Alert archive / Kansas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 630

May 15, 2021Kiowa County, Prowers County, Colorado; Grant County, Hamilton County, Stanton County, Kansas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 15, 2021, 7:54 PM MDT for Kiowa County, Prowers County, Colorado; Grant County, Hamilton County, Stanton County, Kansas. It was in force for 66 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2021, 7:54 PM MDT (01:54 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2021, 9:00 PM MDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 175

Counties Kiowa County, CO, Prowers County, CO, Grant County, KS, Hamilton County, KS, Stanton County, KS

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 177 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:58 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

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 215 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2021-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1303 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2021-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1303 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1181 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
196 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
5.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

668 
ACUS11 KWNS 160154
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 160154 
KSZ000-COZ000-160300-

Mesoscale Discussion 0630
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0854 PM CDT Sat May 15 2021

Areas affected...southeast Colorado through southwest Kansas

Concerning...Tornado Watch 175...

Valid 160154Z - 160300Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 175 continues.

SUMMARY...Isolated large hail, downburst winds and a brief tornado
remain possible across southeast Colorado through southwest Kansas,
but a gradual weakening trend is expected to commence, especially
after 03Z.

DISCUSSION...Small storm clusters continue moving slowly northeast
through southeast CO and near the southeast CO/KS border. Some
rotation was previously observed with storms that interacted with
the stationary boundary across southeast CO where a tornado was
reported. A brief tornado remains possible next hour or so, but
primary threat appears to be isolated large hail and downburst
winds. A strengthening low-level jet might maintain a small storm
cluster or two into southwest KS this evening. However, weak flow
aloft and increasing convective inhibition associated with the onset
of nocturnal cooling suggest the severe threat should begin to wane
by 04Z.

..Dial.. 05/16/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...DDC...GLD...PUB...

LAT...LON   37150233 37680279 38340338 38580261 38230175 37430120
            37150233

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 1:23 PM MDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Las Animas, Otero and 2 more2 hr
May 16, 2:43 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBaca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas and 3 more7 hr
May 16, 4:11 PM MDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCheyenne, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Washington, Yuma94 min
May 15, 9:40 PM MDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarton, Edwards, Finney, Harvey, Hodgeman, Kingman and 12 more95 min
May 16, 12:27 PM MDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Anderson, Bourbon, Coffey, Crawford, Franklin and 5 more93 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Kansas, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Colorado, 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.