VORTEX is the acronym for a set of scientific field observation programs focusing on the life cycles of tornadoes. In the past, the VORTEX programs have focused on tornadoes in the central US in what is considered the traditional “Tornado Alley”. Now, the next VORTEX program is coming to the Southeast, where tornadoes also occur frequently and can be difficult to spot due to high precipitation in the storms and undulating topography instead of the flatter areas of the Great Plains. The planning meeting for VORTEX-SE was held in Huntsville AL on November 9-11 to determine how to run the observation phase of the project.
The first field observing campaign of VORTEX-SE will be held during March and April 2016. The current concept is to operate during 4-5 periods of several days each, observing the growth of instability and shear in the atmosphere and the eventual thunderstorm activity, with any associated tornadoes, accompanying the passage of large-scale weather systems. The focus in this campaign will be on the boundary layer evolution during these events. If funding is available, a second season of observations will occur in 2017.
You can read more about the program at https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/vortexse/.
