Re-examination of the potential vorticity metrics for determining extratropical transition onset and completion times using high-resolution data

Abstract

Based on a high-resolution dataset, this note re-examines the recently developed potential vorticity (PV) metrics for determining extratropical transition (ET) onset and completion times. The PV metrics use average 330-K isentropic potential vorticity (IPV) to determine the ET onset time, defined as the 330-K IPV minimum time. However, the suggested 330-K IPV threshold fails to determine the ET completion time using the 20-km resolution data, and this IPV method cannot resolve reintensifying and weakening tropical cyclone cases due to the absence of differentiation of lower-level IPV tendencies after ET onset between these two groups of cases.