Is there such a thing as software that helps track thunderstorm development?
Thunderstorms may be 10 to 15 miles in diameter, and have average lifetimes of
20 to 30 minutes. Add to this the fact that even PhD researchers can't agree on what
exactly a supercell is...and maybe you can see the problems.
There is no computer program available that;
- tracks individual storms (including supercells)
- is available to the public
- is available in near real time.
By the way, there are computer algorithms that run on our display of the WSR-88D
NEXRAD radar that track storms and supercells...but they are not used much. Why?
Because they are still not as good as a trained radar operator at looking at the
structure of the storms.