NUCAPS Sounding Showing Increasing MUCAPE And Lower 0C/-20C Levels!

The adjusted NUCAPS sounding, taken near KBNO, just southeast of the Pendleton, OR CWA, showed MUCAPE values over 1200 J/kg at 2100 UTC. This was higher than the 800 J/kg estimated at 1800 UTC earlier (off of the 1200 UTC BOI sounding).

This made sense, as the LAP CAPE product in the upper left image below showed similar values in the cloudy sampled areas (the yellow areas in the upper right image) at 2100 UTC. There is some caution here, as the complex terrain may affect CAPE values in some areas. Still, the NUCAPS sounding gave an idea of how the instability has evolved this afternoon across the area.

In addition, the 0C and -20C levels from the NUCAPS sounding were lower (by a few thousand feet) than the modified 1200 UTC sounding from Boise, ID. This gave me a heads up to lower these levels for monitoring storms. The NUCAPS soundings seem to be a good situational awareness tool! JJW