71:
118:
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20:
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125:
The strong updrafts delineated by overshooting tops can act as a barrier against the surrounding flow of air. Fast stratospheric winds may rise slightly upon encountering overshooting tops, cooling and producing a turbulent wake of cooler temperatures downstream of the updraft. This interaction also
169:
Many thunderstorms exhibit an overshooting top at some point in their life cycle. In weaker thunderstorms, the overshooting top is short-lived, and often takes on a wispy appearance. If the overshooting top is rising and falling in a cyclical fashion with each protrusion persisting only a few
185:, the overshooting top may roll or fold over as new activity climbs up the back while the front of the overshooting top collapses into the storm. During a long-track tornado, the entire top of the storm, including the overshooting top, may drop by thousands of feet.
144:
found that 73 percent of significant severe weather reports in the United States were associated with storms producing AACPs and that AACPs emerged an average of 31 minutes before the issuance of
90:. Rather than continuing to rise into the stratosphere, the vertical cloud growth abruptly stops, and instead clouds spread horizontally, forming an "anvil" shape on top of the thunderstorm.
673:
74:
Overshooting top of a cumulonimbus viewed from a plane crossing the
Democratic Republic of Congo. Airliners typically fly at an altitude ranging from 10 km to 13 km, at the tropopause.
138:. Termed above-anvil cirrus plumes (AACP), the emergence of such features on satellite imagery have been associated with severe weather events. A 2018 study published in
346:
378:
Chance Hayes, National
Weather Service Wichita, Kansas. "Storm Fury on the Plains." Storm Spotter Training. 4H Building, Salina, Kansas. 22 Feb. 2010. Lecture.
173:
An overshooting top lasting for more than 10 minutes is a sign of a strong updraft in a thunderstorm, indicating a strong likelihood the storm is producing
451:
146:
130:
emanating from the updraft region, though this is most evident in mid-latitude environments where the tropopause is typically lower and the associated
1296:
216:; the storm clouds have powerful winds churning inside them. These winds are likely to be felt at the surface and also a threat to aviation aloft.
153:
in the presence of strong winds aloft, allowing the transport of over 7 t (7.7 tons) of water vapor into the lower stratosphere per second.
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481:
695:
393:
86:; the point where the surrounding air is about the same temperature or even warmer. This point of equilibrium is often marked by the
715:
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70:
1407:
1661:
309:
1059:
1553:
354:
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minutes, then it could indicate the storm is pulsing and not as strong as a storm with a continuous overshooting top.
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1422:
1417:
283:
134:
wider. These cirrus plumes may be warmer than the underlying anvil cloud due to the mixing of air from the warmer
1292:
963:
958:
815:
796:
688:
544:
Bedka, Kristopher; Murillo, Elisa M.; Homeyer, Cameron R.; Scarino, Benjamin; Mersiovsky, Haiden (October 2018).
331:
304:
1318:
1079:
948:
876:
644:
546:"The Above-Anvil Cirrus Plume: An Important Severe Weather Indicator in Visible and Infrared Satellite Imagery"
101:(FCL), protrudes its equilibrium level, forming a dome-like structure above the anvil. This can occur with any
455:
1427:
1288:
1282:
1184:
140:
131:
58:. When an overshooting top is present for 10 minutes or longer, it is a strong indication that the storm is
1538:
1533:
999:
891:
278:
105:
when instability is high. Whereas anvils form at the equilibrium level, overshooting tops continue to the
1432:
1277:
994:
912:
177:. If the overshooting top is continuous, it's an indication of enhanced probability that the storm is a
98:
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953:
896:
681:
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557:
516:
318:
228:
106:
1624:
1390:
1228:
1179:
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1064:
707:
264:
165:
Diagram of a supercell thunderstorm, which shows the overshooting top rising above the anvil cloud.
59:
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102:
47:
28:
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A storm powerful enough to produce a lasting overshooting top typically produces the following:
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742:
614:
83:
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585:
O’Neill, Morgan E; Orf, Leigh; Heymsfield, Gerald M.; Halbert, Kelton (September 10, 2021).
565:
524:
397:
326:
117:
640:
1579:
1548:
1473:
1313:
881:
427:
237:; if the updraft is strong enough to produce an overshooting top it can also carry large
78:
When a thunderstorm forms, clouds build vertically into the atmosphere until the storm's
602:
561:
520:
322:
1589:
886:
270:
174:
150:
79:
586:
482:"Scientists gain better understanding of icy plumes associated with violent tornadoes"
19:
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Cirrus plumes in the wake of overshooting tops may be indicators of severe weather
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545:
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sheds ice and water vapor from the anvil cloud, forming a plume of
1599:
704:
160:
116:
69:
18:
710:
and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne
505:"What Determines Above-Anvil Cirrus Plume Infrared Temperature?"
238:
234:
209:
202:
198:
93:
An overshooting top forms when a thunderstorm's updraft, due to
677:
1375:
475:
473:
1293:
Cumulus castellanus (unofficial alternative name for Cu con))
227:
located near the interchange of the rotating updraft and the
825:
No differentiated sub-types; tends to resemble cirrostratus
484:. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin–Madison
332:
10.1175/1520-0450(1974)013<0917:cthvos>2.0.co;2
46:) is a dome-like protrusion shooting out of the top of the
305:"Cloud top height variability of strong convective cells"
149:. Simulations suggest that overshooting tops behave like
503:
Murillo, Elisa M.; Homeyer, Cameron R. (December 2022).
587:"Hydraulic jump dynamics above supercell thunderstorms"
347:"Overshooting Tops – Satellite-Based Detection Methods"
97:
from rapid ascent and strength of lifting through the
205:
could fall from this storm in a short amount of time.
1299:
term for Cu con and "Cu cas" is
Towering cumulus ))
223:
may form; most strong tornadoes are associated with
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1521:
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723:
396:. National Severe Storms Lab (NSSL). Archived from
1620:(Mother cloud)+mutatus (e.g. cumulomutatus (cumut)
1617:(Mother cloud)+genitus (e.g. cumulogenitus (cugen)
669:http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/352
446:
444:
244:A storm that features an overshooting top is a
16:Part of the convective tower of a thunderstorm
689:
8:
1518:
1395:
1337:
1260:
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1123:
1047:
1038:
982:
936:
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846:
792:
783:
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729:
696:
682:
674:
452:"Severe Storms Show off their "Plume-age""
418:
416:
414:
374:
372:
797:Nacreous polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)
569:
528:
330:
181:, i.e. a rotating storm. During a strong
718:Latin terminology except where indicated
1021:Mutatus non-height specific (see below)
454:. NASA. August 15, 2018. Archived from
295:
388:
386:
384:
7:
480:Phillips, Jean (September 9, 2021).
1423:Stratocumulus stratiformis (Sc str)
1418:Stratocumulus lenticularis (Sc len)
509:Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
1408:Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas)
964:Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)
959:Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len)
14:
1080:Altocumulus stratiformis (Ac str)
1075:Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len)
949:Cirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas)
82:(warm rising air) has reached an
1185:Cumulonimbus capillatus (Cb cap)
1060:Altocumulus castellanus (Ac cas)
818:polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)
263:
248:, and is thus likely to produce
1364:St-only genitus cloud and other
1000:Cirrostratus nebulosus (Cs neb)
1433:Stratocumulus volutus (Sc vol)
1413:Stratocumulus floccus (Sc flo)
1194:Cb-only supplementary features
995:Cirrostratus fibratus (Cs fib)
310:Journal of Applied Meteorology
1:
1657:Severe weather and convection
1371:Stratus silvagenitus (St sil)
1229:Cumulonimbus flumen ((Cb flu)
1222:Cb-only accessories and other
1070:Altocumulus lacunosus (Ac la)
954:Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo)
424:"Overshooting Top definition"
353:. 9 June 2011. Archived from
1180:Cumulonimbus calvus (Cb cal)
1085:Altocumulus volutus (Ac vol)
1065:Altocumulus floccus (Ac flo)
759:Noctilucent type III billows
1134:Nimbostratus virga (Ns vir)
877:Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas)
1683:
1355:Stratus nebulosus (St neb)
1289:Cumulus congestus (Cu con)
1283:Cumulus mediocris (Cu med)
918:Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)
762:Noctilucent type IV whirls
284:Atmospheric thermodynamics
107:maximum parcel level (MPL)
1212:Cumulonimbus murus ((mur)
1201:Cumulonimbus cauda ((cau)
892:Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa)
756:Noctilucent type II bands
1350:Stratus fractus (St fra)
1278:Cumulus humilis (Cu hum)
1257:Variable vertical extent
1207:Cumulonimbus incus (inc)
882:Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib)
753:Noctilucent type I veils
747:Polar mesospheric clouds
645:National Weather Service
394:"Thunderstorm Detection"
113:Above-anvil cirrus plume
1428:Stratocumulus Undulatus
913:Cirrus intortus (Ci in)
897:Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)
887:Cirrus floccus (Ci flo)
611:10.1126/science.abh3857
571:10.1175/WAF-D-18-0040.1
550:Weather and Forecasting
530:10.1175/JAS-D-22-0080.1
147:severe weather warnings
141:Weather and Forecasting
1568:Supplementary features
1448:supplementary features
641:"JetStream - Glossary"
426:. NSSL. Archived from
279:Atmospheric convection
166:
122:
84:equilibrium level (EL)
75:
35:
1662:Cloud and fog physics
1611:and human-made clouds
1107:Altostratus undulatus
816:Nitric acid and water
303:Shenk, W. E. (1974).
208:Strong straight-line
164:
120:
99:free convective layer
73:
27:protruding above the
22:
229:rear flank downdraft
1629:Homomutatus (homut)
1625:Homogenitus (hogen)
1595:Praecipitatio (pra)
807:Lenticular nacreous
603:2021Sci...373.1248O
597:(6560): 1248–1251.
562:2018WtFor..33.1159B
521:2022JAtS...79.3181M
323:1974JApMe..13..917S
54:and into the lower
1391:Stratocumulus (Sc)
1378:(Fg) Surface level
1319:Trade wind cumulus
804:Cirriform nacreous
167:
123:
103:cumulonimbus cloud
76:
36:
1644:
1643:
1640:
1639:
1636:
1635:
1554:Translucidus (tr)
1508:
1507:
1441:
1440:
1385:
1384:
1327:
1326:
1248:
1247:
1164:Towering vertical
1161:Cumulonimbus (Cb)
1146:
1145:
1142:
1141:
1117:Nimbostratus (Ns)
1093:
1092:
1028:
1027:
1008:
1007:
978:Cirrostratus (Cs)
972:
971:
932:Cirrocumulus (Cc)
926:
925:
906:Ci-only varieties
836:
835:
832:
831:
773:
772:
769:
768:
647:. August 29, 2007
515:(12): 3181–3194.
458:on August 2, 2023
1674:
1519:
1499:Actinoform cloud
1396:
1338:
1261:
1235:Overshooting top
1168:
1157:
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1099:Altostratus (As)
1048:
1043:Altocumulus (Ac)
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40:overshooting top
31:at the top of a
25:overshooting top
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1575:Asperitas (asp)
1563:
1544:Perlucidus (pe)
1529:Duplicatus (du)
1514:
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1501:(Stratocumulus)
1474:accessory cloud
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1013:High-level-only
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44:penetrating top
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1559:Undulatus (un)
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1534:Lacunosus (la)
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663:External links
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357:on 10 May 2019
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317:(8): 918–922.
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271:Weather portal
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175:severe weather
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1015:mutatus cloud
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1493:Pannus (pan)
1483:Pileus (pil)
1455:Arcus ((arc)
1333:Stratus (St)
1254:Cumulus (Cu)
1234:
1231:Beaver tail)
1033:Medium-level
842:Tropospheric
712:hydrometeors
649:. Retrieved
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432:. Retrieved
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355:the original
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246:thunderstorm
225:mesocyclones
219:Sometimes a
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136:stratosphere
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56:stratosphere
52:thunderstorm
43:
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33:thunderstorm
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1600:Virga (vir)
1590:Mamma (mam)
1580:Cavum (cav)
1539:Opacus (op)
1488:Velum (vel)
1461:Tuba ((tub)
1214:Wall cloud)
1203:Tail cloud)
1120:Multi-level
860:Cirrus (Ci)
743:Noctilucent
725:Mesospheric
1651:Categories
1513:Non-height
850:High-level
651:2008-02-28
434:2009-02-28
404:2009-02-28
290:References
214:downbursts
88:tropopause
1522:Varieties
1476:and other
1314:Horseshoe
1240:Hot tower
1151:Low-level
1127:Varieties
627:237473018
250:lightning
179:supercell
132:inversion
66:Formation
1515:specific
789:15–30 km
735:80–85 km
619:34516791
351:EUMETSAT
257:See also
95:momentum
1667:Cumulus
1497:Other-
1400:Species
1342:Species
1273:Fractus
1265:Species
1172:Species
1052:Species
987:Species
941:Species
869:Species
852:3–18 km
599:Bibcode
591:Science
558:Bibcode
517:Bibcode
319:Bibcode
221:tornado
183:tornado
80:updraft
1457:Shelf)
1153:0–2 km
1035:2–8 km
708:genera
625:
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361:10 May
231:(RFD).
197:Heavy
128:cirrus
60:severe
1307:Other
745:(NLC)
705:Cloud
623:S2CID
212:from
50:of a
48:anvil
29:anvil
1297:ICAO
615:PMID
490:2023
464:2023
363:2019
239:hail
235:Hail
210:wind
203:rain
199:rain
42:(or
1376:Fog
716:WMO
607:doi
595:373
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525:doi
327:doi
38:An
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