Near-surface wind characteristics of extreme thunderstorm outflows

Wind engineers have long contemplated how to handle thunderstorm winds. Their flow characteristics are non-stationary and difficult to analyze. Models and simulations have improved the overall understanding of thunderstorm outflows, but full-scale data is scarce making validation difficult. A thunderstorm outflow experiment was conducted in 2002, during which seven mobile towers were deployed in a linear array to obtain high-resolution data from outflows. Two extreme events were captured: a rear-flank downdraft of a supercell, and a derecho. Traditional statistical analysis techniques were modified and employed for the two events. The results were compared to non-thunderstorm winds revealing significant differences.