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INVERTED-V SOUNDING

  • Named Inverted-V since the dewpoint depression decreases significantly with height
  • Most common in interior Western U.S. (especially interior Southwest U.S.)
  • Sounding has dry air (low RH) in lower troposphere with nearly saturated air (high RH) in middle troposphere
  • Convection tends to be high based since Convective Condensation Level is at a high elevation
  • Most common severe weather: Strong winds > 58 mph; this is due to negative buoyancy of evaporationally cooled air aloft that causes it to accelerate toward the surface
  • Gust fronts from inverted-V storms can have a large temperature gradient from one side to the other due to evaporative cooling
  • Hail and tornadoes are not common due to the dry boundary layer, high cloud base and unorganized wind shear
  • EXAMPLE:
    [ Inverted-V sounding ]