Soundings near the time and site of tornado occurrences are examined to determine the air-mass structure ahead of or near the tornado. From the cases studied here, it is concluded that (a) the “typical” inversion was lifted with time such that it was completely absent at the time and site of the tornado and (b), at the same time, the low-level moisture was lifted to great heights. Examples of the conversion of the precedent sounding to the proximity sounding and of a post-tornado case are shown. Composite charts of the moist layer depth and of the Showalter Stability Index prior to and near the time of tornado occurrences are presented.
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Robert G. Beebe (1958) studied this question.
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