Alert archive / Missouri / Mesoscale Discussions in 2018

Mesoscale Discussion 596

May 31, 20185 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 31, 2018, 4:42 PM CDT for 5 states. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 2018, 4:42 PM CDT (21:42 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2018, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 53 counties

Clay County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Alexander County, IL, Gallatin County, IL, Hardin County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Massac County, IL, Pope County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Saline County, IL, Union County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Ballard County, KY, Caldwell County, KY, Calloway County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Christian County, KY, Crittenden County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Graves County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Hopkins County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Lyon County, KY, Marshall County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Trigg County, KY, Union County, KY, Webster County, KY, Bollinger County, MO, Butler County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Carter County, MO, Dent County, MO, Howell County, MO, Iron County, MO, Madison County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Oregon County, MO, Perry County, MO, Reynolds County, MO, Ripley County, MO, Saint Francois County, MO, Scott County, MO, Shannon County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Wayne County, MO, Lake County, TN, Montgomery County, TN, Obion County, TN, Stewart County, TN

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:43 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

Little Rock, AR (KBYH), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 232 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2018-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1378 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2018-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -96 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
1378 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-146 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
988 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-96 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

803 
ACUS11 KWNS 312143
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 312142 
KYZ000-TNZ000-INZ000-ILZ000-MOZ000-ARZ000-312345-

Mesoscale Discussion 0596
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0442 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

Areas affected...Southeast Missouri...Far Northeast
Arkansas...Southern Illinois...Western Kentucky

Concerning...Severe Thunderstorm Watch 138...

Valid 312142Z - 312345Z

The severe weather threat for Severe Thunderstorm Watch 138
continues.

SUMMARY...The tornado threat is expected to increase over the next
few hours across WW 138. Large hail and wind damage will also be
possible with the stronger thunderstorms.

DISCUSSION...An outflow boundary is evident on satellite imagery
across southeast Missouri where scattered thunderstorm have
developed over the last few hours. Surface dewpoints near the
boundary are in the lower 70s F which is contributing to moderate
instability. The RAP is estimating MLCAPE values in the 2000 to 2500
J/kg range in most of southern Missouri extending westward into
western Kentucky. A subtle shortwave trough is evident across the
mid Mississippi Valley and lower Missouri Valley according to water
vapor imagery. Large-scale ascent associated with this feature will
aide convective initiation and cell coverage should increase over
the next couple of hours. A mid-level speed max around 50 kt located
just ahead of the shortwave is helping to create moderate to strong
deep-layer shear profiles across southeast Missouri and western
Kentucky which will be favorable for supercells. In addition,
low-level flow is forecast to increase over the next few hours. This
will help create favorable low-level shear for a tornado threat. The
environment will also support a potential for isolated large hail
and wind damage.

..Broyles/Thompson.. 05/31/2018

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

ATTN...WFO...OHX...PAH...MEG...LSX...LZK...SGF...

LAT...LON   36478733 36318899 36339165 36959217 37869133 37788749
            36478733

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 2:59 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBenton, Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson and 3 more61 min
May 31, 12:24 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Fulton and 4 more96 min
May 31, 1:57 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCClay, Greene, Lawrence, Randolph6 hr
May 31, 5:46 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClay, Cleburne, Craighead, Fulton, Greene, Independence and 8 more2 hr
May 31, 10:16 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClay, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Gallatin, Hamilton and 9 more119 min
May 31, 10:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCClark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham and 8 more6 hr
May 31, 11:26 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAnderson, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyle, Breathitt and 39 more64 min
May 31, 1:05 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAnderson, Boone, Bourbon, Bracken, Breckinridge, Bullitt and 25 more85 min
May 31, 1:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBoone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant and 6 more3 hr
May 31, 2:29 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdair, Allen, Barren, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson and 9 more91 min
May 31, 2:56 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAnderson, Bath, Bourbon, Boyle, Bracken, Breathitt and 37 more64 min
May 31, 3:27 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBell, Clinton, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, Letcher and 3 more93 min
May 31, 3:44 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBracken, Lewis, Mason91 min
May 31, 4:31 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBell, Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Russell, Wayne and 1 more59 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Missouri, 2018Mesoscale Discussions in Kentucky, 2018Mesoscale Discussions in Illinois, 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.