Convective inhibition

In most cases, when CIN exists, it covers a layer from the ground to the level of free convection (LFC).

Convective inhibition indicates the amount of energy that will be required to force the cooler packet of air to rise.

Typically, an area with a high convection inhibition number is considered stable and has very little likelihood of developing a thunderstorm.

CIN hinders updrafts necessary to produce convective weather, such as thunderstorms.

Surface cooling causes a small capping inversion to form aloft allowing the air to become stable.

Incoming weather fronts and short waves influence the strengthening or weakening of CIN.

A single value for CIN is calculated from one balloon ascent by use of the equation below.

The z-bottom and z-top limits of integration in the equation represent the bottom and top altitudes (in meters) of a single CIN layer,

CIN values greater than 200 J/kg are sufficient to prevent convection in the atmosphere.

In fact, CIN is sometimes referred to as negative buoyant energy (NBE).