Severe WX Indices

[Mikel Shively]

I didnt really know where to put this topic, so I put it here, if its in the wrong board, please forgive me. Anyway, does anyone know where I can find and bookmark up to date severe weather indicies such as K Index, Lifted Index, Showalter, SWEAT, all the different CAPES, cross totals, total totals, and the bulk richardson? If you know of one website in which all of these were on them that would be great, however multiple websites would work too, as long as they get me the information I need. Thanks!

[Jeff Snyder]

A quick Google search turned up numerous sites, though the following sites and publications will provide for some good reading:


NWSFO LSX (Saint Louis) Convective Indices (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/science/CONVECTIVE%20INDICES.htm)

NWS Louisville: Convective Parameters and Indices (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/soo/docu/indices.htm)

Ohio State Severe Weather Products (http://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu/severe.html)

Guide to Thunderstorm Stability Indices (http://weather.wpafb.af.mil/main/forecast-tools/indices.html)

Explanation of SPC Severe Weather Parameters (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/help/sfcoa.html)


Rasmussen, E. N., and D. O. Blanchard, 1998: A baseline climatology of sounding-derived supercell and tornado forecast parameters. Wea. Forecasting, 13, 1148-1164. (http://www.atmos.millersville.edu/~jscala/ESCI442/rasmussenblanchard98.pdf)

A Baseline Climatology of Sounding Derived Parameters Associated with Deep, Moist Convection (Craven, Brooks, and Hart, 2003) (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/craven/baseclim.pdf)

Davies, J.M, 2002: On low-level thermodynamic parameters associated with tornadic and nontornadic supercells. Preprints, 21st Conf. on Severe Local Storms, San Antonio, TX , AMS , 603-606. (http://members.cox.net/jondavies1/LLthermo.PDF)

Estimations of CIN and LFC Associated with Tornadic and Nontornadic Supercells (Jon Davies) (http://members.cox.net/jdavies1/waf796/waf796.htm)

There are also many other good publications that deal with indices, though you (or your institution) needs to have an AMS online publication login...

Thompson, R.L., and R. Edwards, 2000a: A comparison of Rapid Update Cycle 2 (RUC-2) model soundings with observed soundings in supercell environments. Preprints, 20th Conf. Severe Local Storms, Orlando, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Thompson, R. L., R. Edwards, and J. A. Hart, 2002: An assessment of supercell and tornado forecast parameters with RUC-2 model close proximity soundings. Preprints, 21st Conf. on Severe Local Storms, San Antonio, TX, AMS, 595-598.

[Mikel Shively]

Thanks for the Information, I found it very useful, and I hope that other users of ST find it just as much so.

[Andrew Revering]

Another shameless plug... you can find all of those indices you mentioned at www.f5data.com