Alert archive / Mississippi / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 256

March 25, 202110 counties in Alabama; 22 counties in Mississippi

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Mar 25, 2021, 1:24 PM CDT for 10 counties in Alabama; 22 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 25, 2021, 1:24 PM CDT (18:24 UTC)
Expired
Mar 25, 2021, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 50
All 32 counties

Colbert County, AL, Fayette County, AL, Franklin County, AL, Greene County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Marion County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Sumter County, AL, Winston County, AL, Chickasaw County, MS, Choctaw County, MS, Clarke County, MS, Clay County, MS, Itawamba County, MS, Jasper County, MS, Kemper County, MS, Lauderdale County, MS, Lee County, MS, Lowndes County, MS, Monroe County, MS, Neshoba County, MS, Newton County, MS, Noxubee County, MS, Oktibbeha County, MS, Pontotoc County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Scott County, MS, Smith County, MS, Tishomingo County, MS, Union County, MS, Winston County, MS

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:29 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, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 140 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 2021-03-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 54 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 2021-03-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 613 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
54 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-239 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
507 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
613 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
713 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

104 
ACUS11 KWNS 251824
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 251824 
ALZ000-MSZ000-252030-

Mesoscale Discussion 0256
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0124 PM CDT Thu Mar 25 2021

Areas affected...much of eastern Mississippi into western Alabama

Concerning...Tornado Watch 50...

Valid 251824Z - 252030Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 50 continues.

SUMMARY...Storms are expected to intensify throughout the afternoon,
with several tornadic supercells possible including the threat of
strong tornadoes.

DISCUSSION...Areal coverage of thunderstorms has increased over the
past 2 hours across central and into eastern MS, where a very moist
and unstable air mass exists. Low-level winds have veered in the
wake of the warm advection storms to the northeast, which has
temporarily reduced SRH and made for straight hodographs. Indeed, a
few storms have become left movers recently with hail threat.

However, SRH will increase again over the next several hours as the
surface low develops to the northwest. This should result in an SRH
gradient over eastern MS and favorable parameters space for strong
tornadoes.

Current thinking is a few cells may consolidate into supercells out
of the larger area of storms. Additional storms are expected to form
along the front near the MS River as well. Strong southwest winds
aloft will bring all storms into an environment favorable for
tornadoes.

..Jewell.. 03/25/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...BMX...HUN...MOB...MEG...JAN...

LAT...LON   34188715 33478747 32978769 32538797 32008835 31728872
            31638993 33078933 33158932 33948915 34388913 34828862
            34928804 34898736 34708702 34378707 34188715

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 24, 9:25 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Mobile, Washington65 min
Mar 25, 9:02 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Colbert, Cullman and 21 more118 min
Mar 25, 10:12 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBibb, Blount, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah and 22 more3 hr
Mar 25, 10:58 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion and 2 more3 hr
Mar 25, 11:26 AM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPCAutauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee and 39 more9 hr
Mar 25, 12:28 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBibb, Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Shelby, Talladega2 hr
Mar 25, 3:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBibb, Chilton, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale and 8 more2 hr
Mar 25, 4:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBibb, Chilton, Coosa, Perry, Shelby, Talladega60 min
Mar 25, 5:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClay, Randolph60 min
Mar 25, 11:00 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHancock, Harrison, Pearl River, Stone2 hr
Mar 25, 2:29 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAlcorn2 hr
Mar 25, 3:48 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAlcorn7 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Mississippi, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Alabama, 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.