Higher Cloud Base Research Articles

Cloud base height variability observed using a Laser-Based Ceilometer over a tropical station Pune, India

ABSTRACT Clouds play a pivotal role in determining Earth’s climate, impacting several atmospheric processes influencing the weather. The study explores the temporal variations in cloud base height (CBH) over Pune, a tropical station, from 2017 to 2023 using a Laser-Based Ceilometer with a range of 0–7500 m. Our analysis shows seasonal trends in CBH, with the monsoon season exhibiting unique characteristics showing the lowest average CBH and minimal diurnal changes during the study period. Conversely, the pre-monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter season show a gradual rise of CBH in the morning, maintaining higher levels until late afternoon, followed by a decline in the evening. Analysis of the diurnal frequency of cloud occurrence at 500 m intervals reveals the monsoon season’s dominance in the 500 m to 1000 m layer. Throughout the year, low cloud bases (CBH <2000 m) are most frequent, outpacing the frequency of mid and high cloud bases. High cloud base (7500 < CBH > 6000 m) is the least common, showing a semi-diurnal pattern in winter with peaks around noon and midnight. These findings not only enhance our understanding of Pune’s atmospheric behaviour but also offer valuable information for weather prediction, climate modelling, and environmental monitoring.

Measuring nocturnal near-surface urban heat island intensity in the small, mid-latitude city of Inverness, Scotland

ABSTRACT Few publications have considered the urban heat island (UHI) effect in small settlements. This paper, therefore, presents the findings of a UHI study conducted in the small, mid-latitude city of Inverness, Scotland (population: 63,220). The study aimed to provide an initial appraisal of the scale of UHI phenomena in Inverness and to understand the factors associated with its presence. Mobile vehicular traverses of a study transect were conducted on 30 dates during June, July & August 2019. Measurements of near-surface air temperature were recorded at 19 local climate zone observation points between 20:00 and 23:00 BST. Daily mean UHI intensity (UHII) during the study ranged from 0.7 to 3.5°C, with an overall mean UHII of 1.6°C. Land use characteristics impacted the UHII, with areas with higher fractions of impervious surface cover returning significantly higher air temperatures. UHII increased with the onset of sunset, and the highest UHII occurred on dates with up to 1–2 oktas of cloud cover, low relative humidity, and high cloud base height. The results align with previous studies and comparisons are drawn between Inverness and other settlements globally. Further research in Inverness is recommended to better understand UHI effects and influence national planning policy.

Lightning Prediction Using Electric Field Measurements Associated with Convective Events at a Tropical Location

Nowcasting of lightning occurrences is essential in tropical locations as lightening causes severe damage to life and property. This study attempts to nowcast lightning events during convective phenomena using an electric field monitor (EFM) at a tropical urban location, Kolkata (22.65°N, 88.45°E). Before the onset of heavy lightning occurrences, definite changes in the atmospheric electric field (EF) are observed, which in turn are associated with high cloud liquid water content (LWC) and low cloud base height (CBH). A model has been proposed to nowcast lightning strikes within about 17.5 km radius of the present location based on the EF standard deviation (EFSD) values. The proposed technique is tested with the lightning data provided by a collocated lightning detector, which yields a prediction efficiency of ~ 0.91 (~ 0.86), a false alarm rate of ~ 0.23 (~ 0.18), and a critical success index of ~ 0.71 (~ 0.72) with an optimal range of other performance parameters during the monsoon (pre-monsoon) periods, thereby generating an alarm 45 min before lightning events.

Characteristics of Desert Precipitation in the UAE Derived from a Ceilometer Dataset

Understanding rainfall in arid and water-scarce regions is central to the efficient use of water resources in agriculture, irrigation, and domestic food security. This work presents a new dataset with which to study precipitation processes in arid regions, utilising two years (2018–2020) of ceilometer observations made at Al Ain International Airport in the desert region of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the annual rainfall is 76 mm. Ceilometer data provide a novel method by which to study both the evolution of water droplets from the cloud base down to the surface and the local circumstances required for rain to successfully reach the surface. In this work, we explore how successful precipitation depends on the initial size of the droplets and the thermodynamic profile below the cloud. For 64 of the 105 rain events, the droplet diameters ranged from 0.60 to 3.75 mm, with a mean of 1.84 mm. We find that smaller droplets, higher cloud bases, reduced cloud depths, and colder cloud bases all act to prevent successful precipitation, instead yielding virga (28 out of the 105 rain generating events). We identify how these multiple regional factors combine—specifically, we identify clouds deeper than 2.9 km, droplet diameters greater than 2 mm, and a midpoint below-cloud RH profile greater than 50%—to give successful rainfall, which may ultimately lead to more efficient rainfall enhancing measures, such as cloud seeding.

Dependence of Warm Season Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Polarity on Environmental Conditions over Sichuan, Southwest China

The effects of thermodynamic and moisture factors on cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning polarity in the warm season were discussed. Small convective available potential energy (CAPE) represents relatively shallow convection, which is beneficial to the generation of positive lightning. Large vertical wind shear results in the displacement of upper-level positive ice crystals and promotes the initiation of +CG lightning from positive ice crystals. The dry low- to midlevel troposphere and the high cloud base in the plateau region favor +CG lightning, while the strong thermodynamic conditions in the basin region offset the influence of these moisture factors. In the plateau region, due to the limited cloud thickness, high total column liquid water may mean high cloud water content in the warm cloud region rather than high liquid water content in the mixed-phase region, which is unfavorable for the middle-level positive graupel and thus is unfavorable for the initiation of +CG lightning. In the basin region, the cloud thickness is relatively thicker, the high total column liquid water means that the liquid water content in the warm cloud and the mixed-phase region is both high, which is conducive to the middle-level positive graupel and the +CG lightning.

Effects of shipping emissions on cloud physical properties over coastal areas near Shanghai

To investigate the effects of shipping aerosols on radiation, cloud physical properties, and near-surface PM2.5, four sensitive experiments with the WRF-Chem model were performed over coastal areas near Shanghai for July 2014. In general, the direct effect of shipping aerosols resulted in negative shortwave (SW) radiation forcing at the land surface. However, when considering the indirect effect, the downward SW radiation at the sea surface declined significantly. By the direct effect, shipping aerosols could modify cloud structure, resulting in a higher cloud base, lower cloud top, and shallower cloud depth. With the indirect effect included, both the cloud base and cloud top showed a declining trend over sea areas. The indirect effect of shipping aerosols was relatively more significant in influencing clouds. For example, the results revealed a 1.2% change of low cloud coverage from the indirect effect but only a 0.1% change due to the direct effect. Through their direct and indirect effects, shipping aerosols cause non-negligible impacts on precipitation, which are concentrated within light precipitation (<0.1 mm h−1). Finally, we concluded that after considering the shipping aerosols, the peak of the cloud droplet spectrum increases by about 50 cm−3/μm. It can be found that when the average volume radius of the cloud droplet is less than 2 μm, the number concentration of cloud droplets increases sharply, and when the average radius of the cloud drop is greater than 2 μm and less than 5 μm, the cloud droplet number concentration drops sharply.

Shallow Cumulus Representation and Its Interaction with Radiation and Surface at the Convection Gray Zone

Abstract This study presents a systematic analysis of convective parameterizations performance with interactive radiation, microphysics, and surface on an idealized day with shallow convection. To this end, we analyze a suite of mesoscale numerical experiments (i.e., with parameterized turbulence). In the first set, two different convection schemes represent shallow convection at a 9-km resolution. These experiments are then compared with model results omitting convective parameterizations at 9- and 3-km horizontal resolution (gray zone). Relevant in our approach is to compare the results against two simulations by different large-eddy simulation (LES) models. Results show that the mesoscale experiments, including the 3-km resolution, are unable to adequately represent the timing, intensity, height, and extension of the shallow cumulus field. The main differences with LES experiments are the following: a too late onset, too high cloud base, and a too early transport of moisture too high, overestimating the second cloud layer. Related to this, both convective parameterizations produce warm and dry biases of up to 2 K and 2 g kg−1, respectively, in the cloud layer. This misrepresentation of the cloud dynamics leads to overestimated shortwave radiation variability, both spacewise and timewise. Domain-averaged shortwave radiation at the surface, however, compares satisfactorily with LES. The shortwave direct and diffuse partition is misrepresented by the convective parameterizations with an underestimation (overestimation) of diffuse (direct) radiation both locally and, by a relative 40% (10%), of the domain average.

Comparison of SAFNWC/MSG Satellite Cloud Type with Vaisala CL51 Ceilometer-Detected Cloud Base Layer Using the Sky Condition Algorithm and Vaisala BL-View Software

Ceilometer detection can be used to determine cloud type based on cloud layer height. Satellite observations provide images of clouds’ physical properties. During the summer and winter of 2017, Satellite Application Facility on support to Nowcasting/Very Short-Range Forecasting Meteosat Second Generation (SAFNWC/MSG) cloud type was compared to cloud base layers based upon a sky condition algorithm of Vaisala CL51 ceilometer and the BL-View applied range-variant smoothing backscatter profile at the National Atmospheric Observatory in Košetice, Czech Republic. This study investigated whether the larger measurement range of CL51 improved high cloud base detection and the effect of the range-variant smoothing on cloud base detection. The comparison utilized a multi-category contingency table wherein hit rate, false alarm ratio, frequency of bias, and proportion correct were evaluated. The accuracy of low-level and high cloud type detection by satellite was almost identical in both seasons compared to that using the sky condition algorithm. The occurrence of satellite high cloud detection was greatest when the ceilometer detected high cloud base above low and/or medium cloud base. The hit rate of high cloud detection increased significantly when the BL-View-produced cloud base layer was applied as a reference. We conclude that BL-View produces more accurate high cloud base detection.

Post Cold Frontal Clouds at the ARM Eastern North Atlantic Site: An Examination of the Relationship Between Large‐Scale Environment and Low‐Level Cloud Properties

AbstractUsing cloud and environment observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program Eastern North Atlantic site and an automated cold front detection routine, cloud properties in post cold front (PCF) periods are examined and compared to similar conditions of subsidence (non‐PCF). PCF periods exhibit stronger subsidence and wind speed than non‐PCF periods, with weaker inversions and stronger surface temperature contrasts. Low‐level clouds are predominant and are found to have higher cloud base and top heights, colder cloud top temperature, and greater vertical extent and liquid water path during PCF than non‐PCF periods. The environmental metric that is best correlated with cloud boundaries for both PCF and non‐PCF periods is the difference in potential temperature between the sea surface and 800 hPa, a parameter used to locate cold air outbreak conditions. However, the cloud vertical extent and liquid water path are found to be better correlated with sea‐air temperature contrast, a parameter related to turbulent surface fluxes. The strength of the relationships between the cloud characteristics and these metrics does not differ for PCF and non‐PCF periods. However, the strength of the metrics differs between PCF and non‐PCF periods and can explain cloud property differences. The results suggest both the properties of the boundary layer and the presence of an upper‐level cyclone associated with the cold front determine PCF cloud properties.

Possible role of aerosols in the charge structure of isolated thunderstorms

The electric field and Maxwell current density measured below 32 small isolated thunderstorms over Pune (India) have been analyzed here. These data clearly show the presence of 10 out of 32 thunderstorms with inverted polarity charge structure. Values of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) on thunderstorm days taken from MODIS show that all the thunderstorms with inverted polarity occurred on days with significantly higher AOD compared to normal polarity thunderstorms. The peak flash rate did not show significant difference between normal polarity thunderstorms and inverted polarity thunderstorms. The dew point depression (DPD) during pre-monsoon thunderstorms shows good correlation with inverted polarity charge structure. Observations suggest that aerosol concentration plays an important role in the formation of inverted polarity charge structure in these thunderclouds. In presence of high aerosol concentration with adequate ice nuclei non-inductive charging mechanism can produce strong and wide spread positive charge region in the lower portion of cloud. However, observed good correlation of DPD with inverted polarity charge structure in the pre-monsoon period suggest that the effect of high cloud base height on inverted polarity charge structure as suggested by Williams et al. (2005) cannot be ruled out.

Environmental controls on storm intensity and charge structure in multiple regions of the continental United States

AbstractA database consisting of approximately 4000 storm observations has been objectively analyzed to determine environmental characteristics that produce high radar reflectivities above the freezing level, large total lightning flash rates on the order of 10 flashes per minute, and anomalous vertical charge structures (most notably, dominant midlevel positive charge). The storm database is drawn from four regions of the United States featuring distinct environments, each with coinciding Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) network data. LMAs are able to infer total lightning flash rates using flash clustering algorithms, such as the one implemented in this study. Results show that anomalous charge structures inferred from LMA data, significant lightning flash rates, and increased radar reflectivities above the freezing level tend to be associated with environments that have high cloud base heights (approximately 3 km above ground level) and large atmospheric instability, quantified by normalized convective available potential energy (NCAPE) near 0.2 m s−2. Additionally, we infer that aerosols may affect storm intensity. Maximum flash rates were observed in storms with attributed aerosol concentrations near 1000 cm−3, while total flash rates decrease when aerosol concentrations exceed 1500 cm−3, consistent with previous studies. However, this effect is more pronounced in regions where the NCAPE and cloud base height are low. The dearth of storms with estimated aerosol concentrations less than 700 cm−3 (approximately 1% of total sample) does not provide a complete depiction of aerosol invigoration.

On the response of hailstorms to enhanced CCN concentrations

In this study we explore the role that cloud base height (or cloud base temperature) plays in the response of hailstorms to increased concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). A rather large number of cloud-resolving simulations were performed which explored the parameter space varying both potential CCN concentration and cloud base heights, using a microphysical scheme that predicts 3-moments of the hail size distribution. Several simulated quantities exhibited distinct responses to enhanced CCN concentrations depending on the cloud base altitudes. For instance, positive changes prevailed in the number concentration and the predominant diameter of hailstones on the surface, the integral mass of hail precipitation and the peak rates for high cloud base heights or a deeper layer between cloud base and the freezing level. Conversely, weak effects prevailed for numerical experiments initialized with lower cloud bases.

Epiphyte response to drought and experimental warming

The high diversity and abundance of vascular epiphytes in tropical montane cloud forest is associated with frequent cloud immersion, which is thought to protect plants from drought stress. Increasing temperature and rising cloud bases associated with climate change may increase epiphyte drought stress, leading to species and biomass loss. We tested the hypothesis that warmer and drier conditions associated with a lifting cloud base will lead to increased mortality and/or decreased recruitment of epiphyte ramets, altering species composition in epiphyte mats. By using a reciprocal transplant design, where epiphyte mats were transplanted across an altitudinal gradient of increasing cloud immersion, we differentiated between the effects of warmer and drier conditions from the more general prediction of niche theory that transplanting epiphytes in any direction away from their home elevation should result in reduced performance. Ramet mortality increased, recruitment decreased, and population size declined for epiphytes in mats transplanted down slope from the highest elevation, into warmer and drier conditions, but epiphytes from lower elevations showed greater resistance to drought in all treatments. Epiphyte community composition changed with elevation, but over the timescale of the experiment there were no consistent changes in species composition. Our results suggest some epiphytes may show resistance to climate change depending on the environmental context, although if climate change results in consistently drier conditions and higher cloud bases, biomass loss and shifting species composition in epiphyte communities is likely.

The impact of a non-uniform land surface on the radiation environment over an Arctic fjord – a study with a 3D radiative transfer model for stratus clouds over the Hornsund fjord Spitsbergen

This paper estimates the influence of land topography and cover on 3D radiative effects under overcast skies in the Arctic coastal environment, in particular in the Hornsund fjord region, Spitsbergen. The authors focus on the impact of a non-uniform surface on: (1) the spatial distribution of solar fluxes reaching the fjord surface, (2) spectral shortwave cloud radiative forcing at the fjord surface, (3) the solar flux anomaly at the domain surface resulting from the assumption of a uniform surface, i.e. the error due to plane parallel assumptions in climate models, and (4) remote sensing of cloud optical thickness over the fjord. Their dependence on spectral channel, cloud optical thickness, cloud type, cloud base height, surface albedo and solar zenith angle is discussed. The analysis is based on Monte Carlo simulations of solar radiation transfer over a heterogeneous surface for selected channels of the MODIS radiometer. The simulations showed a considerable impact of the land surrounding the fjord on the solar radiation over the fjord. The biggest differences between atmospheric transmittances over the fjord surface and over the ocean were found for a cloud optical thickness τ=12, low solar zenith angle ϑ, high cloud base and snow-covered land. For τ=12, ϑ=53°, cloud base height 1.8km and wavelength λ=469nm, the enhancement in irradiance transmittance over the fjord was 0.19 for the inner fjords and 0.10 for the whole fjord (λ=469nm). The land surrounding the Hornsund fjord also had a considerable impact on the spectral cloud radiative forcing on the fjord surface and the solar flux anomaly at the domain surface due to the uniform surface assumption. For the mouth and central part of the fjord the error due to the use of channel 2 of the MODIS radiometer (λ=858nm) for cloud optical thickness retrieval was <1 in the case of low-level clouds (cloud base height 1km, nadir radiance, ϑ=53°, cloud optical thickness retrieved solely from MODIS channel 2). However, near the shoreline (up to 2km from it), especially over the inner fjords, the cloud optical thickness was then overestimated by>3 for τ=5 and by>5 for τ=20.

Cloud-Resolving Simulation of Low-Cloud Feedback to an Increase in Sea Surface Temperature

Abstract This study investigates the physical mechanisms of the low cloud feedback through cloud-resolving simulations of cloud-radiative equilibrium response to an increase in sea surface temperature (SST). Six pairs of perturbed and control simulations are performed to represent different regimes of low clouds in the subtropical region by specifying SST differences (ΔSST) in the range of 4 and 14 K between the warm tropical and cool subtropical regions. The SST is uniformly increased by 2 K in the perturbed set of simulations. Equilibrium states are characterized by cumulus and stratocumulus cloud regimes with variable thicknesses and vertical extents for the range of specified ΔSSTs, with the perturbed set of simulations having higher cloud bases and tops and larger geometric thicknesses. The cloud feedback effect is negative for this ΔSST range (−0.68 to −5.22 W m−2 K−1) while the clear-sky feedback effect is mostly negative (−1.45 to 0.35 W m−2 K−1). The clear-sky feedback effect contributes greatly to the climate sensitivity parameter for the cumulus cloud regime whereas the cloud feedback effect dominates for the stratocumulus regime. The increase of liquid water path (LWP) and cloud optical depth is related to the increase of cloud thickness and liquid water content with SST. The rates of change in surface latent heat flux are much higher than those of saturation water vapor pressure in the cumulus simulations. The increase in surface latent heat flux is the primary mechanism for the large change of cloud physical properties with +2 K SST, which leads to the negative cloud feedback effects. The changes in cloud fraction also contribute to the negative cloud feedback effects in the cumulus regime. Comparison of these results with prior modeling studies is also discussed.

Evaluation of a new lightning-produced NO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;x&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; parameterization for cloud resolving models and its associated uncertainties

Abstract. A new parameterization of the lightning-produced NOx has been developed for cloud-resolving models. This parameterization is based on the unique characteristics of identifying which convective cells are capable of producing lightning based on a vertical velocity threshold and estimating the lightning flash rate in each convective cell from the non-precipitation and precipitation ice mass flux product. Further, the source location is filamentary instead of volumetric as in most previous parameterizations. This parameterization has been tested on the 10 July 1996 Stratospheric-Tropospheric Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols and Ozone (STERAO) storm. Comparisons of the simulated flash rate and NO mixing ratio (control experiment) with observations at different locations and stages of the storm show good agreement. An individual flash produces on average 121±41 moles of NO (7.3±2.5×1025 molecules NO) for the simulated high cloud base, high shear storm that is dominated by intra-cloud flash activity. Sensitivity tests have been performed to study the impact of the flash rate, the cloud-to-ground flash ratio, the flash length, the spatial distribution of the NO molecules, and the production rate per flash on the NO concentration and distribution. Results show a strong impact from the flash rate, the spatial placement of the lightning-NOx source and the number of moles produced per flash. On the other hand, the simulations show almost no impact from the different cloud-to-ground (CG) ratios and the lightning-NOx production rates per CG flash used as input to the model.

Cloud climatology at the Southern Great Plains and the layer structure, drizzle, and atmospheric modes of continental stratus

Long‐term (6.5 years) cloud observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) program Southern Great Plains (SGP) climate research facility in Oklahoma are used to develop detailed cloud climatology. Clouds are classified with respect to their altitude (low, middle, and high), vertical development, and the presence of multilayer clouds. Single‐layered cirrus, middle or low clouds were observed a total of 23% of the time the MilliMeter Cloud Radar (MMCR) was operating, and multilayer clouds were observed 20.5% of the time. Boundary layer clouds exhibit the strongest seasonal variability because of continental stratus associated with midlatitude frontal systems. Cirrus clouds are the most frequently observed cloud type and exhibit strong seasonal variability in cloud base height (higher cloud base during the summer months) and relatively constant cloud fraction. The majority of middle‐level clouds are shallow with vertical extent less than 1 km. No strong seasonal cycle in the fractional coverage of multilayer clouds is observed. Continental stratus clouds exhibit strong seasonal variability with maximum occurrence during the cold seasons. Nondrizzling stratus clouds exhibit a bimodal seasonal variability with maximum occurrences in the fall and spring, while drizzling stratus occur most frequently in the winter. Thermodynamic and dynamic variables from soundings and the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Model (ECMWF) analyses at the SGP site illustrate an interesting coupling between strong large‐scale forcing and the formation of single‐layered (no other cloud layer is present) continental stratus clouds. Single‐layered stratus clouds (drizzling and nondrizzling) exhibit a strong correlation with positive ω at 500 mbar and strong northerly flow.

Cloud‐to‐ground lightning downwind of the 2002 Hayman forest fire in Colorado

The Hayman forest fire occurred near Denver, burning ∼138,000 acres during 8 June–2 July 2002. It produced aerosol that filled the troposphere over Colorado, allowing an investigation of the effects of increased aerosol concentration on cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning polarity. Compared to climatological values over eastern Colorado, the 2002 fire period showed enhancements in satellite‐derived aerosol optical depth (AOD; up to 0.4 units greater), and the percentage of +CG lightning more than doubled in the domain average. However, spatial patterns were different in the fire's vicinity, with increases in AOD but not in +CGs. Denver soundings during the fire were compared to climatology, and showed environmental differences that are associated with increased +CG percentage, in particular higher cloud base and reduced warm‐cloud depth. Thus, our findings provide only mixed support for the idea that smoke aerosols impact CG polarity, and suggest a possible link between drought conditions and increased +CG percentage.

Comparing continental and oceanic cloud susceptibilities to aerosols

A common practice in remote sensing studies of the aerosol indirect effect is to consider the correlation between the droplet effective radius and the aerosol index. However, this correlation is not unique as the relationship depends also on the liquid water path. Moreover, it differs for oceanic and continental clouds because clouds over land generally have higher cloud bases, are thinner and have a higher average cloud droplet number concentration for a given aerosol index than marine clouds. Only when using aerosol number concentration at cloud base instead of aerosol index and using an effective radius representative for the whole cloud rather than just at cloud top, do the defined susceptibilities of oceanic and continental clouds obtained from ECHAM4 climate model simulations agree within the standard errors. This has important consequences for properly interpreting the magnitude of the anthropogenic indirect aerosol effect on climate.

Direct Surface Thermodynamic Observations within the Rear-Flank Downdrafts of Nontornadic and Tornadic Supercells

Despite the long-surmised importance of the hook echo and rear-flank downdraft (RFD) in tornadogenesis, only a paucity of direct observations have been obtained at the surface within hook echoes and RFDs. In this paper, in situ surface observations within hook echoes and RFDs are analyzed. These “mobile mesonet” data have unprecedented horizontal spatial resolution and were obtained from the Verifications of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX) and additional field experiments conducted since the conclusion of VORTEX. The surface thermodynamic characteristics of hook echoes and RFDs associated with tornadic and nontornadic supercells are investigated to address whether certain types of hook echoes and RFDs are favorable (or unfavorable) for tornadogenesis. Tornadogenesis is more likely and tornado intensity and longevity increase as the surface buoyancy, potential buoyancy (as measured by the convective available potential energy), and equivalent potential temperature in the RFD increase, and as the convective inhibition associated with RFD parcels at the surface decreases. It is hypothesized that evaporative cooling and entrainment of midlevel potentially cold air may play smaller roles in the development of RFDs associated with tornadic supercells compared to nontornadic supercells. Furthermore, baroclinity at the surface within the hook echo is not a necessary condition for tornadogenesis. It also will be shown that environments characterized by high boundary layer relative humidity (and low cloud base) may be more conducive to RFDs associated with relatively high buoyancy than environments characterized by low boundary layer relative humidity (and high cloud base).