Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 679

May 18, 202120 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 18, 2021, 6:13 PM CDT for 20 counties in Texas. It was in force for 92 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2021, 6:13 PM CDT (23:13 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2021, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
92 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 188

Counties Austin County, TX, Brazos County, TX, Burleson County, TX, Colorado County, TX, DeWitt County, TX, Fayette County, TX, Freestone County, TX, Gonzales County, TX, Grimes County, TX, Houston County, TX, Karnes County, TX, Lavaca County, TX, Lee County, TX, Leon County, TX, Madison County, TX, Robertson County, TX, Walker County, TX, Waller County, TX, Washington County, TX, Wilson County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:18 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 231 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -66 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
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-595 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1962 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

006 
ACUS11 KWNS 182313
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 182313 
TXZ000-190045-

Mesoscale Discussion 0679
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0613 PM CDT Tue May 18 2021

Areas affected...Portions of central into eastern TX

Concerning...Tornado Watch 188...

Valid 182313Z - 190045Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 188 continues.

SUMMARY...The severe threat will continue into this evening, with a
primary threat of locally damaging wind, though isolated hail and a
tornado or two remain possible.

DISCUSSION...At 23Z, extensive convection is ongoing from central
into eastern TX, generally near and north of an outflow-reinforced
surface boundary that is expected to continue sagging slowly
southward this evening. The primary threat is likely to be locally
damaging wind, as continued cell mergers and outflow consolidation
may support small bowing clusters within the larger convective
plume. Transient supercell structures remain possible though, with
convective elements within the warm sector deepening as they
approach the surface boundary. Any such supercells would pose some
risk of hail, and perhaps a brief tornado as they interact with the
boundary. 

With some increase in the low-level jet expected later this evening,
a more extensive MCS may develop and begin propagating eastward,
with a continued threat of locally damaging wind and perhaps a
tornado or two.

..Dean.. 05/18/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...SHV...HGX...FWD...CRP...EWX...

LAT...LON   29019851 29759739 30749699 31809645 31579519 30779516
            29479626 29059669 28789715 28719753 28779838 29019851

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 7:04 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArcher, Bosque, Brown, Clay, Comanche, Eastland and 15 more86 min
May 17, 7:23 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCarson, Dallam, Gray, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill and 8 more2 hr
May 17, 7:32 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBrown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Concho, McCulloch and 4 more3 hr
May 17, 7:37 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCallahan, Coke, Coleman, Glasscock, Howard, Jones and 6 more83 min
May 17, 8:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCArcher, Clay, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Hamilton and 11 more5 hr
May 17, 8:34 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAtascosa, Dimmit, Frio, La Salle, McMullen, Maverick and 2 more116 min
May 17, 9:28 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCarson, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hansford, Hemphill and 7 more2 hr
May 17, 9:44 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArmstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle and 15 more91 min
May 17, 10:23 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArcher, Brown, Callahan, Clay, Coke, Coleman and 16 more97 min
May 17, 10:35 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAndrews, Borden, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Dawson and 13 more85 min
May 17, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAndrews, Borden, Brown, Coke, Coleman, Concho and 22 more7 hr
May 17, 11:37 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBosque, Brown, Comanche, Denton, Eastland, Erath and 9 more83 min
May 18, 1:02 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrooks, Duval, Jim Hogg58 min
May 18, 1:29 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCoke, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Ector, Glasscock and 13 more91 min
May 18, 5:07 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCoke, Concho, Irion, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher and 2 more53 min
May 18, 1:18 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAtascosa, Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Brazos, Burleson and 28 more117 min
May 18, 1:57 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBailey, Castro, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Randall, Swisher3 hr
May 18, 2:29 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAnderson, Atascosa, Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco and 30 more7 hr
May 18, 2:30 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg and 12 more2 hr
May 18, 3:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg and 11 more5 hr
May 18, 3:52 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe and 2 more83 min
May 18, 5:10 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCLa Salle, McMullen, Webb95 min
May 18, 5:39 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBowie, Cass, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris and 1 more2 hr
May 18, 6:07 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArmstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Cochran and 17 more113 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.