Alert archive / Kansas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 627

May 15, 202113 counties in Kansas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 15, 2021, 6:44 PM CDT for 13 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 61 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2021, 6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2021, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
60%

Counties Chautauqua County, KS, Cowley County, KS, Edwards County, KS, Ford County, KS, Hodgeman County, KS, Kingman County, KS, Kiowa County, KS, Pawnee County, KS, Pratt County, KS, Reno County, KS, Sedgwick County, KS, Stafford County, KS, Sumner County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:48 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

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 300 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2021-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2021-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
706 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
72 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

313 
ACUS11 KWNS 152344
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 152344 
KSZ000-OKZ000-160045-

Mesoscale Discussion 0627
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0644 PM CDT Sat May 15 2021

Areas affected...southern Kansas through northeast Oklahoma

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 152344Z - 160045Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

SUMMARY...Thunderstorms are expected to increase in coverage,
primarily over southern Kansas this evening. The primary threat will
be isolated large hail, but a few instances of downburst winds are
also possible.

DISCUSSION...Early this evening a stationary front extends from
northeast OK through southern KS. The atmosphere is moderately
unstable in the vicinity of this boundary with up to 2500 J/kg
MUCAPE along with steep (7.5-8 C/km) mid-level lapse rates. Storms
are in the process of developing along/north of this boundary and
activity should increase in coverage as the low-level jet
strengthens this evening. Vertical wind profiles are weak, so
multicells should be the primary mode. Nevertheless, a few instances
of large hail may occur with initial storms before activity begins
to weaken by late evening.

..Dial/Grams.. 05/15/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...TSA...ICT...OUN...DDC...

LAT...LON   38380042 38289822 37229604 36659646 37369856 37810063
            38380042

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 7:10 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCEllis, Gove, Graham, Lane, Logan, Ness and 5 more2 hr
May 14, 7:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBarber, Barton, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth and 16 more5 hr
May 14, 9:42 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCEdwards, Hodgeman, Ness, Pawnee63 min
May 15, 6:07 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCGrant, Hamilton, Kearny, Morton, Stanton, Stevens5 hr
May 15, 6:17 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCGrant, Hamilton, Stanton58 min
May 15, 6:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBarber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis and 37 more6 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Kansas, 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.