Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 135

February 28, 2021Howard County, Polk County, Sevier County, Arkansas; Choctaw County, McCurtain County, Pushmataha County, Oklahoma; 18 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Feb 28, 2021, 9:59 AM CST for Howard County, Polk County, Sevier County, Arkansas; Choctaw County, McCurtain County, Pushmataha County, Oklahoma; 18 counties in Texas. It was in force for 91 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Feb 28, 2021, 9:59 AM CST (15:59 UTC)
Expired
Feb 28, 2021, 11:30 AM CST
In force
91 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch likely
Chance of a watch
80%
All 24 counties

Howard County, AR, Polk County, AR, Sevier County, AR, Choctaw County, OK, McCurtain County, OK, Pushmataha County, OK, Bosque County, TX, Collin County, TX, Dallas County, TX, Delta County, TX, Ellis County, TX, Fannin County, TX, Franklin County, TX, Hill County, TX, Hopkins County, TX, Hunt County, TX, Johnson County, TX, Kaufman County, TX, Lamar County, TX, Rains County, TX, Red River County, TX, Rockwall County, TX, Somervell County, TX, Tarrant County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:00 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

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 4.0 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-02-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1316 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-02-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 165 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1316 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-80 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
666 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
71 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
165 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.2
Supercell composite
3.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

752 
ACUS11 KWNS 281559
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 281559 
ARZ000-TXZ000-OKZ000-281730-

Mesoscale Discussion 0135
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0959 AM CST Sun Feb 28 2021

Areas affected...northeast Texas through southeast Oklahoma and
southwest Arkansas

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch likely 

Valid 281559Z - 281730Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...80 percent

SUMMARY...Thunderstorms are expected to increase in coverage and
intensity by late morning into the afternoon. Primary threats will
be isolated large hail and damaging wind gusts, though a tornado or
two will also be possible. A WW will likely be needed before 17Z.

DISCUSSION...As of mid morning a cold front extends from eastern OK
through north central and west central TX. An isolated thunderstorm
with mid-level updraft rotation has developed on the front and is
located just east of Gainesville with another isolated storm near
Mineral Wells. The downstream warm sector is already moderately
unstable with 1000-1500 J/kg MLCAPE supported by upper 60s F
dewpoints and 7-7.5 C/km mid-level lapse rates. Further
destabilization will occur, but will be limited to some degree by
widespread multi-layer clouds. Weak, progressive impulses embedded
within the southwesterly upper flow regime and forcing along the
cold front will contribute to an increase in thunderstorm coverage
later this morning as the boundary layer slowly warms. The primary
low-level jet has shifted east of this region resulting in small 0-1
km hodographs. However, a belt of strong southwesterly winds
increasing to around 70 kt at 500 mb resides above the warm sector
and is contributing to 60+ kt effective bulk shear. Therefore, some
storms should organize with supercells and bowing segments likely,
eventually consolidating into a dominant linear mode. Large hail and
isolated damaging wind will be the main threats. The small low-level
hodographs should tend to limit overall tornado threat. However, a
tornado or two cannot be ruled out.

..Dial/Hart.. 02/28/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...LZK...SHV...TSA...FWD...OUN...

LAT...LON   32559772 33599665 34899484 34329358 31909679 31859817
            32559772

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 28, 10:43 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCHempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Montgomery and 5 more7 hr
Feb 28, 1:01 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArkansas, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway and 32 more119 min
Feb 28, 2:22 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCArkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Clay, Cleburne and 32 more8 hr
Feb 28, 2:25 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHempstead, Howard, Little River, Miller, Pike, Sevier2 hr
Feb 28, 4:40 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Craighead and 23 more95 min
Feb 28, 5:28 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada and 2 more2 hr
Feb 28, 5:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCColumbia, Hempstead, Lafayette, Miller, Nevada, Union4 hr
Feb 28, 1:47 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Mayes, Okfuskee, Oklahoma and 8 more2 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Arkansas, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Oklahoma, 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.