Alert archive / Virginia / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 847

June 4, 20218 counties in Maryland; 26 counties in Virginia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jun 4, 2021, 12:46 PM EDT for 8 counties in Maryland; 26 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 59 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 4, 2021, 12:46 PM EDT (16:46 UTC)
Expired
Jun 4, 2021, 1:45 PM EDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch likely
Chance of a watch
80%
All 34 counties

Anne Arundel County, MD, Calvert County, MD, Charles County, MD, City of Baltimore, MD, Prince George's County, MD, Queen Anne's County, MD, Saint Mary's County, MD, Talbot County, MD, Amelia County, VA, Arlington County, VA, Caroline County, VA, City of Alexandria, VA, City of Fairfax, VA, City of Falls Church, VA, City of Fredericksburg, VA, City of Manassas, VA, City of Manassas Park, VA, City of Richmond, VA, Cumberland County, VA, Essex County, VA, Fairfax County, VA, Fluvanna County, VA, Goochland County, VA, Hanover County, VA, King George County, VA, King William County, VA, Louisa County, VA, Orange County, VA, Powhatan County, VA, Prince William County, VA, Richmond County, VA, Spotsylvania County, VA, Stafford County, VA, Westmoreland County, VA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:46 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 4.8 hours before the alert went out and 92 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-06-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 381 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-06-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -8 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
381 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
947 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

023 
ACUS11 KWNS 041647
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 041646 
MDZ000-VAZ000-DCZ000-041745-

Mesoscale Discussion 0847
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1146 AM CDT Fri Jun 04 2021

Areas affected...portions of Virginia into portions of the
Chesapeake/Delmarva

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch likely 

Valid 041646Z - 041745Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...80 percent

SUMMARY...A few stronger storms capable of minor damage will require
WW issuance.

DISCUSSION...Daytime heating in the wake of an eastward-moving band
of high cloud cover has permitted 1000 J/kg mixed-layer CAPE to
evolve over central and eastern Virginia.  A band of thunderstorms
has begun to develop in response, near a surface convergence axis
aligned northeast-to-southwest across the area.  

With largely unidirectional west-northwesterly flow across the area
increasing to 30 to 40 kt at mid levels, small bands of quick-moving
storms will likely evolve, along with attendant risk for a few
stronger winds gusts capable of minor damage.

..Goss/Guyer.. 06/04/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...PHI...AKQ...LWX...RNK...

LAT...LON   37487855 38467791 39477644 38927582 37927650 37157819
            37487855

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 4, 12:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCCalvert, Charles, Dorchester, Saint Mary's, Somerset, Wicomico7 hr
Jun 4, 2:26 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCecil, Harford94 min
Jun 4, 4:12 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCalvert, Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent and 6 more93 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Virginia, 2021Mesoscale Discussions in Maryland, 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.