Alert archive / Iowa / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1619

August 27, 202126 counties in Iowa; 7 counties in Minnesota; 5 counties in Wisconsin

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Aug 27, 2021, 4:01 PM CDT for 26 counties in Iowa; 7 counties in Minnesota; 5 counties in Wisconsin. It was in force for 59 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 27, 2021, 4:01 PM CDT (21:01 UTC)
Expired
Aug 27, 2021, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
40%
All 38 counties

Allamakee County, IA, Black Hawk County, IA, Bremer County, IA, Butler County, IA, Calhoun County, IA, Cerro Gordo County, IA, Chickasaw County, IA, Clayton County, IA, Fayette County, IA, Floyd County, IA, Franklin County, IA, Grundy County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Hancock County, IA, Hardin County, IA, Howard County, IA, Humboldt County, IA, Kossuth County, IA, Mitchell County, IA, Palo Alto County, IA, Pocahontas County, IA, Webster County, IA, Winnebago County, IA, Winneshiek County, IA, Worth County, IA, Wright County, IA, Faribault County, MN, Fillmore County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Houston County, MN, Mower County, MN, Olmsted County, MN, Winona County, MN, Crawford County, WI, La Crosse County, WI, Monroe County, WI, Richland County, WI, Vernon County, WI

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 156 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:03 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 218 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2021-08-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 487 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2021-08-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -9 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
487 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-63 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
644 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-16 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

488 
ACUS11 KWNS 272102
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 272101 
WIZ000-IAZ000-MNZ000-272200-

Mesoscale Discussion 1619
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0401 PM CDT Fri Aug 27 2021

Areas affected...Northern Iowa...Southwest Wisconsin...and Southern
Minnesota

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 272101Z - 272200Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...40 percent

SUMMARY...Intensification and new convective development remain
possible this evening. Area continues to be monitored for possible
watch issuance.

DISCUSSION...Visible satellite continues to show widespread cloud
cover over southern Minnesota into north-central Iowa associated
with ongoing elevated convection. Farther south, a reservoir of
moderate instability (MLCAPE of 3000-3500 J/kg) has developed within
a deeply mixed boundary layer. Despite these conditions, convective
activity has struggled to intensify, perhaps owing to the residual
cloud cover and somewhat modest mid-level lapse rates.

Short-term evolution of the ongoing convection and any new
development remains unclear. Visible satellite shows some signs of
more vigorous updrafts developing over north-central Iowa. Modest
deep-layer shear remains present over the region, which will help to
organize this convection should it become rooted in the boundary
layer, and favorable low-level shear over this region will support a
tornado threat where low-level winds can remain backed, in addition
to a hail/wind threat. This area will continue to be monitored for
possible watch issuance in the next few hours.

..Karstens/Dial.. 08/27/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...MKX...DVN...ARX...MPX...DMX...FSD...

LAT...LON   42299294 42119456 42519533 43659414 44089206 43919015
            42929064 42299294

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 26, 8:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBuena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida, Lyon and 5 more7 hr
Aug 26, 10:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee and 25 more2 hr
Aug 27, 1:53 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlack Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw and 18 more97 min
Aug 27, 5:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAllamakee, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton and 12 more6 hr
Aug 27, 5:30 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllamakee, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd, Howard, Winneshiek60 min
Aug 27, 6:28 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAudubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and 6 more92 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Iowa, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Minnesota, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Wisconsin, 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.