I spent a good amount of time tonight looking at the College of DuPage’s live satellite data and I noticed that the 1016 and 1018 millibar isobars seem to enclose the storms occurring in central Missouri. I was sure that something would have occurred in our area since my weather station was reading 1018mb and the skies were filled with cotton balls. It obviously did not occur. the pressure dropped out past 1016 and as it did the line moved more to the west and produced storms there. What I noticed was the fact that the severe part of the storm would be right on top of and follow the 1018 line. I also noticed that storms would appear along that 1018 millibar isobar line. I would not be surprised if those storms that were not around the indicated 1018 millibar line also had a pressure of 1018 millibars as well, at least where the most activity was.
In addition to the pressure, when the storms died out the temperature divisions were spread out and the storms could not sustain themselves and in turn died out quickly. It is also noticed that as the sun goes down the temperature drops and the temperature divisions spread out causing the storms to dissipate and die out.
I am pretty stoked at this discovery and I am anxious to get the Arduino sensor put together and start taking some measurements myself of the temperature, dew point and barometric pressure once every 30 – 60 seconds over a 24 hour period during a day of sever weather. I still have to purchase the equipment and the sensors and engineer and fabricate the device and make sure it is weather proof, yet still have the ability to take accurate readings.
In summery I truly believe that both the temperature and the barometric pressure have a huge effect on the production, sustainment and even direction of the severe thunderstorm, or any thunderstorm for that matter. Having this understanding when out storm spotting or chasing can allow a track and/or path of the severe thunderstorm and where one needs to go to stay a safe distance. I don’t have any doubt that this may have already been discovered, but as a layman and weather enthusiast with no college background on the topic. I can put this in terms that the common person can understand.