Supercell Questions

[Lance Bradshaw]

I've just read a couple of bits of information: that supercells can develop from non-supercell storms and that supercells can exist in squall lines. If that's not true, please do correct me (my sources were Google and Wikipedia).

If that's the case, does that mean that supercell tornadoes and non-supercell tornadoes can coexist in the same storm? Or can a non-supercell tornado develop into a supercell tornado? As an aside, is there a hard dividing line that separates a supercell thunderstorm from a non-supercell storm? Or is there more a gradient between the two and we classify them separately for convenience?

 

[James K]

supercells can develop from non-supercell storms

That one is technically true for most supercells.
At their earlier stages of development, before the mesocyclone has developed, a supercell is just a cell/thunderstorm

and that supercells can exist in squall lines.

Yes, supercells can indeed be embedded anywhere within a squall line (but especially if it forms line-end-vortexes) - those line end cells can even break off into their own storm.

 

[rdale]

does that mean that supercell tornadoes and non-supercell tornadoes can coexist in the same storm

No. It's either a supercell or it isn't a supercell thunderstorm.

Or can a non-supercell tornado develop into a supercell tornado?

No. The parent storm is either a supercell or it isn't.

is there a hard dividing line that separates a supercell thunderstorm from a non-supercell storm?

Yes. If it is rotating, it's a supercell. If the storm is not rotating, it's not a supercell.

 

[Lance Bradshaw]

I thought it would be best to just bump this topic instead of making a new one, since my next questions are related.

Can a tornado come out of a supercell in some part other than the wall cloud? If so, how does that impact the tornado's strength?