Weather Dictionary / Glossary of Terms

Equilibrium Level


   Weather TermDescription / Definition
   Equilibrium Level (EL) - On a sounding, the level above the level of free convection (LFC) at which the temperature of a rising air parcel again equals the temperature of the environment. The height of the EL is the height at which thunderstorm updrafts no longer accelerate upward. Thus, to a close approximation, it represents the height of expected (or ongoing) thunderstorm tops.


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Data courtesy of NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration