Abstract
This thesis examines the Urban Heat Island (UHI) of Omaha, Nebraska, and its effect on deep, moist convection (DMC) ahead of and along two separate cold frontal boundaries, one with an attendant pre-frontal pressure trough, on 27 June and 2 July 2008. It is hypothesized that Omaha’s UHI, working in concert with the surface cold frontal boundaries and/or pre-frontal pressure troughs, provided the lift required to generate convective cells or enhance pre-existing convective cells ahead of the southeastward-propagating cold fronts in these two cases. Indeed, research performed during this investigation provided evidence of convective cell intensification as cells interacted with Omaha’s UHI. Included in this thesis are discussions on the synoptic, mesoscale and local atmospheric conditions prior to and during convective cells developing and interacting with Omaha’s UHI. In an effort to determine the strength of the Omaha UHI and the role it played in local atmospheric stability profiles and in generating/sustaining convective development, an emphasis is placed on local meteorological surface observation data and meteorological radar data in and around the Omaha UHI on 27 June and 2 July 2008.