Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2016

Mesoscale Discussion 261

March 23, 201623 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Mar 23, 2016, 11:13 PM CDT for 23 counties in Texas. It was in force for 62 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 23, 2016, 11:13 PM CDT (04:13 UTC)
Expired
Mar 24, 2016, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 23 counties

Bosque County, TX, Collin County, TX, Coryell County, TX, Dallas County, TX, Delta County, TX, Ellis County, TX, Fannin County, TX, Hamilton County, TX, Hill County, TX, Hopkins County, TX, Hunt County, TX, Johnson County, TX, Kaufman County, TX, Lamar County, TX, Lampasas County, TX, McLennan County, TX, Mills County, TX, Navarro County, TX, Rains County, TX, Rockwall County, TX, San Saba County, TX, Somervell County, TX, Tarrant County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:15 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

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 71 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2016-03-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1404 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2016-03-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 179 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1404 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1555 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
179 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
8.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

224 
ACUS11 KWNS 240413
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 240413 
TXZ000-OKZ000-240515-

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0261
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1113 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016

AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS OF NRN/CNTRL TX

CONCERNING...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 53...

VALID 240413Z - 240515Z

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 53
CONTINUES.

SUMMARY...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE A FEW MORE
HOURS. A LOCAL EXTENSION IN TIME AND SPACE MAY BE NEEDED. THE THREAT
IS EXPECTED TO GREATLY DIMINISH AFTER 06Z.

DISCUSSION...STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ACROSS NORTHERN INTO CENTRAL
TEXAS CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST/NORTHEAST THROUGH A MODESTLY UNSTABLE
AIRMASS. STEEP LAPSE RATES AND STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR WILL CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT THESE STORMS ANOTHER FEW HOURS. AS SUCH...A LOCAL
EXTENSION IN TIME/SPACE MAY BE NEEDED FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
53. LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE
MAIN THREAT. HOWEVER LOW LEVEL SHEAR REMAINS ADEQUATE FOR SOME
ROTATION IN THE LOWEST LEVELS PER THE GRK VAD WIND PROFILER. BEYOND
06Z...THE SEVERE THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE GREATLY DIMINISHED...AND A
DOWNSTREAM WATCH INTO EAST TX IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

..LEITMAN.. 03/24/2016

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

ATTN...WFO...SHV...FWD...OUN...EWX...SJT...

LAT...LON   33849522 32929556 32259608 31579680 31279734 31049801
            30999846 30999878 31059891 31219899 31529882 31749863
            32209814 33329661 33729618 33849584 33849522

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 24, 2:52 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bee, Brazoria, Brazos and 28 more2 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 2016Every mesoscale discussion in 2016

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.