Ten Storm Chasing Terms

Dryline

• A boundary that separates moist and dry air masses
• Typically lies north to south
• Brings drop in humidity, clear skies and a shift in wind
• Can fuel severe storms capable of tornadoes

Updraft

• A small-scale current of warm air rising to the top of a storm

Supercell

• A thunderstorm with a persistent updraft
• Can last for hours
• Supercell tornadoes are the most violent and can cause the most damage

Wedge

• A tornado that looks wider than the distance from the ground to the cloud base

Funnel Cloud

• A rotating column of air that does not touch the ground

Multiple Vortices

• A tornado with two or more funnels or debris clouds
• Often rotates about a common center or each other
• Often more destructive than a single tornado

Mesocyclone

• A region of rotation typically 2 to 6 miles in diameter
• Often found on eastern flank of a supercell
• Covers an area much larger than an actual tornado

Bear's Cage

• A region of rotation in a thunderstorm wrapped in heavy precipitation
• Term reflects the danger in the close range proximity one must be in to see the ‘cage’

Striated Storm/Barber Pole

• A thunderstorm updraft with visible cloud striations
• Resembles a barber pole

Overshooting Top

• A dome-like protrusion above a thunderstorm
• Signals higher potential for severe weather