Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1534

August 16, 202122 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Aug 16, 2021, 1:28 PM CDT for 22 counties in Texas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 2021, 1:28 PM CDT (18:28 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2021, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch unlikely
Chance of a watch
20%
All 22 counties

Armstrong County, TX, Bailey County, TX, Briscoe County, TX, Carson County, TX, Castro County, TX, Collingsworth County, TX, Deaf Smith County, TX, Donley County, TX, Floyd County, TX, Gray County, TX, Hale County, TX, Hall County, TX, Hutchinson County, TX, Lamb County, TX, Moore County, TX, Oldham County, TX, Parmer County, TX, Potter County, TX, Randall County, TX, Roberts County, TX, Swisher County, TX, Wheeler County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:29 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

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 38 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 894 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
894 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-75 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1213 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

716 
ACUS11 KWNS 161829
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 161828 
TXZ000-NMZ000-162030-

Mesoscale Discussion 1534
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0128 PM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021

Areas affected...Texas Panhandle

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 161828Z - 162030Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...20 percent

SUMMARY...Scattered thunderstorms will continue to develop through
the afternoon. A few instances of damaging wind and/or hail will be
possible, but storms will likely remain too transient and
disorganized for a robust severe threat.

DISCUSSION...Thunderstorms continue to develop along a southwestward
propagating outflow boundary across the northern TX Panhandle.
Additional isolated storms are deepening within a growing cumulus
field that has developed along a diffuse trough axis. Weak flow over
the region, as sampled by the KAMA VWP, suggests that storms will
likely remain disorganized and outflow-driven. Reflectivity trends
from the cluster north of Amarillo, TX support this idea as
northward propagating storms are outpaced by the southwestward
moving outflow. However, 1500-2000 J/kg MLCAPE is supporting a few
stronger updraft pulses capable of severe hail (as indicated by
recent MRMS vertically integrated ice trends). Additionally, gradual
diurnal warming ahead of the outflow across the central and western
Panhandle is allowing low-level lapse rates to steepen to near 8
C/km, which may support sporadic damaging downburst winds. Overall,
the severe threat will most likely remain too isolated and transient
for a watch.

..Moore/Hart.. 08/16/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...LUB...AMA...ABQ...

LAT...LON   35160312 35540278 35920194 36050129 35820038 35420012
            34860013 34440046 34070114 33870202 33800267 33970302
            34560325 35160312

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 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.