Alert archive / Ohio / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1499

August 12, 202119 counties in Ohio; 7 counties in Pennsylvania; Brooke County, Hancock County, Ohio County, West Virginia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Aug 12, 2021, 3:17 PM EDT for 19 counties in Ohio; 7 counties in Pennsylvania; Brooke County, Hancock County, Ohio County, West Virginia. It was in force for 58 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 12, 2021, 3:17 PM EDT (19:17 UTC)
Expired
Aug 12, 2021, 4:15 PM EDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...severe thunderstorm watch likely
Chance of a watch
80%
All 29 counties

Ashland County, OH, Carroll County, OH, Columbiana County, OH, Coshocton County, OH, Cuyahoga County, OH, Geauga County, OH, Guernsey County, OH, Harrison County, OH, Holmes County, OH, Jefferson County, OH, Lorain County, OH, Mahoning County, OH, Medina County, OH, Portage County, OH, Stark County, OH, Summit County, OH, Trumbull County, OH, Tuscarawas County, OH, Wayne County, OH, Allegheny County, PA, Beaver County, PA, Butler County, PA, Crawford County, PA, Lawrence County, PA, Mercer County, PA, Washington County, PA, Brooke County, WV, Hancock County, WV, Ohio County, WV

The radar

The Cleveland radar (KCLE), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:16 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 105 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2021-08-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1075 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2021-08-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 163 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
1075 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-107 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
890 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

944 
ACUS11 KWNS 121917
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 121917 
PAZ000-WVZ000-OHZ000-122015-

Mesoscale Discussion 1499
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0217 PM CDT Thu Aug 12 2021

Areas affected...northeast and east-central OH...WV
Panhandle...western PA

Concerning...Severe potential...Severe Thunderstorm Watch likely 

Valid 121917Z - 122015Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...80 percent

SUMMARY...Convective initiation is being monitored for over
northeast OH during the through 4pm.  If/once storms develop and
subsequently intensify, the environment over adjacent parts of
OH/WV/PA supports the stronger storms being capable of 55-65 mph
gusts and wind damage.

DISCUSSION...Visible satellite imagery shows a swelling cumulus
field with the initial signs of glaciation occurring southwest of
Cleveland as of 305pm.  A series of gravity waves are implied in the
cumulus field, but this seems to have little overall impact for
convective initiation.  More consequential, an MCV located over the
northwest quadrant of OH will continue to move east towards
northeast OH.  Ascent associated with this feature appears to be
having some influence in the onset of more appreciable convective
development.  With upper 80s surface temperatures and middle 70s
dewpoints, the 17z run of the RAP appears to have an accurate
depiction of the surface conditions.  The RAP forecast soundings
show around 3000 J/kg MLCAPE over northeast OH.  The 30-40 kt flow
in the 700-500 mb layer (per the RAP soundings) will aid in some
multicellular organization once convective initiation occurs.  The
primary risks with the stronger storms will be gusts in the 55-65
mph range and perhaps marginally severe hail.  The area from
northeast OH into western PA is being considered for a severe
thunderstorm watch.

..Smith/Thompson.. 08/12/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...PBZ...CLE...ILN...

LAT...LON   40448242 41418233 42028032 41047959 40127967 40018197
            40448242

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 12, 3:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAshtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Harrison and 12 more6 hr
Aug 12, 6:22 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBelmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Mahoning83 min
Aug 12, 11:03 AM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCSusquehanna2 hr
Aug 12, 12:19 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllegheny, Armstrong, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron and 20 more116 min
Aug 12, 1:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCArmstrong, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre and 27 more9 hr
Aug 12, 1:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and 1 more6 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Ohio, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Pennsylvania, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in West Virginia, 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.