Alert archive / Louisiana / Mesoscale Discussions in 2017

Mesoscale Discussion 80

January 20, 20179 parishes in Louisiana; 7 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jan 20, 2017, 6:37 PM CST for 9 parishes in Louisiana; 7 counties in Texas. It was in force for 113 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jan 20, 2017, 6:37 PM CST (00:37 UTC)
Expired
Jan 20, 2017, 8:30 PM CST
In force
113 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Chance of a watch
60%

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Allen Parish, LA, Beauregard Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA, Lafayette Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA, Chambers County, TX, Hardin County, TX, Jasper County, TX, Jefferson County, TX, Liberty County, TX, Newton County, TX, Orange County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 23 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:37 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, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 25 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 2017-01-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 627 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 2017-01-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
627 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
842 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

438 
ACUS11 KWNS 210038
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 210037 
LAZ000-TXZ000-210230-

Mesoscale Discussion 0080
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0637 PM CST Fri Jan 20 2017

Areas affected...southeast Texas through southwest Louisiana

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 210037Z - 210230Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

SUMMARY...Threat for mainly a few instances of damaging wind and
large hail will persist over southeast TX next couple hours,
spreading into southwest LA by mid evening. With time threat for a
few tornadoes is expected to increase, especially across southern
LA.

DISCUSSION...Early this evening a warm front separating rich Gulf
moisture from modified continental-polar air extends from southeast
LA westward to along the southeast TX coast. This boundary should
slowly develop inland, especially later tonight as the low-level jet
strengthens across LA. In the meantime, thunderstorms are expected
to continue developing initially over southeast TX, but spreading
into southwest LA by mid evening as a northeastward-ejecting
shortwave trough enhances ascent north of this boundary. As steeper
mid-level lapse rates advect eastward in the presence of low-level
theta-e advection, instability will increase and the thermodynamic
environment should become more supportive of robust updrafts. Strong
effective bulk shear will support some supercell and bowing
structures with initial threats being mainly large hail and damaging
wind. Weak low-level winds may initially limit short-term tornado
potential. However, the tornado threat is expected to increase by
mid-evening onward and especially later tonight over southern LA as
the strengthening low-level jet augments 0-1 km hodograph size.

..Dial/Edwards.. 01/21/2017

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

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

LAT...LON   29759328 29709399 29489470 30089500 30839411 31009278
            30659198 29879202 29759328

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 20, 7:32 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAcadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and 9 more6 hr
Jan 20, 10:04 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAcadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline and 7 more116 min
Jan 20, 10:44 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAscension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Jefferson, Lafourche and 12 more61 min
Jan 20, 11:00 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAscension, Assumption, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville and 17 more8 hr
Jan 21, 1:41 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAcadia, Avoyelles, Cameron, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis and 5 more64 min
Jan 21, 2:55 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAscension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson and 16 more2 hr
Jan 21, 6:35 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCJefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles and 1 more55 min
Jan 21, 2:33 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, De Soto, Jackson and 8 more2 hr
Jan 21, 2:34 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge and 16 more2 hr
Jan 21, 3:29 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAcadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge and 22 more6 hr
Jan 21, 3:41 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto and 11 more7 hr
Jan 21, 5:32 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAvoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula and 23 more118 min
Jan 20, 10:07 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Hardin, Harris, Jasper and 10 more113 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Louisiana, 2017Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 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.