Alert archive / Alabama / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 2020

December 11, 202114 counties in Alabama; 9 counties in Georgia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Dec 11, 2021, 7:34 AM CST for 14 counties in Alabama; 9 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 86 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Dec 11, 2021, 7:34 AM CST (13:34 UTC)
Expired
Dec 11, 2021, 9:00 AM CST
In force
86 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch unlikely
Chance of a watch
5%
All 23 counties

Bibb County, AL, Blount County, AL, Calhoun County, AL, Cherokee County, AL, Clay County, AL, Cleburne County, AL, DeKalb County, AL, Etowah County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Shelby County, AL, St. Clair County, AL, Talladega County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Bartow County, GA, Catoosa County, GA, Chattooga County, GA, Floyd County, GA, Gordon County, GA, Haralson County, GA, Polk County, GA, Walker County, GA, Whitfield County, GA

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:34 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 12:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 79 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 12:00Z on 2021-12-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 245 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2021-12-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 325 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
245 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
703 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
325 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
371 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
3.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

837 
ACUS11 KWNS 111335
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 111334 
GAZ000-ALZ000-111500-

Mesoscale Discussion 2020
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0734 AM CST Sat Dec 11 2021

Areas affected...portions of north-central AL into northwest GA

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 111334Z - 111500Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...5 percent

SUMMARY...Locally gusty winds may accompany thunderstorms across
parts of central AL into northwest GA this morning. However, severe
thunderstorm potential is expected to remain limited.

DISCUSSION...A line of strong storms extends from north-central AL
into east-central MS this morning ahead of an eastward-advancing
cold front. WW 562 is in effect for portions of northern AL,
however, severe potential appears low to the south and east of the
watch across parts of central AL and northwest GA. Strong deep-layer
southwesterly flow will continue to support fast moving cells within
the line of convection amid weak instability. This could allow for
locally gusty winds to move across the MCD area over the next few
hours. However, the 12z BMX RAOB and experimental RAOBs from the
University of Alabama - Huntsville indicate a somewhat hostile
midlevel thermodynamic environment with weak capping between 850-700
mb. Additionally, midlevel lapse rates remain poor across the
region. This will largely limit more intense convection and a new
watch is not expected at this time.

..Leitman.. 12/11/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...FFC...BMX...HUN...

LAT...LON   33268830 33568752 34238607 34618566 34928538 34968516
            34918493 34748472 34558473 34158487 33858507 33278568
            33078607 32968664 32898728 32868776 32898812 32988825
            33268830

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 11, 2:00 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison and 2 more90 min
Dec 11, 3:15 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Marion90 min
Dec 11, 3:41 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCColbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson and 10 more6 hr
Dec 11, 6:15 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCullman, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lawrence and 6 more90 min
Dec 11, 10:47 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Clarke, Clay and 15 more118 min
Dec 11, 4:32 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBleckley, Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Houston and 10 more88 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.