VORTEX 2 (Version 3.0) VORTEX2 domain multiple ground bases Approved for 2009-10

Sioux City www.vortex2.org for updates

Boulder NCAR Steering committee: CSWR Hays

Howie Bluestein, OU Don Burgess, CIMMS Norman NSSL David Dowell, NCAR OU Paul Markowski, PSU Lub b o c k Erik Rasmussen, CIMMS Yvette Richardson, PSU Lou Wicker, NSSL , CSWR Rapid-Scan DOW SMART-Radar

UAV DOW NOXP (XPOL)

W-Band Fig. 3.2 RECUV UAV being readied for flight.

A variety of instruments, focusing on mesoscale observations, radar, and direct T, RH, wind

(others likely to be proposed too) Probes Sticknet

DOWs Mesonets Tethered pre-storm

Tethered Phase, in OK K

V

N 4/1-5/10 X

KT Takes advantage of LX stationary assets like the Norman Phased-Array 0 25 km CASA, etc. N K O U (fixed radars not shown in order to improve clarity)

K

F WSR-88D dual- NWRT-PAR CASA mobile radar D coverage polarimetric coverage at X-band radar coverage at stick net R at 1 km AGL WSR-88D 1 km AGL coverage at 250 m AGL Oklahoma coverage 250 m AGL Studies larger mesoscale at 1 km AGL TDWR fixed site mobile Texas coverage at Oklahoma Ft. Cobb Little Washita rawinsonde rawinsonde 250 m AGL mesonet ARS micronet ARS micronet 0 50 100 km site

ASOS wind profiler mobile mesonet UAV Cell merger

precipitation gust front

K forward flank region V

N X

anvil edge KT LX

precipitation gust front

0 5km K O U N (radars not shown in order to improve clarity)

K

F WSR-88D dual- NWRT-PAR CASA mobile radar D coverage polarimetric coverage at X-band radar coverage at stick net at 1 km AGL WSR-88D 1 km AGL coverage at R 250 m AGL Oklahoma coverage 250 m AGL at 1 km AGL TDWR fixed site mobile Texas coverage at Oklahoma Ft. Cobb Little Washita rawinsonde rawinsonde 250 m AGL mesonet ARS micronet ARS micronet 0 50 100 km site

ASOS -90

Fully Mobile Phase -105 -100 -95 45 5/11-6/30 45

Roams the Plains SUX

40 BOU Studies individual and tornadoes 40 HYS

NSSL Idealized 35 Tethered mobile mobile in-situ stick net UAV photography 35 mesonet rawinsonde LBB Phase tornadogenesis

C X P R

C-band mobile X-band mobile X-band mobile Rapid-scan strategy Doppler Doppler dual-polarization X-band Doppler Doppler C

PHASE B DOMAIN 30 MAINTENANCE SITE 30

-100 -95

UAV flight track X

R P

X UAV flight track C in storm environment Typical VORTEX2 Experiments

anvil edge Young Storm target storm storm motion

M P storm motion

target storm merging cell

M M anvil edge S storm motion M S S mesoscale boundary S C Merger

Figure 4.1b. Example of a deployment for observing a storm merger. Most of the platforms not shown are collecting data at other scales or from positions outside of this diagram.

S R Dropsonde Storm surveillance Rapid-scan tornado in aircraft Doppler Doppler situ sensors

rapidly-deployed sensor net M T

ELDORA Mesocyclone Tornado finescale targeted mobile studies Doppler Doppler soundings M

mesocyclone photography P Mesocyclone R UAV Dual-polarization mobile mesonet dropsonde Doppler DPC

Figure 4.1a. Upper panel: example of a deployment for sampling of storm/environment interactions. Lower panel: Legend for observing system categories shown in the deployments of Figures 4.1-4.5. storm motion P

RFD gust front M S

Figure 4.3. Example of a deployment near a mesocyclone. All of the platforms not shown are collecting data at other scales or from positions outside of this diagram. A Busy VORTEX2 Afternoon (Radars only: ~30 other vehicles not shown)

Mesocyclone Developing Hook Forming Tornadogenesis

anvil edge

M M target storm mesocyclone

storm motion R R T tornado M main updraft T inflow region M M

storm motion storm motion R P P P M T S S S S S S

Figure 4.6. Time 1. Figure 4.7. Time 2. Figure 4.8. Time 3.

Mature Tornado Cyclic Tornadogenesis Storm Dissipation, New Storm Forming

ordinary thunderstorm

storm motion

M M T remnant vortex M R tornado R T M T P S R M M P S potential supercell storm motion storm motion

P

S S S S

Figure 4.9. Time 4. Figure 4.10. Time 5. Figure 4.11. Time 6.