The classic usage of the "Ring of Fire" term relates to the map presentation of the line of active volcano and earthquake activity that rings much of the Pacific Ocean, or maybe the hit song by Johnny Cash. Meteorologists like to borrow this term to describe the path Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) will take around strong high pressure systems during the summer time. The edge of the high pressure systems is where temperatures are cool enough aloft to allow free convection and release of the high energy air (warm + moist) being generated within the high pressure regime. Storms will seemingly "ride" this boundary as moving away from the high features less unstable air and moving toward the high features too warm of air aloft to allow storms. Such was the case yesterday with a storm complex maturing Monday afternoon over Wisconsin and then travelling SE and eventually making an interesting SW dive across Georgia on Tuesday. The featured map presents an IEM computed "maximum base reflectivity" from a NWS NEXRAD mosaic. Effectively all of the 5 minute mosaics are overlain with the strongest values of the period retained. The map is valid for a period between 7 PM Monday and 7 PM Tuesday CDT. The map nicely shows the "ring" presentation with the path of the storms readily seen around the high pressure system.

Voting:
Good = 18
Bad = 2