Supercells - Severe Convective Storms and Tornadoes: Observations and Dynamics - page 202

Figure 4.24. Example of a DCZ (deep convergence zone), denoted by a thick black line, in a
supercell in the Texas Panhandle on May 22, 1995. Storm-relative wind field from a pseudo
dual-Doppler analysis of data from ELDORA at four different levels, from 500m AGL (upper
left) to 4 km AGL (lower right). Equivalent radar reflectivity factor in dBZ e . Shaded areas
mark radar reflectivity in excess of 45 dBZ e . At mid-levels, the DCZ is flanked by a
mesocyclone-meso-anticyclone couplet, with a rear-inflow jet in between the vortices. There
is also a meso-anticyclone at mid-levels located to the northwest of the mesocyclone. At low
levels, the rear-flank gust front (RFGF) is evident. The DCZ extends from the RFGF at low
levels upward to mid-levels (from Bluestein and Gaddy, 2001).
4.3.3 Precipitation type and distribution
The most intense precipitation is found in the downshear direction from the main
updraft (to the right of the wall cloud, when viewed from a location to the right of
the direction in which the storm is moving). The most intense precipitation and
highest radar reflectivity are frequently co-located with an optically translucent
region, while less intense precipitation is located in an optically opaque region