Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 387

April 15, 202119 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Apr 15, 2021, 8:17 AM CDT for 19 counties in Texas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 2021, 8:17 AM CDT (13:17 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 2021, 10:45 AM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
60%

Counties Atascosa County, TX, Bandera County, TX, Bexar County, TX, Blanco County, TX, Comal County, TX, Edwards County, TX, Frio County, TX, Gillespie County, TX, Guadalupe County, TX, Kendall County, TX, Kerr County, TX, Kimble County, TX, Kinney County, TX, Medina County, TX, Real County, TX, Uvalde County, TX, Val Verde County, TX, Wilson County, TX, Zavala County, TX

The radar

The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 62 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:16 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 110 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2593 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 169 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2593 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-44 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
634 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
338 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
4.6
Supercell composite
21.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

781 
ACUS11 KWNS 151318
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 151317 
TXZ000-151545-

Mesoscale Discussion 0387
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0817 AM CDT Thu Apr 15 2021

Areas affected...Southwest and South-central Texas

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 151317Z - 151545Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

SUMMARY...The potential for large hail will likely increase over the
next few hours as cells develop across southwest Texas. Weather
watch issuance may need to be considered.

DISCUSSION...The latest radar imagery shows a couple of isolated
storms ongoing just to the east of Del Rio. These storms are
developing in a warm advection regime where low-level convergence is
maximized. The storms are located along the northern edge of
moderate instability and will move eastward along the instability
gradient over the next few hours. MLCAPE is estimated to be in the
1500 to 2500 J/kg range across much of southwest Texas. The storms
will remain elevated due to a strong capping inversion that is
present. RAP forecast soundings across southwest Texas this morning
show effective shear near 60 kt with 700-500 mb lapse rates near 7.5
C/km. This environment should be favorable for supercells with large
hail. As the storms become more organized this morning, the
possibility for hailstones of greater than 2 inches in diameter will
exist.

..Broyles/Thompson.. 04/15/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...CRP...EWX...SJT...

LAT...LON   29080077 28840040 28639964 28649890 28849825 29269792
            29829791 30349827 30629882 30610007 30420099 30110116
            29730115 29300089 29080077

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 8:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBandera, Blanco, Burnet, Concho, Crockett, Edwards and 19 more8 hr
Apr 15, 10:56 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBandera, Concho, Edwards, Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble and 9 more94 min
Apr 15, 12:24 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Coryell, Falls and 12 more2 hr
Apr 15, 4:55 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAustin, Brazoria, Burleson, Fort Bend, Harris, Lee and 4 more3 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 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.