Surface boundaries are the basic storm chase target.
In this video, we discuss the different boundaries you can target for storms while out chasing.
There are numerous boundary types to keep in mind from dry lines to warm fronts to cold fronts to outflow boundaries and more.
We’ll talk about the different surface boundaries and what they mean in this video. We dive into each deeper and how to target more effectively for them in other videos!
Why Surface Boundaries?
Surface based storms need lift at the surface to form. Thus, you need a boundary based at the surface to generate some of the initial lift to create storm clouds.
However, the presence of a surface boundary is not a guarantee storms will form. Typically storms will also need lift in the mid and upper atmosphere to form and sustain themselves.
But, nine times out of ten you will target surface boundaries for storm formation. In fact, it is quite rare that you are not targeting some sort of a boundary on a storm chase day.
Be sure to check out each individual lesson to learn more about each type of boundary you can target.
Really glad these videos are back up and I’m looking forward to new ones! These videos and Skip Talbot’s got me started taking chasing seriously a couple years back and now I’m doing freelance work!
This is so great to hear! We think Skip is incredible too!
If you can get storm motions than the cold front is moving, then those storms don’t sit on the boundary and cluster into mcs. If they can fire from the cold front and quickly get off the boundary and into the warm sector out in front, so long as the shear vectors above the surface are across the boundary and of course that effective srh is there, then you can still get that “magic” But yes obviously the dry line is best. We’d all prefer weaker lift and low CIN or a little more CIN if the storm motion isn’t much quicker than the cold front. It’s all about that discrete!!
I have seen weird stuff with surface based and elevated thunderstorms. Elevated thunderstorm winds do not reach the surface usually. I have seen an increase in east gradient winds with elevated storms, remain the same, decrease or go calm. I have no idea why that happens since downdrafts are not reaching the surface. .