Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 951

June 13, 202126 counties in Pennsylvania

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jun 13, 2021, 2:38 PM EDT for 26 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 13, 2021, 2:38 PM EDT (18:38 UTC)
Expired
Jun 13, 2021, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
40%
All 26 counties

Blair County, PA, Bradford County, PA, Cambria County, PA, Cameron County, PA, Centre County, PA, Clearfield County, PA, Clinton County, PA, Columbia County, PA, Elk County, PA, Huntingdon County, PA, Juniata County, PA, Lackawanna County, PA, Luzerne County, PA, Lycoming County, PA, Mifflin County, PA, Montour County, PA, Northumberland County, PA, Perry County, PA, Potter County, PA, Schuylkill County, PA, Snyder County, PA, Sullivan County, PA, Susquehanna County, PA, Tioga County, PA, Union County, PA, Wyoming County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:40 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, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 235 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 2021-06-13Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-06-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 54 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
664 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
56 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

613 
ACUS11 KWNS 131839
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 131838 
PAZ000-132045-

Mesoscale Discussion 0951
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0138 PM CDT Sun Jun 13 2021

Areas affected...portions of northern into central Pennsylvania

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 131838Z - 132045Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...40 percent

SUMMARY...The severe threat appears to be increasing across portions
of northern into central Pennsylvania this afternoon. Damaging gusts
will be the primary threat, although a severe hailstone cannot be
ruled out. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch issuance is possible over the
next few hours.

DISCUSSION...In the wake of a passing MCS with associated cloud
cover, clearing skies and surface heating/boundary-layer mixing has
been underway for the past couple of hours ahead of a
southeast-sagging cold front. Isolated thunderstorm development is
also occurring ahead of the front given the surface heating and the
approach of a 700 mb impulse, with an increase in coverage expected
with time. Temperatures are warming well into the 70s F, with mid to
upper 60s F dewpoints evident via the latest METAR observations.
Low-level lapse rates are steepening into the 6.5-8 C/km range per
18Z mesoanalysis, contributing up to 1000 J/kg MLCAPE. While not
overly strong, mid to upper flow is stronger compared to points
farther west/southwest. Gradual veering in the surface-700 mb layer,
with an appreciable speed increase in the 700-500 mb layer is
resulting in up to 40 kts of effective bulk shear per 18Z
mesoanalysis and 17Z RAP forecast soundings.

Given the aforementioned kinematic/thermodynamic environment, at
least isolated strong to potentially severe wind-producing
multicellular storms are expected, and a transient supercell (with
potential for damaging gusts and perhaps a severe hailstone) is also
possible. Conditions are being monitored for the need of a Severe
Thunderstorm Watch.

..Squitieri/Grams.. 06/13/2021

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

ATTN...WFO...PHI...BGM...CTP...PBZ...

LAT...LON   41497897 41857839 41897716 41887551 41847534 41317538
            40787601 40457667 40227745 40147798 40177842 40317887
            41497897

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 13, 12:13 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Cambria and 8 more2 hr
Jun 13, 12:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette and 9 more7 hr
Jun 13, 3:26 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette and 10 more94 min
Jun 13, 3:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBlair, Bradford, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield and 20 more7 hr
Jun 13, 4:56 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlair, Bradford, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion and 25 more94 min
Jun 13, 7:21 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlair, Bradford, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre and 20 more84 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Pennsylvania, 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.