Alert archive / Michigan / Mesoscale Discussions in 2012

Mesoscale Discussion 678

May 3, 201221 counties in Michigan

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 3, 2012, 4:33 PM EDT for 21 counties in Michigan. It was in force for 57 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 3, 2012, 4:33 PM EDT (20:33 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2012, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 21 counties

Allegan County, MI, Barry County, MI, Bay County, MI, Calhoun County, MI, Cass County, MI, Clinton County, MI, Eaton County, MI, Genesee County, MI, Gratiot County, MI, Huron County, MI, Ingham County, MI, Ionia County, MI, Kalamazoo County, MI, Kent County, MI, Lapeer County, MI, Livingston County, MI, Saginaw County, MI, Sanilac County, MI, Shiawassee County, MI, Tuscola County, MI, Van Buren County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:33 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 122 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2012-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1476 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2012-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1476 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-58 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
948 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
233 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

401 
ACUS11 KWNS 032033
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 032033 
MIZ000-INZ000-032130-

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0678
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0333 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2012

AREAS AFFECTED...CNTRL/SRN LOWER MI

CONCERNING...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 231...

VALID 032033Z - 032130Z

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 231
CONTINUES.

SUMMARY...THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY SAG INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
WW231 OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS...WHILE NEW DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE
ACROSS SW LOWER MI AS WELL.

DISCUSSION...STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE EXPANDED ALONG A
CORRIDOR FROM CNTRL LAKE HURON...SWWD ACROSS CNTRL LOWER MI INTO
SERN WI.  THIS ACTIVITY IS GRADUALLY DEVELOPING A COLD POOL WHICH
SHOULD ENCOURAGE A SEWD SHIFT TO MORE CONCENTRATED CONVECTION.  IN
SUPPORT OF THIS IDEA A WELL DEFINED BOW-TYPE STRUCTURE HAS EVOLVED
OVER CNTRL LAKE MI AND IS RACING EWD AT 40-45KT.  OUTFLOW FROM THIS
BAND OF STORMS SHOULD SERVE TO AID ADDITIONAL CONVECTION AS IT
APPROACHES MUSKEGON/OTTAWA COUNTIES.  IN ADDITION...VIS IMAGERY
CLEARLY DEPICTS A LAKE INFLUENCED CONFLUENCE ZONE FROM VAN BUREN
COUNTY...NEWD INTO KENT COUNTY.  THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD EVOLVE ALONG
THIS ZONE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS THEN PROGRESS DOWNSTREAM WITH AN
ATTENDANT HAIL/WIND THREAT.

..DARROW.. 05/03/2012

...PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT...

ATTN...WFO...DTX...IWX...GRR...

LAT...LON   42838650 44218251 43058252 41678650 42838650

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 12:51 AM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCManistee, Mason, Oceana54 min
May 3, 11:34 AM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArenac, Bay, Clare, Clinton, Genesee, Gladwin and 28 more86 min
May 3, 12:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAlcona, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Bay, Benzie and 23 more5 hr
May 3, 2:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAllegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass and 27 more8 hr
May 3, 2:39 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAntrim, Arenac, Bay, Benzie, Clare, Crawford and 18 more66 min
May 3, 3:53 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBerrien67 min
May 3, 6:57 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass and 28 more63 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Michigan, 2012Every mesoscale discussion in 2012

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.