Alert archive / Alabama / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1658

August 31, 202110 counties in Alabama; 4 counties in Georgia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Aug 31, 2021, 4:31 AM CDT for 10 counties in Alabama; 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 89 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 31, 2021, 4:31 AM CDT (09:31 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 2021, 6:00 AM CDT
In force
89 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch unlikely
Chance of a watch
20%

Counties Bullock County, AL, Chambers County, AL, Cleburne County, AL, Crenshaw County, AL, Lee County, AL, Macon County, AL, Montgomery County, AL, Pike County, AL, Randolph County, AL, Tallapoosa County, AL, Carroll County, GA, Haralson County, GA, Heard County, GA, Troup County, GA

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 21 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:31 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

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 117 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2021-08-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 182 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2021-08-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 268 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
182 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
524 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
268 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
284 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

212 
ACUS11 KWNS 310931
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 310931 
GAZ000-ALZ000-311100-

Mesoscale Discussion 1658
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0431 AM CDT Tue Aug 31 2021

Areas affected...East central/southeast AL and west central GA

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 310931Z - 311100Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...20 percent

SUMMARY...A low-end threat for a brief/weak tornado or two will
persist this morning, but a watch is not anticipated in the short
term.

DISCUSSION...The primary confluence band, to the east of the remnant
center of tropical cyclone Ida, extends from south central into east
central AL.  A narrow corridor of 73-74 F surface dewpoints extends
along this confluence zone, where buoyancy is relatively larger and
coincident with the belt of stronger low-level shear/SRH.  Buoyancy
is marginal for a supercell/tornado threat, but there is enough CAPE
to support updrafts producing lightning, so an isolated/weak tornado
will still be possible with the more persistent supercell structures
in the confluence band.  Given that this is still well before the
diurnal heating cycle, the prospects for much ramp up in the tornado
threat appear limited.  Thus, a watch is not anticipated in the next
couple of hours.

..Thompson.. 08/31/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...FFC...TAE...BMX...MOB...

LAT...LON   32988590 33878565 33968519 33808483 33368485 32688510
            32078556 31468598 31338639 31458662 32388612 32988590

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 31, 7:44 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHenry2 hr
Aug 31, 3:49 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCGeneva, Henry, Houston, Russell116 min
Aug 31, 6:44 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCDale, Geneva, Henry, Houston91 min
Aug 31, 1:03 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBanks, Barrow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clarke and 47 more117 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Alabama, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Georgia, 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.