
What is the lifted index (LI)?
The lifted index ( LI) is the temperature difference between the environment Te (p) and an air parcel lifted adiabatically Tp (p) at a given pressure height in the troposphere (lowest layer where most weather occurs) of the atmosphere, usually 500 hPa ( mb ).
What are Cape and lifted index used for?
Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) and Lifted Index (LI) are used to assess the likelihood of thunderstorms developing. LI gives a measure of stability in the atmosphere.
What is the lifted index of the weather?
To share images easily, download the free Imgur Community Extension for Chrome. Lifted index is a measurement of the stability of an air mass at a given moment. Positive values denote stable air masses, and negative values denote unstable air masses. Negative values are an indication that strong thunderstorms may occur in the area.
What do positive and negative lift index values mean?
Positive values denote stable air masses, and negative values denote unstable air masses. Negative values are an indication that strong thunderstorms may occur in the area. On our weather maps, lifted index is given in kelvins. Map Unavailable?

What does the lifted index show?
The lifted index (LI) is the temperature difference between the environment Te(p) and an air parcel lifted adiabatically Tp(p) at a given pressure height in the troposphere (lowest layer where most weather occurs) of the atmosphere, usually 500 hPa (mb). The temperature is measured in Celsius.
How do you read a lifted index chart?
0:142:03Positive lifted index - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou normally Pollitz used a lifted index to search for regions with high instability. In search ofMoreYou normally Pollitz used a lifted index to search for regions with high instability. In search of the potential of thunderstorms. A highly negative lifted index indicates an unstable atmosphere. That
What is the K index in weather?
K Index. The K index is a measure of thunderstorm potential based on the vertical temperature lapse rate, and the amount and vertical extent of low-level moisture in the atmosphere.
How do you read a CAPE index?
CAPE is expressed in joules per kilogram (J/kg) and can range from zero to over 5000. In general, CAPE values of less than 1000J/kg represent weak instability, 1000 to 2500J/kg moderate instability, 2500-4000J/kg strong instabilty, and greater than 4000J/kg extreme instability.
How is lifted index calculated?
The lifted index (LI) is calculated as the difference between the observed temperature at 500 hPa and the temperature of an air parcel lifted to 500 hPa from near the surface. The more unstable the environment, the more negative the LI. These threshold values are valid for the eastern 2/3 of the United States.
When completing a forecast what does a very low lifted index tell you?
When completing a forecast, what does a very low lifted index tell you? That the atmosphere is very unstable.
What is a good KP to see Northern Lights?
If the Kp is 5 or greater, the better your chances of seeing an aurora. You can check out the SWPC Estimated Planetary Kp graph to see what has been happening during the past few days. The red bars indicate a Kp higher than 4, which makes your odds of seeing an aurora greater.
What does a Kp-index of 4 mean?
Kp 4 – Active – Bright, constant and dynamic northern lights visible. More colours start to appear. Kp 5 – Minor storm – Bright, constant and colourful aurora display, red and purple colours appear. Aurora coronae likely. Kp 6 – Moderate storm – Bright, dynamic and colourful aurora display.
How do you calculate K-index?
Formula: K = (T850 -T500) + Td850 - (T700-Td700).
What does CAPE Index mean?
CAPE is effectively the positive buoyancy of an air parcel (mass of air) and is an indicator of atmospheric instability, which makes it very valuable in predicting severe weather. Values from 1000 to 2000 can indicate forming of moderate thunderstorms, and over 2000 severe ones.
How much CAPE do you need for a tornado?
On average, CAPE of 1000 J/Kg is usually sufficient for strong to severe storms. CAPE of 3,000 to 4,000 J/Kg or higher is usually a signal of a very volatile atmosphere that could produce severe storms if other environmental parameters are in place.
What is the highest CAPE ever recorded?
The largest cape measures 1,059.80 m² (11,407.59 ft²), achieved by Rogério Tomaz Correa (Brazil) in Navegantes, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on 1 February 2018.
How do you read a weather depiction chart?
2:009:34The Weather Depiction Chart - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBetween 3 and 5 miles a shaded contour inside a clear one signifies IFR conditions ceilings lessMoreBetween 3 and 5 miles a shaded contour inside a clear one signifies IFR conditions ceilings less than a thousand feet and visibilities. Less than three miles chart.
How do you find the lifted index of a skew T?
The Lifted Index (LI) is a measure of the difference in the 500 millibar level temperatures between the sounding measured environmental temperature and the theoretical parcel temperature on a skew-T diagram. It is calculated by taking the environmental temperature and subtracting the air parcel temperature from it.
How do you calculate K index?
Formula: K = (T850 -T500) + Td850 - (T700-Td700).
Where is the weather depiction chart?
Digital Weather Depiction Charts can be found under "United States Analysis", then "United States Weather Depiction".
Overview
Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) and Lifted Index (LI) are used to assess the likelihood of thunderstorms developing.
Example chart
CAPE and LI charts for the next 16 days are available on TWO and are updated every 6 hours. These are generated using data from the Global Forecast System (GFS) computer model.
Summary
CAPE and LI are measures used to forecast the likelihood of thunderstorms. There isn't a hard and fast rule to apply but basically look for:
What does a lifting index of 1.0 mean?
A Lifting Index greater than 1.0 denotes that the task is high risk for some fraction of the population. As the LI increases, the level of injury risk increases correspondingly. Therefore, the goal is to design all lifting jobs to accomplish an LI of 1.0 or less.
How to calculate frequency independent lifting index?
The Frequency-Independent Lifting Index (FILI) is calculated by dividing the weight lifted by the FIRWL. The FILI can help identify problems with infrequent lifting tasks if it exceeds the value of 1.0.
What is the NIOSH lifting equation?
The Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation is a tool used by occupational health and safety professionals to assess the manual material handling risks associated with lifting and lowering tasks in the workplace.
What is lifting task?
A lifting task is defined as the act of manually grasping an object with two hands, and vertically moving the object without mechanical assistance. The NIOSH Lifting Equation considers several job task variables to determine safe lifting practices and guidelines. NIOSH Lifting Equation:
How many lifts per minute?
For lifting tasks with a frequency less than .2 lifts per minute (>1 lift every 5 minutes), you will use the minimum frequency of .2 lifts/minute. Load (L) – Determine the weight of the object lifted. If necessary, use a scale to determine the exact weight. If the weight of the load varies from lift to lift, you should record ...
What is the load constant of a NIOSH lifting equation?
The NIOSH Lifting Equation always uses a load constant (LC) of 51 pounds, which represents the maximum recommended load weight to be lifted under ideal conditions. From that starting point, the equation uses several task variables expressed as coefficients or multipliers (In the equation, M = multiplier) that serve to decrease the load constant and calculate the RWL for that lifting task.
