Alert archive / Oklahoma / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1844

October 12, 202118 counties in Oklahoma; 5 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Oct 12, 2021, 9:18 PM CDT for 18 counties in Oklahoma; 5 counties in Texas. It was in force for 117 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Oct 12, 2021, 9:18 PM CDT (02:18 UTC)
Expired
Oct 12, 2021, 11:15 PM CDT
In force
117 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 523
All 23 counties

Beaver County, OK, Beckham County, OK, Blaine County, OK, Caddo County, OK, Canadian County, OK, Comanche County, OK, Custer County, OK, Dewey County, OK, Ellis County, OK, Grady County, OK, Greer County, OK, Harper County, OK, Kingfisher County, OK, Kiowa County, OK, Major County, OK, Roger Mills County, OK, Washita County, OK, Woodward County, OK, Hemphill County, TX, Lipscomb County, TX, Ochiltree County, TX, Roberts County, TX, Wheeler County, TX

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 146 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:19 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

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 166 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 2021-10-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 496 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 2021-10-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 331 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
496 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-164 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
662 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
372 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

810 
ACUS11 KWNS 130219
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 130218 
OKZ000-KSZ000-TXZ000-130415-

Mesoscale Discussion 1844
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0918 PM CDT Tue Oct 12 2021

Areas affected...Western Oklahoma and the eastern Oklahoma and Texas
Panhandles

Concerning...Tornado Watch 523...

Valid 130218Z - 130415Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 523 continues.

SUMMARY...The threat for tornadoes and severe wind continues across
WW 523. The greatest near-term threats will reside with a pair of
supercells across western OK, as well as intensifying storms across
the OK/TX Panhandles.

DISCUSSION...Vertical wind profilers from across the southern Plains
have shown strengthening flow in the lowest 2-3 km over the past
hour as the surface low across the southern/central High Plains
continues to deepen and the main synoptic wave ejects into the
Plains. This has boosted effective SRH to around 400 m2/s2 across
much of WW 523, and aided in the organization and longevity of a
pair of tornadic supercells across western OK. These two cells will
continue to pose a tornado threat for the next 1-2 hours, but the
longevity of the threat is uncertain due to a less favorable
thermodynamic environment with eastern extent. Additional discrete
cells ahead of the approaching cold front remain possible, but
appears unlikely given recent failed attempts at initiation near
Woodward, OK.

To the west, convection along the Pacific cold front is intensifying
as the front encounters a more unstable air mass. Severe winds have
already been reported with this line across the Panhandles, and will
continue to be possible as convection continues to intensify over
the coming hours. Given the strongly sheared environment ahead of
this line, QLCS tornadoes will also be possible - especially in the
vicinity of any northwest to southeast surges where line-normal 0-3
km bulk shear values will be maximized to near 40-45 knots.

..Moore.. 10/13/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...OUN...DDC...AMA...

LAT...LON   34889988 35380065 35990127 36740115 37040086 36989947
            36579857 36369791 35989767 35569766 35179770 34699778
            34409809 34409867 34889988

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 12, 7:30 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBeaver, Beckham, Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Custer and 10 more2 hr
Oct 12, 11:05 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAlfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian and 19 more7 hr
Oct 13, 1:18 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAlfalfa, Beckham, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Ellis and 7 more87 min
Oct 13, 3:26 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlaine, Caddo, Canadian, Garfield, Grant, Jackson and 6 more94 min
Oct 13, 5:16 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCleveland, Creek, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain and 9 more59 min
Oct 13, 7:34 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCherokee, Craig, Delaware, Hughes, McIntosh, Mayes and 9 more116 min
Oct 13, 3:59 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrown, Coleman, Collin, Comanche, Cooke, Denton and 9 more91 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Oklahoma, 2021Mesoscale 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.