form on the general upwind side of the cluster, with the larger and more intense cells developing on its right flank. The individual cells move through the cluster, dissipating on approach to its advancing and left flanks. Preferential formation of cells toward the rear side of the cluster is shown to be compatible with the probable origin and trajectories (relative to the moving storm) of air ascending from the lower part of the subcloud layer. The sometimes-observed rapid movement of large multicellular storms to left of the mean wind is partly accounted for by an opposite (left forward flank) pattern of propagation.