supercell

thumb|A low precipitation supercell in rural Northeast Colorado. A supercell is a thunderstorm characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone, a deep, persistently rotating updraft. Due to this, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms. Of the four main classifications of thunderstormssupercell, squall line, multi-cell, and single-cellsupercells are the least common overall and have the potential to be the most severe. Supercells are often isolated from other thunderstorms, and can dominate the local weather up to away. They tend to last 2–4 hours, but under highly favorable conditions, can last even longer.

Supercells are often put into three classification types: "classic" (normal precipitation level), low-precipitation (LP), and high-precipitation (HP). Low-precipitation supercells are usually found in climates that are more arid, such as the high plains of the United States, and high-precipitation supercells are most often found in moist climates. Supercells can occur anywhere in the world under the right pre-existing weather conditions, but they are most common in the Great Plains of the United States in an area known as Tornado Alley. A high number of supercells are seen in many parts of Europe, as well as in the Tornado Corridor of Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil, and Paraguay.