Alert archive / Michigan / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1110

June 26, 2021LaPorte County, Saint Joseph County, Indiana; 21 counties in Michigan

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jun 26, 2021, 12:48 PM CDT for LaPorte County, Saint Joseph County, Indiana; 21 counties in Michigan. It was in force for 57 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 26, 2021, 12:48 PM CDT (17:48 UTC)
Expired
Jun 26, 2021, 1:45 PM CDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 321
All 23 counties

LaPorte County, IN, Saint Joseph County, IN, Allegan County, MI, Barry County, MI, Bay County, MI, Berrien County, MI, Calhoun County, MI, Cass County, MI, Clinton County, MI, Eaton County, MI, Gratiot County, MI, Ingham County, MI, Ionia County, MI, Isabella County, MI, Kalamazoo County, MI, Kent County, MI, Mecosta County, MI, Midland County, MI, Montcalm County, MI, Saginaw County, MI, Saint Joseph County, MI, Shiawassee County, MI, Van Buren County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:48 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

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 169 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, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2021-06-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 492 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, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2021-06-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
492 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
493 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

803 
ACUS11 KWNS 261748
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 261748 
MIZ000-INZ000-261845-

Mesoscale Discussion 1110
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1248 PM CDT Sat Jun 26 2021

Areas affected...Parts of western through central lower Michigan

Concerning...Tornado Watch 321...

Valid 261748Z - 261845Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 321 continues.

SUMMARY...Intensifying thunderstorms posing a risk for isolated
tornadoes and damaging downbursts are possible across interior
central and southern Lower Michigan by 4-5 PM EDT.

DISCUSSION...Slowly strengthening and upscale growing thunderstorm
activity has organized into a line across southern lower Michigan. 
This will likely continue advecting within 30-40+ kt southwesterly
deep-layer mean ambient flow across the Lake Michigan shoreline
through much of southwestern and central Lower Michigan by 20-21Z.

This appears supported by large-scale forcing for ascent to the east
of a lower/mid-level low centered over Iowa, perhaps aided by a
remnant MCV now crossing southeastern Wisconsin, and coincides with
strengthening low-level and deep-layer vertical shear.  This
includes a northeastward migrating south-southwesterly 850 mb jet,
which may continue to strengthen to 40-50 kt as it propagates across
southern Lower Michigan by late afternoon.

Due to generally modest to weak lapse rates, boundary-layer CAPE is
still weak, but will continue to gradually increase with additional
insolation.  This is expected to be sufficient to support 
substantive further intensification of the approaching line as it
moves onshore and inland.  Isolated discrete storm development may
also occur ahead of the line, in an environment becoming
increasingly conducive to strengthening low-level mesocyclones
posing a risk for strong downbursts and perhaps a couple of
tornadoes.

..Kerr.. 06/26/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...DTX...APX...IWX...GRR...LOT...

LAT...LON   43398578 43968488 43838358 43208381 42158477 41648567
            41508669 41818720 42418680 43398578

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 25, 7:05 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBenton, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart and 22 more55 min
Jun 25, 10:31 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBenton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain and 19 more59 min
Jun 26, 11:45 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCJasper, Lake, Newton2 hr
Jun 26, 12:05 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBenton, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Jasper, Kosciusko and 15 more9 hr
Jun 26, 2:47 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCElkhart, Jasper, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte and 7 more118 min
Jun 26, 6:08 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton and 31 more67 min
Jun 26, 6:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCCarroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Parke, Tippecanoe and 2 more3 hr
Jun 26, 3:04 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCArenac, Bay, Genesee, Gladwin, Huron, Iosco and 12 more6 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Michigan, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Indiana, 2021Every mesoscale discussion in 2021

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.