Convective Precipitation Invigoration Along Winter-time Boundary (credit: Meteorologist Stu Ostro)

Watch as new radar echoes appear right along the boundary as shallow colder air pushes south and warm moist unstable air moving north encounters it #front #lift #meteorology pic.twitter.com/px1CV8LtG6

— Stu Ostro (@StuOstro) February 21, 2018

DISCUSSION: Just three days ago, there was a very impressive convective weather event observed across parts of central, southern, and southeastern Texas.  This interesting convective weather event was best characterized by convective storms being generated along an elongated southward-moving boundary through central and southern Texas.  Attached above is a great perspective of this event (courtesy of Meteorologist Stu Ostro from The Weather Channel) which clearly shows how as the boundary associated with a larger-scale cold front moved southward over a relatively short period of time.  During that relatively short period of southward movement, this boundary which was separating the shallow, colder air mass from the warm, moist air mass created quite a pronounced air mass contrast regime.  This sharp contrast helped to generated a scenario wherein there was enhanced lifting of warmer air parcels positioned out ahead of the approaching boundary associated with the larger-scale cold front.

As a result of said warmer air parcels being lifted in accordance with the swiftly-approaching boundary, this forced a relatively rapid destabilization of the warmer air parcels.  This rapid destabilization consequently facilitated the condensation of clouds and storm cells along the rounded (i.e., circular-shaped) southward-moving boundary which induced locally heavy downpours in association with those single-cell and clustered storms which formed.  It goes without saying that even with these relatively brief convective storm cells, there can still be fairly prolific rainfall totals unleashed on towns and cities in the path of these convective cells.  Therefore, if and when you are in the path of a convective storm forecast zone, be sure to take the forecast seriously and monitor real-time changes to the forecast as a given day moves along since convective storm expectations can change quickly.

To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across North America, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz