Wake Low

[Sean Poling]

Heres the AMS's definition of a wake low.
http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=wake-low1


I've done a little bit of research, and although they
seem a somewhat rare phenomenon, they also don't
seem too uncommon for the southeast around this time of year.
This appears to be what occurred in Georgia yesterday.

Anyone have any good input on this?

 

[Bill Hark]

The evening after the event, Dr. Forbes on The Weather Channel was discussing the mechanism of a Wake Low. I have never heard of the term. Thanks for the link.

Bill Hark

 

[tommywinning]

There are a couple really good articles I have found on the internet concerning meso-highs and wake-lows. There seem to be a number of theories, but one that makes the most sense, to me at least, is that a wake-low or depression-low is thought to be the surface manifestation of the descending rear inflow jet of a severe squall line. They seem to happen most notably with squall lines that have a decent trailing stratiform region. If I understand it correctly, adiabatic warming overcomes evaporative cooling in the stratiform region. Fujita wrote a couple of really good articles as did a few other people. If you can find it on the web, Richard Johnson of Colorado State wrote a really good review of these phenomenons. He reviews some of Fujita's articles as well as others. The reference list at the end of the paper is also good for links to other, similar articles.

 

[Adam Lucio]

One of these affected northern IL last year and produced some wind gusts approaching severe limits. I havent heard of them either till this day.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=13590&source=2

 

[tommywinning]

From what I understand, if the wake low is truly an indicator of the rear inflow jet, it would also be an indicator of a sqaull line evolving into a bow echo, and in some instances a derecho event.