b'Tornadic Activity in the SoutheastU.S. and Relationship to Drought ConditionsLiam Bruce ColemanSponsor: Dr. AllardThere has been a shift in tornadic activity away from the traditional Tornado Alley towards the Southeast US. Warmer Gulf of Mexico temperatures related to climate change may be providing a more robust source of warm, humid air required for severe thunderstorm development. Some research has found antecedent drought years (previous fall/winter drought conditions) are associated with equal or below normal tornado days, while antecedent non-drought years are associated with above average tornado days. This study analyzes the relationship between drought and tornadic activity for Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia between 1950 and 2020. Data on tornado activity were obtained from the SPC Severe Weather Database and the NOAA Storm Events Database, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and Palmer Z-Index (i.e., indices of drought severity and departure from normal moisture conditions, respectively) from the NOAA Monthly US Climate Divisional Database. Antecedent drought conditions recorded in the PDSI, and Palmer-Z Index were correlated with the seasonal number of tornadoes, number of tornado days (any day with a recorded tornado) and number of multiple tornado days (tornado days with multiple tornadoes). These results are used to validate the eastward shift of tornadoes, and relationships between tornadic activity and antecedent drought conditions.The Effects of the Urban Heat Islandon Snowfall in the Kansas CityMetropolitan AreaRoss Alexander ColemanSponsor: Dr. AllardUrban Heat Islands (UHI) are built-up areas (i.e., urbanized areas) that are warmer than surrounding rural areas due to changes in their radiation and energy budgets. Research has examined the ability of UHIs to modify precipitation due to their thermal differences. One study found a decrease in freezing rain events in urban areas due to the UHI. Another study, using radar data to examine snowfall levels, observed a decrease in snowfall downwind of urban areas, but stressed that further studies were required. This study explores the impacts of urbanization upon snowfall for the Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding rural areas. Urban versus rural areas were differentiated using total population and population density data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Daily snowfall data were collected for weather stations within 100 kilometers of Kansas City for the period July 2011 to June 2021 from the NWS Cooperative stations database. Snowfall records were examined to determine the impact of a UHI upon the number of snowfall events, total snowfall accumulation, and average snowfall amounts relative to surrounding more rural stations. It is anticipated that urban stations exhibit reduced snowfall levels compared to rural stations due to the urban heat island effect.49'