What Is Cold Pool?
A pool of rain-cooled air that spreads out along the ground beneath thunderstorms. Its edge can lift warm air and start new storms. In technical terms: A mesoscale dome of evaporatively cooled, negatively buoyant outflow air beneath convection, bounded by a gust front; the balance between cold-pool circulation and low-level shear (RKW theory) governs squall line longevity and tilt.
Also called: Outflow
Cold Pool In Plain English
A pool of rain-cooled air that spreads out along the ground beneath thunderstorms. Its edge can lift warm air and start new storms.
The Technical Definition
A mesoscale dome of evaporatively cooled, negatively buoyant outflow air beneath convection, bounded by a gust front; the balance between cold-pool circulation and low-level shear (RKW theory) governs squall line longevity and tilt.
