Alert archive / Michigan / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1496

August 12, 20217 counties in Michigan

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Aug 12, 2021, 6:38 AM EDT for 7 counties in Michigan. It was in force for 97 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 12, 2021, 6:38 AM EDT (10:38 UTC)
Expired
Aug 12, 2021, 8:15 AM EDT
In force
97 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch unlikely
Chance of a watch
20%

Counties Hillsdale County, MI, Jackson County, MI, Lenawee County, MI, Monroe County, MI, Oakland County, MI, Washtenaw County, MI, Wayne County, MI

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:40 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

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 00:00Z, 10.6 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, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 2021-08-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 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 00:00Z on 2021-08-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 243 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
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-458 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1474 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
243 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
373 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

861 
ACUS11 KWNS 121039
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 121038 
MIZ000-OHZ000-INZ000-121215-

Mesoscale Discussion 1496
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0538 AM CDT Thu Aug 12 2021

Areas affected...Southern Lower MI

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 121038Z - 121215Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...20 percent

SUMMARY...Damaging wind gusts are possible across south-central and
southeast Lower MI over the next hour or so.

DISCUSSION...Convective cluster moving northeastward across southern
Lower MI recently produced a severe gust of 51 kt at Coldwater MI
(OEB). Velocity signatures from IWX and DTX show this an area of
enhanced outbounds well at around 5 and 6 kft, respectively. The
cluster itself has also surged forward, with recent storm motion
estimated at around 55 kt. The downstream air mass is very moist,
with relatively minimal temperature-dewpoint spreads, suggesting
these gusts are not driven by negative buoyancy but likely the
manifestation of a strong downdraft reaching the surface and/or
downward momentum transfer from the low-level jet. Given the
reduction in buoyancy with northeastward extent, it is likely that
this downburst will eventually surge ahead as the storm gusts out.
However, low-level vertical shear is strong enough for localized
downdraft/vertical shear balance to persist for an hour or so. As a
result, damaging wind gusts are possible across south-central and
southeast Lower MI for the next hour. Limited spatial and temporal
extent of the threat will likely preclude the need for watch.

..Mosier/Edwards.. 08/12/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...CLE...DTX...IWX...GRR...

LAT...LON   42208489 42518436 42778302 42378279 41788319 41668412
            41678486 42208489

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 11, 8:35 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBerrien, Cass, Van Buren85 min
Aug 11, 9:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAllegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass and 9 more8 hr
Aug 11, 10:17 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCGenesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Saint Clair and 3 more88 min
Aug 12, 12:06 AM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass and 7 more84 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Michigan, 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.