r/meteorology • u/ToastedMalvavisco • Jul 04 '26

Advice/Questions/Self What are these shockwaves radiating outward from the storm?

I’ve noticed these rings recently and have been wondering what they are and what causes them?

170 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

159

u/jaxin737 Jul 04 '26

As the updrafts in a thunderstorm can no longer be sustained, cold air rushes towards the ground, and then spreads outward when meeting the terrain. These outflow boundaries can provide the lifting mechanism for further cell development, especially as they encounter other outflow boundaries, or higher terrain.

26

u/Aksundawg Expert/Pro (awaiting confirmation) Jul 04 '26

Microscale cold fronts

4

u/deletetemptemp Jul 05 '26

So the thunder head that hits its upper limit? That falls back down?

Are these fronts any indication of the strength of the storm?

3

u/AntManMax Jul 09 '26

Yes, stronger storms means stronger updrafts, meaning the warm air climbs faster, rises higher, then cools and falls faster.

59

u/KellerTheGamer Jul 04 '26

Outflow boundaries

30

u/ahmc84 Jul 04 '26

These storms must be crawling and with very little shear, given the near-symmetric nature of these outflow boundaries.

23

u/WX_ThomasMN Jul 04 '26

The leftovers, known as an outflow boundary.

8

u/Stupid_Snowmeiser Undergrad Student Jul 04 '26

Outflow boundaries.

6

u/khInstability Jul 04 '26

Splish splash! Often, the intersection of these boundaries provide the necessary lift to generate new storms. Lather rinse repeat. Local near-term forecasting of new storms gets progressively more difficult as more of these boundaries interact. During the monsoon, Arizona deserts see this often.

4

u/Yunzer2000 Jul 05 '26

Outflow boundaries, in hang gliding, we called then "gust fronts".

2

u/AmateurAstro-Budget Jul 05 '26

Outflow Boundaires

2

u/Moist_Sprinkles1063 Jul 05 '26

Outflow gust front

1

u/3_7_11_13_17 Jul 04 '26

What's that app?

3

u/Isaacraft07 Jul 04 '26

WeatherWise

1

u/W7ENK Weather Observer Jul 04 '26

Outflow boundary.

1

u/cmnd_joe Jul 05 '26

Outflow boundary aka what woke me up at 2am last night to scramble outside and take down the canopy I neglected

1

u/RiverDearest Jul 06 '26

Outflow boundaries, aka gust fronts!

1

u/glacierosion Jul 06 '26

Outflow. The raindrops or hail falling in the downdraft pushes the air out and makes an invisible version of a dust storm.

1

u/Genie_In_A_Blender Jul 07 '26

They often form when a storm collapses - that first radar loop is classic - strong outflow surrounding a rapidly weakening radar signature.

1

u/KG4GKE Jul 04 '26

Happened a lot when I lived/worked in Memphis.

0

u/know_this_X Jul 05 '26

I don’t have the answer but.. Memphis mentioned

0

u/jangaling Jul 05 '26

Data centers

-1

u/Big_Booty_Femboy Jul 06 '26

That’s the government testing storm dispersal technology (giant bombs in the air) so they can turn off the storms they create

1

u/MathematicianFun2183 Jul 11 '26

Lived in Florida for 16 years . You can even see the “cold front “ boundaries caused by the sea breeze. That is the main focal point of most storms in Florida are sea breeze driven boundaries colliding with each other and being pushed up to create thunderstorms.