Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2012

Mesoscale Discussion 791

May 11, 201216 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 11, 2012, 7:28 PM CDT for 16 counties in Texas. It was in force for 32 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 11, 2012, 7:28 PM CDT (00:28 UTC)
Expired
May 11, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Chance of a watch
95%

Counties Austin County, TX, Brazoria County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Fort Bend County, TX, Hardin County, TX, Harris County, TX, Jasper County, TX, Jefferson County, TX, Liberty County, TX, Montgomery County, TX, Polk County, TX, San Jacinto County, TX, Tyler County, TX, Walker County, TX, Waller County, TX, Wharton County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:29 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 watches that followed

Watches SPC issued over any of the same counties within four hours of this discussion.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 208 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2012-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 21 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2012-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-209 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
694 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

744 
ACUS11 KWNS 120028
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 120028 
TXZ000-120100-

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0791
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0728 PM CDT FRI MAY 11 2012

AREAS AFFECTED...SERN TX...SWRN LA

CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH NEEDED SOON 

VALID 120028Z - 120100Z

PROBABILITY OF WATCH ISSUANCE...95 PERCENT

SUMMARY...A TORNADO WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF SERN TX.

DISCUSSION...STRONG LOW-LEVEL SHEAR AMIDST RICH LOW-LEVEL
MOISTURE/SUFFICIENT BUOYANCY WILL SUPPORT A TORNADO THREAT WITH
SUPERCELLS NEAR WARM FRONT AND SFC TROUGH.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE STORMS AND
A WATCH ISSUANCE WILL BE COORDINATED BETWEEN THE SPC AND THE
AFFECTED LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES SHORTLY.

..COHEN/CARBIN.. 05/12/2012

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

ATTN...WFO...LCH...HGX...

LAT...LON   30789570 31029521 30999459 30689382 29719403 29109545
            29159627 29609648 29939640 30789570

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 11, 7:36 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBrazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris and 11 more6 hr
May 11, 10:31 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris and 11 more89 min
May 12, 1:40 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris and 11 more65 min
May 12, 4:20 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy55 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 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.