The heat burst in Kopperl, Texas, was caused by a combination of atmospheric conditions during a summer storm. As rain evaporated (virga) into a parcel of cold, dry air high in the atmosphere, it created a denser column of air that descended rapidly, warming due to compression at a dry adiabatic lapse rate. This resulted in superheated winds reaching temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit at the ground level [1][5]. The phenomenon is typically associated with weakening thunderstorms, where a downburst of unsaturated hot air is expelled [4][5].

What caused the heat burst in Kopperl, Texas?

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