Squall line tornadoes are sneaky, dangerous, and difficult to forecast
Informative and worthwhile article.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/squall-line-tornadoes-forecast
Most tornadoes form in isolated storms called supercells (SN: 12/14/18). These tornadoes are the most common, most destructive and most well-studied class of twisters. Squall line tornadoes, on the other hand, develop along the front of long rows of storms known as quasi-linear convective systems, sometimes called QLCSs, or squall lines. They are generally less intense than supercell tornadoes, says atmospheric scientist Karen Kosiba of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But, she says, “that doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous.”
Squall line tornadoes have a tendency to surprise. They are ephemeral and often evade detection, forming and dying in the interludes between the scans of most radar systems. They are also difficult to anticipate, manifesting suddenly along rows of storms that can reach hundreds of kilometers long. And when compared with supercell tornadoes, squall line twisters occur more frequently in the cool season and in the dark hours of night, when tornadoes are less expected (SN: 12/16/21).
What’s more, squall line tornadoes are disproportionately more common in the southeastern United States, a region that is particularly vulnerable to twisters. Over the last 70 years, the country’s center of tornadic activity – supercell and squall line alike – has shifted from the Great Plains to the Southeast (SN: 10/18/18). The region not only has a denser population than the Great Plains, but it also contains a higher concentration of easily uprooted mobile and manufactured homes.
Much more in article!