Satellite climatology of thunderstorm initiation sites in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico

A number of mechanisms produce the convection necessary to initiate thunderstorms over mountainous terrain (that is, orographic lifting, channeling, wake effects, and leeside convergence zones). Mountain ranges are often poorly populated and instrumented, and forecasting severe mountain storms can be a problem. However, studies of satellite imagery of the Rockies of Colorado and northern New Mexico have emphasized the importance of certain topographic regions in producing convection. By tracing individual summer thunderstorms back through time to their initiation sits, it has been possible to identify specific mountainous areas that repeatedly serve as genesis regions for thunderstorms. The identification of these genesis regions and the terrain mechanisms at work. An understanding of the wind regimes and moisture fields is also necessary to recognize the conditions necessary to activate each region. This report is the culmination of a 3-year study of satellite imagery and thunderstorm initiation sites of the Rocky Mountains. (Author).