Alert archive / Mississippi / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 1867

October 15, 202111 counties in Mississippi; 10 counties in Tennessee

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Oct 15, 2021, 5:06 PM CDT for 11 counties in Mississippi; 10 counties in Tennessee. It was in force for 114 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Oct 15, 2021, 5:06 PM CDT (22:06 UTC)
Expired
Oct 15, 2021, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
114 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
60%
All 21 counties

Alcorn County, MS, Benton County, MS, DeSoto County, MS, Lafayette County, MS, Marshall County, MS, Panola County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Tate County, MS, Tippah County, MS, Tunica County, MS, Union County, MS, Chester County, TN, Decatur County, TN, Fayette County, TN, Hardeman County, TN, Hardin County, TN, Haywood County, TN, Henderson County, TN, Madison County, TN, McNairy County, TN, Shelby County, TN

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:07 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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 52 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2021-10-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 567 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2021-10-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 69 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
567 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
671 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

131 
ACUS11 KWNS 152207
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 152206 
ALZ000-TNZ000-MSZ000-ARZ000-160000-

Mesoscale Discussion 1867
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0506 PM CDT Fri Oct 15 2021

Areas affected...northern MS...southwest TN

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 152206Z - 160000Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

SUMMARY...Forecast soundings show hodographs enlarging over the next
2-3 hours between 5pm to 7-8pm.  An isolated risk for a tornado may
accompany the stronger storms.  The threat for damaging gusts will
likely concentrate near the RFD of any supercells or downdraft
surges with bowing segments.

DISCUSSION...Radar mosaic shows a linear cluster of storms over
eastern AR expected to cross the MS River over the next 1-2 hours. 
Surface temperatures have warmed into the lower 80s near Memphis and
cooler rain-cooled air (low to mid 70s F) is located over northern
MS.  

KNQA (Memphis, TN) WSR-88D VAD shows a largely unidirectional
southwesterly wind profile with flow increasing with height to
around 60 kt at 6 km AGL.  Both RAP and NAM forecast soundings
indicate the hodograph size will increase over the next few hours as
flow strengthens in the boundary layer and 700-mb flow increases
from 25 kt as of 5pm CDT to 35-40 kt by 7-8pm CDT.  As large-scale
forcing for ascent strengthens with the approach of the mid-upper
trough, expecting a severe risk to continue to the east and
southeast of severe thunderstorm watch #527 (into parts of northern
MS).  Damaging gusts will be the primary concern with the stronger
storms but a tornado threat may increase coincident with the
hodograph enlargement.

..Smith/Guyer.. 10/15/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...OHX...HUN...MEG...

LAT...LON   34779056 35718951 35688801 34918807 34388868 34289033
            34779056

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 15, 11:14 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCoahoma, DeSoto, Tunica3 hr
Oct 15, 12:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCDeSoto, Tunica9 hr
Oct 15, 2:52 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCDeSoto, Tunica113 min
Oct 15, 6:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAlcorn, Benton, Coahoma, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee and 9 more4 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Mississippi, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Tennessee, 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.