Alert archive / Florida / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 400

April 20, 20217 counties in Florida

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Apr 20, 2021, 8:32 AM EDT for 7 counties in Florida. It was in force for 58 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 2021, 8:32 AM EDT (12:32 UTC)
Expired
Apr 20, 2021, 9:30 AM EDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch unlikely
Chance of a watch
20%

Counties Brevard County, FL, Hillsborough County, FL, Manatee County, FL, Orange County, FL, Osceola County, FL, Polk County, FL, Seminole County, FL

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:30 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

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 77 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2021-04-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 617 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2021-04-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 117 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
617 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
608 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
250 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
7.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

621 
ACUS11 KWNS 201233
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 201232 
FLZ000-201330-

Mesoscale Discussion 0400
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0732 AM CDT Tue Apr 20 2021

Areas affected...central Florida

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 201232Z - 201330Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...20 percent

SUMMARY...Thunderstorms will pose a risk for isolated marginally
severe hail through the morning, but a brief tornado and gusty winds
will also be possible. Overall threat appears somewhat marginal, but
trends will continue to be monitored.

DISCUSSION...Early this morning a stationary front is situated
across central FL from just south of the Tampa Bay area to south of
Melbourne. Widely scattered thunderstorms have been on the increase
during the past hour in response to deep forcing for ascent
accompanying a low-amplitude shortwave trough moving through the
northern Gulf. The low-level response to this feature has been
modest with the Tampa VWP indicating 20 kt southwesterly flow in the
1-2 km layer, though some increase in the low-level winds (up to 30
kt) might occur later this morning. Instability remains marginal due
to weak mid-level lapse rates with 1000 J/kg MUCAPE supported by
upper 60s F near-surface dewpoints. Storms still appear slightly
elevated, but advection of warmer air from the south could
eventually boost surface temperatures to in excess of 75 F during
the morning. The gradual warming of the boundary layer and modest
increase in low-level winds might promote further storm
intensification. Effective bulk shear around 45 kt will support a
few supercell structures with marginally severe hail the main
threat, but as storms transition to surface-based, some threat will
exist for a brief tornado.

..Dial/Grams.. 04/20/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...MLB...TBW...

LAT...LON   28068064 27858137 27308230 27438270 27928280 28518232
            28758074 28068064

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 20, 4:35 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrevard, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Okeechobee and 4 more115 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Florida, 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.