Skew-T Procedure

In the absence of significant air mass changes during the warm season, a single-sounding method may be employed to infer turbulence in convective clouds. The so-called Eastern Airlines Method is an empirical method developed from pilot reports of turbulence and analyzed soundings.

Procedure:

  1. Find the convective condensation level (CCL)
  2. Proceed upward from the CCL along a moist adiabat to 400 hPa and determine the parcel temperature (T')
  3. Subtract the observed 400 hPa temperature (T) from T'. Delta-T = T'-T.
  4. Determine turbulence intensity from the table below:
Delta-T (°C) Turbulence Intensity
0 - 3 Light
4 - 6 Moderate
7 - 9 Severe
>9 Extreme

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