The role of vertical wind shear in modulating maximum supercell updraft velocities

Consistent with the thermodynamic hypothesis, storms with the largest storm-relative flow have larger inflow, are wider, have larger buoyancy, and have faster updrafts. Analyses of the vertical momentum forcing along trajectories shows that maximum vertical velocities are often enhanced by dynamic pressure accelerations, but this enhancement is accompanied by larger downward buoyant pressure accelerations than in ordinary convection.

Integrated buoyancy along parcel paths is therefore a strong constraint on maximum updraft speeds. Thus, through a combination of processes consistent with the dynamic and thermodynamic hypotheses, supercell updrafts are able to realize a larger percentage of CAPE than ordinary updrafts.