What is organized severe weather and why is it more important than non-organized severe weather?
To some degree, all thunderstorms are organized. We refer to “organized” severe storms as those which persist for several hours, are capable of multiple and/or significant severe weather events, and which we are able to forecast consistently. The most long-lived, intense tornadoes and largest hail are usually produced by supercell thunderstorms, while the most serious convective wind storms are produced by bow echoes. The most serious severe storms tend to form in areas where the vertical wind shear is relatively strong and has particular characteristics, while shorter-lived storms are most common when vertical wind shear is weak.
