Alert archive / Arizona / Mesoscale Discussions in 2017

Mesoscale Discussion 1313

July 14, 20179 counties in Arizona

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jul 14, 2017, 2:55 PM MST for 9 counties in Arizona. It was in force for 65 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 14, 2017, 2:55 PM MST (21:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 14, 2017, 4:00 PM MST
In force
65 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Chance of a watch
60%

Counties Cochise County, AZ, Gila County, AZ, Graham County, AZ, Greenlee County, AZ, Maricopa County, AZ, Pima County, AZ, Pinal County, AZ, Santa Cruz County, AZ, Yavapai County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 6 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:55 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

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 37 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2017-07-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 391 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2017-07-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 48 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
391 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-287 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1843 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

522 
ACUS11 KWNS 142156
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 142155 
AZZ000-142300-

Mesoscale Discussion 1313
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0455 PM CDT Fri Jul 14 2017

Areas affected...Central/southern Arizona

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 142155Z - 142300Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

SUMMARY...A severe thunderstorm watch may be needed for the
discussion area within the next hour or so.

DISCUSSION...Scattered, relatively high-based thunderstorms have
developed along the higher terrain of the Mogollon Rim over the past
couple of hours.  These storms are in a relatively weakly sheared
environment, with deeply mixed boundary layer profiles supporting
outflow-dominant activity.  Northeasterly mid-level flow (around
20-25 knots) is supporting south/southwestward propagation of this
activity into lower elevations.  Given the outflow-dominant nature
of these storms, it appears likely that cold pools will merge and
support some propagation of convective activity through the
discussion area through at least 02-03Z, with some risk for damaging
wind gusts affecting the Tucson and Phoenix areas in the next few
hours.

Given the expected convective evolution and appreciable damaging
wind threat over the next several hours, a severe thunderstorm watch
is currently being considered.

..Cook/Edwards.. 07/14/2017

...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...

ATTN...WFO...TWC...FGZ...PSR...VEF...

LAT...LON   32181353 32761389 33571403 34201392 34891336 35001284
            34791180 34421050 33900944 33370915 32640905 32020914
            31400940 31341102 32181353

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 13, 6:39 PM MSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCSanta Cruz96 min
Jul 14, 4:35 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCMaricopa, Pima, Pinal4 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Arizona, 2017Every mesoscale discussion in 2017

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.