Alert archive / Kentucky / Mesoscale Discussions in 2023

Mesoscale Discussion 13

January 2, 20235 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Jan 2, 2023, 7:09 PM CST for 5 states. It was in force for 96 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jan 2, 2023, 7:09 PM CST (01:09 UTC)
Expired
Jan 2, 2023, 8:45 PM CST
In force
96 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch unlikely
Chance of a watch
20%
All 24 counties

Greene County, AR, Alexander County, IL, Massac County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Ballard County, KY, Calloway County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Graves County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Lyon County, KY, Marshall County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Dunklin County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Scott County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Dyer County, TN, Lake County, TN, Obion County, TN, Weakley County, TN

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:08 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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 213 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2023-01-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 858 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2023-01-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 374 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
858 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
623 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
374 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
381 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.8
Supercell composite
10.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

740 
ACUS11 KWNS 030109
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 030109 
KYZ000-TNZ000-ILZ000-MOZ000-ARZ000-030245-

Mesoscale Discussion 0013
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0709 PM CST Mon Jan 02 2023

Areas affected...Extreme northeast AR...Southeast MO...Far southern
IL...Far western KY...Northwest TN

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch unlikely 

Valid 030109Z - 030245Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...20 percent

SUMMARY...Some increase in the severe threat is possible with time
this evening, with a threat of locally damaging wind and perhaps a
brief tornado or two. The need for watch issuance is uncertain at
this time.

DISCUSSION...Widespread convection is ongoing this evening from
northeast AR/northwest TN into western KY. While widespread rainfall
is limiting destabilization (MLCAPE generally 500 J/kg or less),
favorable wind profiles (as noted on the KLZK and KNQA VWPs) are
supporting the potential for organized convection, and some
low/midlevel rotation has been noted with the stronger embedded
convective elements from extreme northeast AR into the MO Bootheel. 

With a southerly low-level jet expected to intensify through the
evening, some threat for locally damaging gusts and/or a brief
tornado or two may evolve with any stronger bowing segments or
embedded supercells. However, limited instability and a tendency for
destructive storm interference may tend to limit the magnitude of
the severe threat, making the need for short-term watch issuance
uncertain. Additional rounds of potentially organized convection may
impact the same area late tonight, as upstream storms eventually
move into the region in advance of a cold front.

..Dean/Thompson.. 01/03/2023

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

ATTN...WFO...PAH...MEG...

LAT...LON   36038929 36018995 36059062 36859011 37328946 37358839
            37318790 37068788 36488823 36458848 36258879 36038929

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 2, 6:01 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAshley, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia and 23 more89 min
Jan 2, 6:29 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCArkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew and 2 more9 hr
Jan 2, 8:31 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Crittenden, Desha and 5 more89 min
Jan 2, 8:59 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCCalhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia, Dallas, Grant and 12 more6 hr
Jan 2, 10:11 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCCrittenden, Lee, Mississippi, Phillips, St. Francis5 hr
Jan 2, 11:17 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Cleveland and 15 more118 min
Jan 3, 1:36 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAshley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Phillips and 1 more114 min
Jan 3, 2:56 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCAshley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Phillips, Union8 hr
Jan 3, 2:06 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBond, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton and 28 more2 hr
Jan 3, 2:08 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdair, Allen, Barren, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway and 24 more3 hr
Jan 3, 7:56 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb and 18 more2 hr
Jan 3, 9:14 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCBedford, Cannon, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Franklin and 14 more8 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Kentucky, 2023Mesoscale Discussions in Missouri, 2023Mesoscale Discussions in Tennessee, 2023Every mesoscale discussion in 2023

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.