Conditional symmetric instability: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:55, 23 May 2022

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==Potential effects==

[[File:Snowcsi.gif|thumb|Zones of CSI (solid blue) and banded snow (dash green) along dethe warm front, near the low pressure area.]]

CSI is usually embedded in large areas of vertical upward motion. The ideal situation is a geostrophic flow from the South with wind speeds that increase with height. The environment is well mixed and close to saturation. Since the flow is unidirectional, the u component of the wind can be set equal to zero, which establishes a symmetrical flow perpendicular to the temperature gradient in the air mass. This type of flow is typically found in baroclinic atmospheres with cold air to the west.<ref name=Schultz/>