Alert archive / Michigan / Mesoscale Discussions in 2022

Mesoscale Discussion 1521

July 20, 2022DeKalb County, Steuben County, Indiana; 25 counties in Michigan; 8 counties in Ohio

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jul 20, 2022, 12:29 PM EDT for DeKalb County, Steuben County, Indiana; 25 counties in Michigan; 8 counties in Ohio. It was in force for 61 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 20, 2022, 12:29 PM EDT (16:29 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 2022, 1:30 PM EDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch likely
Chance of a watch
80%
All 35 counties

DeKalb County, IN, Steuben County, IN, Bay County, MI, Branch County, MI, Calhoun County, MI, Clinton County, MI, Eaton County, MI, Genesee County, MI, Gratiot County, MI, Hillsdale County, MI, Huron County, MI, Ingham County, MI, Jackson County, MI, Lapeer County, MI, Lenawee County, MI, Livingston County, MI, Macomb County, MI, Midland County, MI, Monroe County, MI, Oakland County, MI, Saginaw County, MI, Saint Clair County, MI, Sanilac County, MI, Shiawassee County, MI, Tuscola County, MI, Washtenaw County, MI, Wayne County, MI, Defiance County, OH, Fulton County, OH, Henry County, OH, Lucas County, OH, Ottawa County, OH, Sandusky County, OH, Williams County, OH, Wood County, OH

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:29 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

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 59 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, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2022-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 264 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, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2022-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 91 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
264 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-247 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
913 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

335 
ACUS11 KWNS 201630
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 201629 
MIZ000-OHZ000-INZ000-201730-

Mesoscale Discussion 1521
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1129 AM CDT Wed Jul 20 2022

Areas affected...portions of Lower Michigan into northeastern
Indiana and northwestern Ohio

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch likely 

Valid 201629Z - 201730Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...80 percent

SUMMARY...Thunderstorm development is expected to begin over the
next hour, accompanied by an increase in severe risk.  WW issuance
may be required.

DISCUSSION...Latest visible satellite and radar loops show
convection developing across parts of central and eastern Lower
Michigan at this time, near and ahead of an advancing surface cold
front.  The moist boundary layer ahead of the front -- characterized
by dewpoints around 70 -- has continued to heat through midday,
which has now pushed mixed-layer CAPE values into the 1500 to 2500
J/kg range.  Continued/gradual heating will support continued
destabilization, and a corresponding increase in convective
development/eventual storm initiation.

Moderately strong cyclonic/southwesterly flow currently resides
across Lower Michigan, on the southeastern side of the upper low
moving eastward across central portions of the U.P.  Resulting shear
-- around 35 kt per a combination of VWP data and RAP soundings --
suggests potential for organized storms, including a couple of
supercells initially, later possibly growing upscale locally into
small-scale bands.  While a tornado can't be ruled out, primary
severe risk will likely manifest as locally damaging gusts.  Current
indications are that storm coverage -- and thus degree of severe
risk -- will likely increase sufficient to warrant WW consideration
over the next half hour or so.

..Goss/Hart.. 07/20/2022

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

ATTN...WFO...CLE...DTX...APX...IWX...GRR...

LAT...LON   43988453 44068291 43208243 41288300 41048403 41298526
            41878543 42628505 43988453

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 20, 6:33 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCrawford, Harrison, Perry, Spencer, Vanderburgh, Warrick87 min
Jul 20, 12:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAlcona, Alpena, Arenac, Bay, Cheboygan, Crawford and 27 more7 hr
Jul 20, 2:38 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHuron, Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Saint Clair and 3 more97 min
Jul 20, 4:30 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Auglaize, Crawford, Delaware, Erie, Hancock and 10 more90 min
Jul 20, 6:08 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAshland, Ashtabula, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Franklin and 16 more67 min
Jul 20, 6:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAshland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Knox and 11 more4 hr
Jul 20, 7:56 PM EDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAshland, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes and 12 more94 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Michigan, 2022Mesoscale Discussions in Ohio, 2022Mesoscale Discussions in Indiana, 2022Every mesoscale discussion in 2022

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.