Weather radar signature indicating tornadic circulation in a supercell thunderstorm
Classic-style hook echo of the F5 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado.
A hook echo is a pendant or hook-shaped weather radar signature as part of some supercell thunderstorms. It is found in the lower portions of a storm as air and precipitation flow into a mesocyclone, resulting in a curved feature of reflectivity. The echo is produced by rain, hail, or debris being wrapped around the supercell.[1] It is one of the classic hallmarks of tornado-producing supercells.[2] The National Weather Service may consider the presence of a hook echo coinciding with a tornado vortex signature as sufficient to justify issuing a tornado warning.[3][4]
^Glickman, Todd S., ed. (2000). "Hook Echo". Glossary of Meteorology (2nd ed.). American Meteorological Society. ISBN 978-1-878220-34-9.
^Murkowski, Paul M. (2002). "Hook Echoes and Rear-Flank Downdrafts: A Review". Mon. Wea. Rev. 130 (4): 852–76. Bibcode:2002MWRv..130..852M. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(2002)130<0852:HEARFD>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 54785955.
^Angel, Jim (Apr 9, 2013). "ISWS is Pioneer in Tracking Tornadoes by Radar". Illinois State Water Survey. Archived from the original on 2013-06-01. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
^"Tornado Warning Guidance" (PDF). National Weather Service. Spring 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
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