Hi all,
Following the derecho event in the Midwest USA a few weeks ago, I would like to dig myself into the formation and characteristics of derechos. I have done some self-research on the internet, but some questions remain. I hope someone over here can explain the following things to me:
- Why are unidirectional shear environments favored for derechos? (Does unidirectional shear mean that all winds are orientated parallel to each other over the vertical depth of the atmosphere...? For example SW SW SW SW SW SW or NE NE SW SW SW SW?)
- Why are environments where the wind shear is compacted in the lower 3 km even more favored?
- Does a derecho need a linear forcing mechanism to develop or is it in that case called a squall line (what are the differences between both terms?)
Thanks in advance for your time and effort!
