Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 452

April 28, 202120 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Apr 28, 2021, 1:14 PM CDT for 20 counties in Texas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 28, 2021, 1:14 PM CDT (18:14 UTC)
Expired
Apr 28, 2021, 3:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch likely
Chance of a watch
95%

Counties Brown County, TX, Callahan County, TX, Coleman County, TX, Comanche County, TX, Cooke County, TX, Denton County, TX, Eastland County, TX, Erath County, TX, Grayson County, TX, Hood County, TX, Jack County, TX, Johnson County, TX, Palo Pinto County, TX, Parker County, TX, Runnels County, TX, Somervell County, TX, Stephens County, TX, Tarrant County, TX, Taylor County, TX, Wise County, TX

The radar

The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:13 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

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 120 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-04-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 678 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-04-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 290 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
678 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-63 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
635 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
290 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
394 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.7
Supercell composite
12.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

989 
ACUS11 KWNS 281814
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 281814 
TXZ000-282015-

Mesoscale Discussion 0452
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0114 PM CDT Wed Apr 28 2021

Areas affected...Portions of central into north-central TX

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch likely 

Valid 281814Z - 282015Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...95 percent

SUMMARY...The threat for large to very large hail, damaging wind
gusts, and isolated tornadoes should increase this afternoon. Watch
issuance is likely.

DISCUSSION...A convectively reinforced outflow boundary has stalled
across part of central TX this afternoon per recent surface
observations and visible satellite imagery. The airmass along/south
of this boundary is becoming moderately unstable, as surface
temperatures have warmed well into the 80s amidst mid to upper 60s
dewpoints. Latest mesoanalysis and RAP forecast soundings in the
vicinity of San Angelo TX suggest minimal convective inhibition
remains, with MLCAPE in the 1500-2000 J/kg range. As diurnal heating
of this moist low-level airmass continues, a further increase in
instability appears likely. Current expectations are for multiple
storms to initiate along the surface boundary in central TX within
the next couple of hours as ascent associated with a mid/upper-level
trough approaches from the west. These storms should subsequently
move east-northeastward into north-central TX. It is only weakly
unstable at the moment with northward extent into north-central TX
due to the influence of earlier convection. Still, some airmass
recovery appears likely through the remainder of the afternoon
across this region, as rich low-level moisture remains in place.

The deep-layer shear is very favorable for organized severe storms,
with around 50-60 of effective bulk shear in place across the warm
sector. Supercell structures appear likely with initial development,
and large to very large hail (2+ inches in diameter) will be a
threat. This large hail threat should continue into north-central TX
through the afternoon/early evening, but it probably will be
dependent on how much airmass recovery/destabilization can occur.
Isolated straight-line damaging wind gusts also appear possible as
low-level lapse rates gradually steepen. Finally, there may also be
a threat for a few tornadoes, even though the stronger low-level
flow associated with a southerly low-level jet will be shifting
eastward away from this area. Around 100-150 m2/s2 of effective SRH
should support some low-level rotation with any discrete supercells.
Given the expected increase in the overall severe threat this
afternoon, watch issuance will likely be needed.

..Gleason/Hart.. 04/28/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...FWD...OUN...SJT...

LAT...LON   31439948 31460024 31720063 32020046 32429973 33009891
            33559802 33679753 33689691 33639641 33089663 32579705
            32209752 31849808 31539881 31439948

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 27, 8:01 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArcher, Baylor, Clay, Fisher, Haskell, Jones and 10 more89 min
Apr 27, 8:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAndrews, Archer, Baylor, Borden, Clay, Coke and 29 more7 hr
Apr 27, 10:39 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAndrews, Borden, Crane, Dawson, Ector, Howard and 5 more2 hr
Apr 28, 1:38 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCallahan, Coke, Coleman, Eastland, Glasscock, Jones and 10 more2 hr
Apr 28, 3:01 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCArcher, Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Cooke, Eastland and 14 more7 hr
Apr 28, 6:35 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArcher, Callahan, Clay, Cooke, Eastland, Jack and 9 more3 hr
Apr 28, 9:25 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCooke, Denton, Grayson, Parker, Wise65 min
Apr 28, 1:57 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBrown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Comanche, Concho and 16 more9 hr
Apr 28, 2:42 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr and 9 more2 hr
Apr 28, 3:10 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAtascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Comal, Dimmit and 23 more8 hr
Apr 28, 3:40 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Runnels and 2 more95 min
Apr 28, 5:41 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBandera, Bexar, Frio, Kendall, Kinney, Maverick and 4 more2 hr
Apr 28, 6:01 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCLamar119 min

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.