The Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) was carried out over the region of the Colorado/Kansas border during the summer of 2000. Its goal was to study the precipitation and electrification properties associated with thunderstorms over the high plains. To fulfill th... Show moreThe Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) was carried out over the region of the Colorado/Kansas border during the summer of 2000. Its goal was to study the precipitation and electrification properties associated with thunderstorms over the high plains. To fulfill this goal, several mobile observing systems were employed to collect data on the storms. As a direct result, the use of a nowcaster was necessary. Nowcasting during STEPS required an understanding of the conditions favorable for convective initiation and convective evolution. This paper explores and discusses the general guidelines that can be used to simplify the convective forecast problem. As the results of this paper will show, the use of several parameters in STEPS made forecasting convection more accurate and simple. But the limitations of applying these guidelines are apparent when used in areas other than the high plains. Show less
