Is this good for educators?

Yes — this version of "Atmospheric Stability for a snowstorm" is framed for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs.

Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For Educators · Atmospheric Stability

Atmospheric Stability for a snowstorm

Built for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs. Simulate a snowstorm live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Atmospheric Stability (CAPE)Live

will storms fire?

Controls

Presets

Surface temperature (°C)

Environmental lapse (°C/km)

Parcel lapse (°C/km)

When a rising air parcel stays warmer than its surroundings, it keeps accelerating upward — the fuel for thunderstorms. The pink area between the parcel and environment curves is CAPE, the convective available potential energy. Large CAPE means tall, violent storms; a stable profile suppresses them. This is the core of severe-weather forecasting.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

CAPE (approx)18150 J/kg

Forecastsevere storms

Lapse rate7.5 °C/km

Governing equation

CAPE = \int_{0}^{z_{t}} g \frac{T _{p} - T _{e}}{T _{e}} d z, T_{p} - T_{e} = (7.5 - 5.0) z \Rightarrow 18150 J/kg

Reading this result: Steep environmental lapse (7.5 °C/km) keeps the parcel far warmer than its surroundings all the way up — huge CAPE fuels tall, violent updrafts.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

or unlock everything with Pro →

Also for:Students Researchers Engineers Hobbyists & Makers K-12 Students First Responders General version →

More with Atmospheric Stability

Atmospheric Stability for a thunderstorm Atmospheric Stability for a hurricane track Atmospheric Stability for a tornado Atmospheric Stability for a heat wave Atmospheric Stability for a cold front Atmospheric Stability for a sea breeze Atmospheric Stability for a flash flood Atmospheric Stability for a drought

Frequently asked questions

Is this good for educators?: Yes — this version of "Atmospheric Stability for a snowstorm" is framed for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.