What exactly is a supercell thunderstorm?

Question

What exactly is a supercell thunderstorm?

Answer 1

Hi Steve ,

Supercell thunderstorms are the largest, most severe class of single cell thunderstorm. They are large, rotating masses that can last for many hours. Supercells can evolve from a regular thunderstorm, or can be generated independently. Supercells usually produce copious amounts of hail, torrential rainfall, strong winds, substantial downdrafts, and can sometimes produce tornadoes.

They are primarily caused by low pressure, and warm humid air that is below a colder upper layer. The warm air rises and the cold air descends, creating powerful convection currents. This convection drives the storm and generates a mesocyclone, which can cause tornadoes.

Supercells are usually seen in the Midwestern United States, but they can occur anywhere.



Good luck and stay out of the way.

Answer 2

Technically, a supercell thunderstorm is a thunderstorm that has a rotating updraft.  All convection contains updrafts, at least at the beginning of the cloud growth.  But sometimes as the updraft rises, it encounters an environment where the wind changes in both speed and direction.  This in some cases can cause the updraft to essentially rise in a corkscrew fashion.  This type of storm is more likely to produce severe weather, such as very large hail and possibly tornadoes.    

Answer 3

Super cells are thunderstorms of long duration and are most likely to spawn tornadoes.  See link for more.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/wwhlpr...

Answer 4

Supercell thunderstorms are long-lived thunderstorms which exhibit quasi-steady structure including a rotating updraft.In these cells,updrafts rotate and are tilted with height due to change in wind direction and speed with altitude.Heavy winds,large hail and heavy rainfall are produced by these cells.Sometimes tornadoes also are produced .Infact,some of the strongest and longest-lived tornados are caused by these supercells only.