Alert archive / Kansas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2018

Mesoscale Discussion 421

May 14, 20186 counties in Kansas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 14, 2018, 8:32 PM CDT for 6 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 88 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 14, 2018, 8:32 PM CDT (01:32 UTC)
Expired
May 14, 2018, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
88 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Chance of a watch
20%

Counties Finney County, KS, Hodgeman County, KS, Lane County, KS, Ness County, KS, Scott County, KS, Wichita County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:35 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

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 80 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2018-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 849 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2018-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 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
849 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-178 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1870 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

751 
ACUS11 KWNS 150133
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 150132 
KSZ000-150300-

Mesoscale Discussion 0421
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0832 PM CDT Mon May 14 2018

Areas affected...Western KS

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 150132Z - 150300Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...20 percent

SUMMARY...The long-lived intense thunderstorm cluster across western
KS will continue to pose a localized significant severe risk in the
short term, though the duration of the threat is uncertain.

DISCUSSION...At 0130Z, an intense supercell cluster was moving
southeast across west-central KS. The cluster is likely slightly
elevated, given its presentation on visible satellite imagery and
location north of a surface boundary, but moderate instability and
effective shear of 40-50 kt has allowed the cluster to become well
organized. While effective shear will remain favorable downstream,
the thermodynamic environment is expected to become increasingly
hostile, as SB CINH increases. This cluster will likely become
increasingly elevated with time, and with the low-level jet expected
to be focused east of this area, a gradual decreasing trend is
expected later this evening. 

Given the very localized nature and expected limited duration of the
threat, no watch issuance is currently anticipated unless additional
upscale growth occurs. However, until a definitive weakening trend
commences, wind-driven large hail capable of significant damage will
continue to be a threat with this system.

..Dean/Hart.. 05/15/2018

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

ATTN...WFO...DDC...GLD...

LAT...LON   38680109 38680053 38389944 37999942 37759966 37830015
            37980072 38130114 38290143 38410159 38680109

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 7:15 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Anderson, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua and 19 more90 min
May 14, 8:05 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHarper85 min
May 14, 11:30 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCherokee, Labette90 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Kansas, 2018Every mesoscale discussion in 2018

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.