The potential roles of preexisting airmass boundaries on a tornadic supercell observed by TORUS on 28 May 2019

Abstract

Abstract On 28 May 2019, a tornadic supercell, observed as part of TORUS (Targeted Observation by UAS and Radars of Supercells) produced an EF-2 tornado near Tipton, KS. The supercell was observed to interact with multiple preexisting airmass boundaries. These boundaries and attendant air masses were examined using unoccupied aircraft system (UAS), mobile mesonets, radiosondes, and dual-Doppler analyses derived from TORUS mobile radars. The cool side air mass of one of these boundaries was found to have higher equivalent potential temperature and backed winds relative to the warm side air mass; features associated with MAHTEs (mesoscale air masses with high theta-E). It is hypothesized that these characteristics may have facilitated tornadogenesis. The two additional boundaries were produced by a nearby supercell and appeared to weaken the tornadic supercell. This work represents the first time that UAS have been used to examine the impact of preexisting airmass boundaries on a supercell, and it provides insights into the influence environmental heterogeneities can have on the evolution of a supercell.