Alert archive / Alabama / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 298

March 28, 202112 counties in Alabama; 11 counties in Georgia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Mar 28, 2021, 9:14 AM CDT for 12 counties in Alabama; 11 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 61 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 28, 2021, 9:14 AM CDT (14:14 UTC)
Expired
Mar 28, 2021, 10:15 AM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe thunderstorm watch 67
All 23 counties

Autauga County, AL, Chambers County, AL, Chilton County, AL, Clay County, AL, Coosa County, AL, Dallas County, AL, Elmore County, AL, Lowndes County, AL, Marengo County, AL, Randolph County, AL, Tallapoosa County, AL, Wilcox County, AL, Carroll County, GA, Cherokee County, GA, Cobb County, GA, Coweta County, GA, DeKalb County, GA, Douglas County, GA, Forsyth County, GA, Fulton County, GA, Gwinnett County, GA, Heard County, GA, Paulding County, GA

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:15 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, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 71 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 2021-03-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 757 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2021-03-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 326 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
757 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
650 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
74 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
326 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
355 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.6
Supercell composite
9.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

566 
ACUS11 KWNS 281414
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 281414 
GAZ000-ALZ000-281515-

Mesoscale Discussion 0298
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0914 AM CDT Sun Mar 28 2021

Areas affected...Portions of central AL into west-central GA

Concerning...Severe Thunderstorm Watch 67...

Valid 281414Z - 281515Z

The severe weather threat for Severe Thunderstorm Watch 67
continues.

SUMMARY...An isolated strong/gusty wind threat continues in the
short term. Downstream Severe Thunderstorm Watch issuance is not
expected.

DISCUSSION...Outflow has generally surged well ahead of a line of
storms extending along a cold front from central AL into
west-central and northern GA. VWPs from KMXX and KFFC ahead of the
line still show strong west-southwesterly flow in low/mid levels.
Isolated strong wind gusts should remain possible for another hour
or two given this enhanced boundary-layer flow. However, the
thermodynamic environment appears only marginally conducive for
maintaining robust updrafts, as instability generally decreases
ahead of the line. Current expectations are for this line of storms
to remain mostly sub-severe through the morning hours, and
downstream watch issuance is not expected at this time.

..Gleason.. 03/28/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...FFC...BMX...MOB...

LAT...LON   32118805 32888678 33558547 34148473 34498405 34118385
            33358468 32438610 31868694 31818792 32118805

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 10:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison and 3 more90 min
Mar 27, 11:27 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBlount, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Franklin and 11 more8 hr
Mar 28, 1:25 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCJackson2 hr
Mar 28, 1:57 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlount, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette and 11 more93 min
Mar 28, 4:56 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlount, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, Walker94 min
Mar 28, 5:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne and 12 more5 hr
Mar 28, 7:29 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCalhoun, Cleburne, Talladega91 min
Mar 28, 11:38 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Burke, Butts, Columbia and 34 more3 hr
Mar 28, 4:51 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAppling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien and 46 more54 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.