Atmospheric Sciences 5700 Mesoscale and Radar Meteorology

Atmospheric Sciences 5700
Mesoscale and Radar Meteorology

	Spring Semester 2025 (3 credits)
	Tu Th 12:25 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. (lecture)
	WBB 820

	Prof. Steven K. Krueger
	WBB 725
	801-581-3903
	Steve.Krueger@utah.edu
	Office Hours: Th 2:30-3:30 pm or by appointment

Syllabus (updated for 2025)
Survey

Diagram of the flow within a supercell thunderstorm

Exams

Midterm Exam: Tuesday, April 1
Final Exam: Monday, April 28, 2025, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm (may be adjusted)
Study guide for midterm

In-class activities: (TBD)

Recorded Lectures: Will be announced in CANVAS

Lectures (Tentative schedule)

1. Introduction to Mesoscale Meteorology

Alabama tornadoes, March 2019

2. Meteorological Measurements: Radar

Dual-polarization radar

3. Lake Effect Snow Great Salt Lake-Effect Precipitation

Lake-Effect Convection as Observed by Profiling Radars

4. & 5. Convective Storms 1
6. & 7. Convective Storms 2
8. Tornadoes 1
9. & 10. Tornadoes 2
A New Pathway for Tornadogenesis
Tornado Intensity and Pretornadic Mesocyclone Characteristics
11 & 12. Downbursts and Sting Jets
12. Hail
13. Mountain Waves and Downslope Windstorms

Special Topics

Assignments (dates updated for 2025 and may be adjusted)

Exercise 1: Parcel buoyancy and the skew-T log p diagram. Due Thursday, Jan 16.
Exercise 1.5: Lake effect snow: Tom Gowan defense. Due Friday, Feb 7 by 11:59 pm.
Exercise 2: Principles of Convection: Hodographs, Shear and Convective Storms Problem 1: Due Thursday, Feb 13 by noon, Problem 2: Due Tuesday, Feb 18 by noon .
Exercise 3: Severe Convection: Mesoscale Convective Systems Due Thursday, Feb 27.
Exercise 4: Severe weather parameters. Due Friday, Mar 21.
Exercise 5: More on severe weather parameters: Tuesday, Mar 25 or Thursday, Mar 27 or (in-class presentations)
Report topic: Due Thursday, Apr 10
Exercise 6: Numerical integration of the parcel model. Due Thursday, Apr 17. Matlab program. Python program. Plots for problem 1(a).
Report: Presentations to class on Apr 17 and 22; written report due Apr 29.

Notes

Thermodynamics Notes
Precipitation rate
Microburst downdrafts
Microburst 2008 Aug 25: Sounding Surface observations Time-lapse movie
Convective Outlooks and Verifications for March 4, 2025

Skew T-log p diagram

Forecasting Convection

Sounding Station Parameters and Indices (essential definitions)
Convective Parameters and Indices (very useful)
Buoyancy and CAPE (MetEd training module)
A Convective Storm Matrix: Buoyancy/Shear Dependencies (MetEd training module)
Detailed forecaster guide, 33 pages
Climate and Weather Terms Glossary (useful)
Glossary of Meteorology
Fort Worth soundings May 2004
Cumulus levels and types
CAPE and levels on skew T

References

MATLAB Online References

Last updated Mar 27, 2025