Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 168

March 13, 20214 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Mar 13, 2021, 4:10 PM CST for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 65 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 2021, 4:10 PM CST (22:10 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 2021, 5:15 PM CST
In force
65 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 19

Counties Armstrong County, TX, Carson County, TX, Hutchinson County, TX, Randall County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 19 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 2021-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 188 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 2021-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 162 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
188 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-140 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
540 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
73 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
162 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
216 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

642 
ACUS11 KWNS 132211
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 132210 
TXZ000-132315-

Mesoscale Discussion 0168
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0410 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021

Areas affected...Portions of the Texas Panhandle

Concerning...Tornado Watch 19...

Valid 132210Z - 132315Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 19 continues.

SUMMARY...Indications are that a significant tornado is ongoing
across Randall County.

DISCUSSION...Radar indicates an intense, cyclic supercell ongoing
across eastern Randall and western Armstrong Counties in Texas
currently.  Velocities are suggestive of a significant tornado.  A
less intense supercell (with strong rotation aloft) was also located
just south of this storm across Swisher County that also recently
had a reported tornado.  The cell resides within an axis of strong
shear/instability with a significant tornado parameter of 4.  This
suggests continued potential for significant tornadogenesis over the
next hour or so in downstream areas..

..Cook/Grams.. 03/13/2021

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

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

LAT...LON   35190195 35450182 35890136 35970104 35710076 35130095
            34710134 34620182 34770199 35190195

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 8:11 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaylor, Briscoe, Childress, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens and 18 more64 min
Mar 12, 8:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCArmstrong, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Cochran and 29 more5 hr
Mar 12, 11:08 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArmstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth and 26 more2 hr
Mar 13, 1:06 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCChildress, Cottle, Foard, Hardeman, Motley54 min
Mar 13, 7:36 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCDallam, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Sherman2 hr
Mar 13, 11:48 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBailey, Castro, Cochran, Deaf Smith, Hale, Hockley and 7 more117 min
Mar 13, 12:36 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBailey, Castro, Cochran, Deaf Smith, Hale, Hockley and 8 more5 hr
Mar 13, 1:52 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArmstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle and 9 more113 min
Mar 13, 2:26 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCArmstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle and 19 more7 hr
Mar 13, 2:39 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAndrews, Borden, Crane, Crockett, Dawson, Ector and 18 more2 hr
Mar 13, 3:23 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBorden, Coke, Crane, Crockett, Dawson, Fisher and 18 more6 hr
Mar 13, 3:46 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArmstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Donley, Floyd, Hale and 5 more59 min
Mar 13, 5:46 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArmstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle and 18 more89 min

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.