Alert archive / Georgia / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 270

March 26, 202117 counties in Georgia; Abbeville County, South Carolina

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Mar 26, 2021, 4:21 AM EDT for 17 counties in Georgia; Abbeville County, South Carolina. It was in force for 54 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 26, 2021, 4:21 AM EDT (08:21 UTC)
Expired
Mar 26, 2021, 5:15 AM EDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 56

Counties Barrow County, GA, Clarke County, GA, Clayton County, GA, Coweta County, GA, DeKalb County, GA, Elbert County, GA, Fayette County, GA, Henry County, GA, Madison County, GA, Morgan County, GA, Newton County, GA, Oconee County, GA, Oglethorpe County, GA, Rockdale County, GA, Troup County, GA, Walton County, GA, Wilkes County, GA, Abbeville County, SC

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:21 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 94 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2021-03-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 344 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2021-03-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 328 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
344 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1291 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
76 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
328 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
476 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
6.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

175 
ACUS11 KWNS 260821
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 260821 
SCZ000-GAZ000-260915-

Mesoscale Discussion 0270
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0321 AM CDT Fri Mar 26 2021

Areas affected...Parts of the Georgia into South Carolina Piedmont

Concerning...Tornado Watch 56...

Valid 260821Z - 260915Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 56 continues.

SUMMARY...The risk of severe thunderstorms may finally be in the
process of diminishing.  If current trends continue, the remaining
valid portion of Tornado Watch 56 may be cancelled early.

DISCUSSION...Latest VWP data supports Rapid Refresh model forecasts
indicating that low-level hodographs are in the process of shrinking
and becoming more linear, along a pre-frontal low-level confluence
zone focused near the 850 mb jet axis.  Across the Georgia into
South Carolina Piedmont, speeds along this axis are beginning to
weaken, as the main short wave trough of influence continues into
the Great Lakes region.  As this occurs, forcing for ascent along
this zone is also weakening, and convective intensities are
following suit.  Severe weather potential across the Greater Atlanta
metro area appears to have diminished, and similar trends are
underway east-northeastward through the remainder of the watch area.

..Kerr.. 03/26/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...CAE...GSP...FFC...

LAT...LON   34288303 34258233 33778271 33348411 32978510 33468500
            34098370 34288303

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 25, 11:26 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCoweta, Fayette, Heard64 min
Mar 26, 12:34 AM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarrow, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta and 11 more56 min
Mar 26, 1:55 AM EDTTornado WatchSPCBanks, Barrow, Butts, Clarke, Clayton, Coweta and 31 more3 hr
Mar 26, 1:56 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke and 44 more94 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Georgia, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in South Carolina, 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.