he three-body scatter spike (TBSS), an artifact caused by radar microwave scattering associated with large hydrometeors, traditionally has been utilized in the National Weather Service as operational indicator of destructive hail. Severe weather warning strategies based on TBSS were derived using a lower-bound reflectivity threshold 5 dBZ. With recent WSR-88D workstation software and product up...

This is a two-part study that addresses the kinematic, microphysical, and electrical aspects of a severe storm that occurred in western Kansas on 29 June 2000 observed during the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) field campaign. In this first part, polarimetric and Doppler radar data are used along with a simple particle growth model to examine the evolution of...

This second part of a two-part study examines the lightning and charge structure evolution of the 29 June 2000 tornadic supercell observed during the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS). Data from the National Lightning Detection Network and the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) are used to quantify the total and cloud-toground (CG) flash rates. Addit...

Bulk microphysical parameterizations that represent mixed-phase processes divide particles into categories such as snow and graupel or hail. The distinction between these is in the primary habit of the particles, where snow is assumed to be unrimed ice crystals or aggregates of crystals that have predominantly grown by deposition of ice, while graupel and hail have grown mostly by collection of...