I don't really get mesolows

[Elliott Budd]

First, thank you to everyone here who gave some help on my last post. Now I am understanding and identifying cold pools, outflow boundaries, moisture convergence, etc. I just don't get mesolows. I Googled them, looked around here, but have only a vague understanding that their small-scale centers of low preasure. It would be a great help if could help me to identify them.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

The way I identify them is a bulge along the dryline with some extra backing winds near it. Sometimes on stronger days you can see them in the NAM or other high res models. I'm not entirely sure how or why they form, but i get a little happier when I notice them.

 

[Shane Adams]

I just don't get mesolows. I Googled them, looked around here, but have only a vague understanding that their small-scale centers of high preasure.

Actually, it's a small scale center of LOW pressure. As previously mentioned, usually identifiable as a bulge along the dryline, and can sometimes be seen on models (I used a persistent mesolow being forecasted by the NAM to nail a target on 4-21-05 in southeast KS). Back in the day, if you paid close attention, you could find them by listening to NOAA wx radio, taking notes of surface wind locations/directions during the day.

 

[Bob Schafer]

I'll add that mesolows, like pretty much any L, result from what's going on upstairs. Look for areas where you have upper-level jet stream divergence/diffluence, plus models predicting UVV below there, and you'll likely have a mesolow present at the sfc.

 

[Elliott Budd]

I'll add that mesolows, like pretty much any L, result from what's going on upstairs. Look for areas where you have upper-level jet stream divergence/diffluence, plus models predicting UVV below there, and you'll likely have a mesolow present at the sfc.

Bob im guessing you mean the divergence at 300mb and UVV at 700mb?

 

[Bob Schafer]

Bob im guessing you mean the divergence at 300mb and UVV at 700mb?

Yep, pretty much. I'll often/usually look at winds at 500, 250 and 200, too. There's sometimes you see something at 250 that isn't even evident at 300.

P.S. I should also add the caveat that you really need to be careful about UVV forecasts, simply because they can be really, really wrong.