Understanding

Severe Storms

National Weather Service Shreveport

Working Together to Save Lives
 Topics

• Global Circulations
•Thunderstorm Ingredients
• Lightning
• Hail
• Tornadoes and Downbursts
• Flooding
Global Circulations
Jet Stream
Thunderstorm
Ingredients
 Thunderstorm Ingredients
Moisture - Preferably in the lower or
mid levels of the atmosphere

Upper level jet stream can carry

pockets of cold air aloft over
moist air, increasing lift and
instability

Low level warm and moist air

from the Gulf of
 Thunderstorm Ingredients
Source of lift – Agent which lifts the warm,
moist air starting the thunderstorm
Another Source of Lift
 Thunderstorm Ingredients
Instability – Ability for air to accelerate
upward/downward when started up/down
 Thunderstorm Life Cycle

Cumulus Stage Mature Stage Dissipating Stage

Multicell Thunderstorm
 Squall Lines
motion

(Cross section)
 Supercell Thunderstorms 
N

downdraft
Tornado
 Shear vs. Rotation

Shear Rotation
Lightning
Lightning
Lightning Formation
Thunder
Hail
Weather Related Hazards
Hail

Baseball size hail can

do severe damage
Hail Formation
Tornadoes and
Downburst
 Tornadoes
Fujita Scale
F0-F1
Winds 60 - 115 mph

F4-F5
Winds > 205 mph

F2-F3
Winds 115 - 205 mph
 Damaging Wind

•Cold air ‘bursts’ down from cloud

• Spreads on ground contact

• Accelerates on outwash

• Can reach 150 mph

• Tornado-like damage
Downbursts and Aircraft
Flooding
 Weather Related Hazards
Flash Flooding Safety Tips

 Do not drive across a flooded

roadway or low water crossing
If your vehicle stalls in high water,
leave it and seek higher ground
Be especially careful at night
when it is harder to recognize
the dangers of flash flooding
 Acknowledgments

• Jetstream website – Southern Region Headquarters ,

National Weather Service

www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream
 The End

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