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Severe Weather Thread: March 25 - March 28


David Reimer

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Wow at those graphics, I do have to admit this one kind of popped up on me. Certainly looks pretty good though as the flow off the gulf should be very ample. I'd like to see a little bit more shear in the 0-1km however it looks like the trend is for the shear values to be going up when comparing previous runs of the NAM. The big concern with all of this is that this could be a significant evening/nighttime event as it stands now.

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Day 4-8 sounds interesting, too:

DAY 4-8 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0347 AM CDT THU MAR 24 2011 VALID 271200Z - 011200Z ...PREDICTABILITY TOO LOW TO DELINEATE A REGIONAL SVR RISK AREA... MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE GENERALLY INDICATES THAT THE PREVAILING BLOCKING PATTERN WILL WEAKEN...OR BECOME LESS PROMINENT...DURING THIS FORECAST PERIOD. AS THIS PROCEEDS...THE ECMWF REMAINS SUGGESTIVE THAT ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT SHORT WAVE IMPULSES EMANATING FROM A STRONG MID-LATITUDE PACIFIC JET COULD AMPLIFY AND SUPPORT STRONG CYCLOGENESIS SOMEWHERE FROM THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD...AT SOME POINT NEXT WEEK. IF THIS OCCURS...IT APPEARS LIKELY TO COINCIDE WITH CONTINUED MOISTENING OF THE GULF BOUNDARY LAYER...WHICH COULD SUPPORT A SEASONABLY STRONG INLAND RETURN FLOW...AND POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK. HOWEVER...THE RUN TO RUN VARIABILITY OF THE ECMWF HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL...AND THE SPREAD BEGINS TO INCREASE AMONG THE MODELS AND MODEL ENSEMBLES AS EARLY AS THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD. AS A RESULT...UNCERTAINTY REMAINS MUCH TOO LARGE TO CONFIDENTLY ASSESS THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT... AND ATTEMPT TO DELINEATE A REGIONAL SEVERE RISK AREA.

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MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0270

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0709 PM CDT THU MAR 24 2011

AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS OF W TX

CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH POSSIBLE

VALID 250009Z - 250145Z

ONE SUPERCELL IS UNDERWAY IN SCURRY CO TEXAS...WITH ADDITIONAL

INITIATION POSSIBLE ALONG AND E OF THE DRYLINE IN THE NEXT 2-3 HRS.

A WW IS POSSIBLE IF ADDITIONAL CELLS BECOME ORGANIZED.

23Z SFC ANALYSIS INDICATES A DRYLINE ACROSS FAR W TX...WITH CU NOTED

RUNNING FROM AROUND LBB S TO NEAR AND JUST SW OF MAF. MEANWHILE...A

NW-TO-SE ORIENTED WARM FRONT RUNS FROM S OF LBB TO THE NE OF MAF.

WHILE MANY CELLS HAVE STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE AS THEY MOVE OFF THE

DRYLINE...ONE CELL HAS INTENSIFIED AND HAS ALREADY PRODUCED SEVERE

HAIL NE OF MAF. HOWEVER...THIS CELL HAS MOVED N OF THE WARM FRONT

AND SHOULD BEGIN TO WEAKEN AS IT ENCOUNTERS WEAKER BUOYANCY AND

STRONGER SFC-BASED INHIBITION.

ADDITIONAL CELLS MAY FORM FURTHER W ON THE DRYLINE IN THE NEXT 1-2

HRS BEFORE DIABATIC COOLING STABILIZES THE BOUNDARY LAYER. VERY

STEEP LAPSE RATES.../AS NOTED ON THE 00Z MAF SOUNDING/...MU CAPE OF

1000-1500 J/KG AND EFFECTIVE SHEAR OF 40-50 KTS WILL SUPPORT A LARGE

HAIL THREAT WITH ANY CELL THAT BECOMES ESTABLISHED. LARGE T/TD

SPREADS AND DCAPE OF AROUND 1500 J/KG WILL SUPPORT A THREAT OF

ISOLATED SEVERE WIND.

IF ADDITIONAL STORMS FORM FURTHER WEST ALONG THE DRYLINE AND HAVE

THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY IN THE WARM SECTOR FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR OR

TWO...A WW MAY BECOME NECESSARY. CONVECTIVE TRENDS WILL CONTINUE TO

BE MONITORED.

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DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

1243 AM CDT FRI MAR 25 2011

VALID 251200Z - 261200Z

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS PORTIONS ARKLATEX REGION TO

LOWER MS VALLEY...

...SYNOPSIS...

IN MIDDLE-UPPER LEVELS...SPLIT-FLOW PATTERN FCST TO PERSIST WELL

BEYOND THIS PERIOD. RIDGING WILL EXTEND SWD ACROSS ND FROM

ANTICYCLONE CENTERED OVER NERN SK...WHILE CONTINUOUS/QUASI-ZONAL

CURRENT COVERS MUCH OF CONUS FROM MIDDLE-SRN ATLANTIC COAST WWD

ACROSS CENTRAL/SRN ROCKIES. WELL-DEFINED CYCLONE -- NOW EVIDENT IN

MOISTURE CHANNEL IMAGERY OFFSHORE ORE -- IS FCST TO MOVE INLAND

EARLY THIS PERIOD. THIS FEATURE THEN SHOULD QUICKLY DEAMPLIFY INTO

WEAKENING OPEN-WAVE TROUGH OVER NRN ROCKIES...WHILE SECOND CYCLONE

DEVELOPS OFFSHORE PAC NW. SHORTWAVE TROUGH -- NOW MOVING INLAND

CENTRAL/NRN CA -- IS FCST TO MOVE EWD ACROSS GREAT BASIN AND CENTRAL

ROCKIES TO CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS BY 26/12Z. MEANWHILE...DOWNSTREAM

SHORTWAVE OVER CENTRAL PLAINS WILL MOVE EWD AND WEAKEN CONSIDERABLY

ACROSS CENTRAL APPALACHIANS TODAY...AMIDST CONFLUENT FLOW ALOFT

ASSOCIATED WITH CYCLONE OVER LOWER ST LAWRENCE VALLEY REGION.

AT SFC...WEAK NW TX/SWRN OK LOW IS EXPECTED ALONG WARM FRONTAL ZONE

EARLY IN PERIOD...WITH FRONT ESEWD ACROSS ARKLATEX TO CENTRAL/SRN

LA. FRONT SHOULD LIFT NWD INTO SERN OK AND SRN AR BY

26/00Z...EXTENDING WNWWD ACROSS SRN TX PANHANDLE REGION. BY THAT

TIME...DRYLINE SHOULD EXTEND FROM SERN OK SWWD ACROSS N-CENTRAL TX

TO SRN HILL COUNTRY...THEN RETREAT SLIGHTLY WWD DURING EVENING.

ANOTHER SFC LOW MAY DEVELOP OVERNIGHT ALONG FRONT INVOF SWRN OK/NW

TX AND MOVE EWD...WITH RELATED VEERING OF SFC WINDS TO ITS S AND SW

RESULTING IN EWD OSCILLATION OF DRYLINE AGAIN BEFORE 26/12Z.

...ARKLATEX REGION TO LOWER MS VALLEY...

AREA OF STG-SVR TSTMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP...EXPAND AND MOVE EWD

FROM NE TX/SERN OK/SWRN AR AREA DURING EVENING...AMIDST INCREASING

LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND FAVORABLE DEEP-LAYER SHEAR PROFILES TO

SUPPORT SVR RISK. SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL AND SVR GUSTS ARE

POSSIBLE...AND THREAT FOR TORNADOES ALSO MAY EXIST INVOF

WARM-FRONTAL ZONE.

PROGS ARE IN VERY STG AGREEMENT REGARDING GENERAL EVOLUTION/LOCATION

OF SCENARIO...HOWEVER TIMING OF INITIATION REMAINS QUITE

UNCERTAIN...ESPECIALLY POTENTIAL FOR DIURNAL/SFC-BASED DEVELOPMENT

BEFORE 00Z. THIS IS BECAUSE OF STG CAPPING RELATED TO

ANTECEDENT/ELEVATED MIXED LAYER...COMBINED WITH ONLY SUBTLE/SHALLOW

WARM-FRONTAL LIFT AND LACK OF SIGNIFICANT MID-UPPER PERTURBATION

NEARBY. THIS REGION WILL BE TOO REMOVED FROM GREAT BASIN/CENTRAL

ROCKIES SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO EXPERIENCE DIRECT EFFECTS.

HOWEVER...BROAD/LOW-LEVEL WAA REGIME ALREADY IN PLACE OUGHT TO

STRENGTHEN OVERNIGHT ACROSS LOWER MS VALLEY REGION...RESULTING IN

INCREASING THETAE WITH TIME FOR INFLOW PARCELS IN AND N OF SFC

WARM-FRONTAL ZONE. TIME WINDOW FOR SFC-BASED CONVECTION SHOULD

EXIST DURING EVENING NEAR WARM FRONT BEFORE SUBSTANTIAL SFC

COOLING...AS LOW-LEVEL HODOGRAPH EXPANDS BENEATH STRENGTHENING LLJ.

THIS WILL BOOST SRH AND TORNADO POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL HOURS...BEFORE

ACTIVITY MOVES EWD INTO MORE STABLE AIR MASS. ADDITIONAL

DEVELOPMENT MAY OCCUR OVERNIGHT IN EARLIER STORM GENESIS REGION OF

SERN OK/NE TX...MAINTAINING SVR THREAT BEHIND INITIAL ACTIVITY.

...WRN OZARKS REGION...

CLUSTER OF SCATTERED/ELEVATED TSTMS MAY BE ONGOING EARLY IN PERIOD

OVER PORTIONS NERN OK/SERN KS...ROOTED IN 750-850 MB LAYER BASED ON

RUC/ETA-KF FCST SOUNDINGS. ALTHOUGH BUOYANCY IS EXPECTED TO BE

RATHER UNSPECTACULAR...WITH MUCAPE 400-800 J/KG...40-50 KT EFFECTIVE

SHEAR INDICATES CONVECTION MAY BE ORGANIZED ENOUGH FOR MRGL HAIL

POTENTIAL. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD WEAKEN THROUGH MID-LATE MORNING AS

IT MOVES EWD OVER AR/MO OZARKS AND INITIALLY SUPPORTIVE LLJ

DIMINISHES.

..EDWARDS/DEAN.. 03/25/2011

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Day 2, 30% hatched.

DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK CORR 1

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0112 AM CDT FRI MAR 25 2011

VALID 261200Z - 271200Z

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM A PORTION OF THE LOWER MS

VALLEY INTO THE SERN STATES...

CORRECTED FOR INCLUSION OF SIG AREA

...SYNOPSIS...

BELT OF PROGRESSIVE QUASI-ZONAL WLYS WILL PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY

ACROSS SRN TWO THIRDS OF THE U.S. AND SOUTH OF HIGHER LATITUDE

BLOCKING PATTERN. ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF IMPULSES EMANATING FROM

UPPER LOW ALONG PACIFIC NW COAST WILL LIKELY DEAMPLIFY AS IT MOVES

INTO CONFLUENT FLOW REGIME OVER THE MID MS VALLEY SATURDAY EVENING.

WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NWD AND LIKELY EXTEND FROM A WEAK SURFACE LOW

OVER THE SRN PLAINS EWD INTO THE SERN STATES EARLY SATURDAY. NWD

PROGRESSION OF FRONT SHOULD BE LIMITED BY LARGE HIGH PRESSURE AREA

CENTERED OVER ONTARIO AND EXTENDING SWD INTO THE OH VALLEY REGION.

AS THE IMPULSE ADVANCES EWD THROUGH THE MID-MS VALLEY INTO THE OH

VALLEY SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP EWD ALONG WARM FRONT INTO THE SERN

STATES WHILE COLD FRONT ADVANCES SWD THROUGH TX AND THE LOWER MS

VALLEY.

...ERN TX THROUGH LOWER MS VALLEY AND SERN STATES...

SWLY LLJ WILL STRENGTHEN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY FROM THE LOWER

MS VALLEY INTO SERN STATES AND ADVECT MODIFIED CP AIR WITH LOW 60S

DEWPOINTS NEWD THROUGH EXPANDING WARM SECTOR. WLY FLOW ALOFT WILL

TRANSPORT EML PLUME EWD ABOVE MOISTENING BOUNDARY LAYER WHICH IN

CONJUNCTION WITH DIABATIC WARMING SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO 1000-1500

J/KG MLCAPE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ELEVATED STORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING

FROM PORTIONS OF AR INTO THE TN VALLEY AT START OF PERIOD. SOME OF

THIS ACTIVITY COULD POSE A THREAT FOR ISOLATED HAIL. ADDITIONAL

STORMS MAY DEVELOP AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER DESTABILIZES...PRIMARILY IN

VICINITY OF CONVECTIVELY REINFORCED WARM FRONT OR RESIDUAL OUTFLOW

BOUNDARIES. EFFECTIVE SHEAR FROM 40-50 KT WILL SUPPORT SUPERCELLS

AND BOWING SEGMENTS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND ISOLATED

TORNADOES POSSIBLE.

DEVELOPMENT SWWD TOWARD TX IN WARM SECTOR IS MORE UNCERTAIN DUE TO

POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER CAP AND WEAKER FORCING AS THE LLJ VEERS AND

WEAKENS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. HAVE KEPT ERN TX THROUGH THE GULF

COASTAL AREA IN 5% SEVERE PROBABILITIES GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE

ISOLATED COVERAGE.

..DIAL.. 03/25/2011

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NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

1217 PM CDT FRI MAR 25 2011

VALID 261200Z - 271200Z

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS PARTS OF THE LOWER MS

VALLEY AND GULF COAST STATES...

..GULF COAST STATES

A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE ROCKIES TONIGHT WILL MOVE INTO

THE SRN PLAINS SATURDAY MORNING. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM...A BROAD

LOW-LEVEL JET WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE LOWER MS VALLEY AND CNTRL

GULF COAST STATES. ON THE NRN EDGE OF THE JET...SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF

ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING SATURDAY MORNING FROM THE

SRN PLAINS EWD ACROSS ARKANSAS AND INTO THE TN VALLEY. THIS

CONVECTION COULD HAVE AN ISOLATED HAIL THREAT. AT THE SFC...A COLD

FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE SWD INTO TN VALLEY AND ERN GULF COAST

STATES BY LATE AFTERNOON. AS INSTABILITY INCREASES DURING THE

DAY...SFC-BASED THUNDERSTORM SHOULD INITIATE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND

MOVE ESEWD ACROSS THE REGION.

MODEL CONSENSUS SUGGESTS THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORM

ACTIVITY WILL BE ALONG THE BOUNDARY FROM NRN MS ESEWD ACROSS NCNTRL

AL INTO CNTRL GA. THIS CORRIDOR IS ALONG THE NRN EDGE OF MODERATE

INSTABILITY AND ON THE SRN EDGE OF BROAD BAND OF STRONG MID-LEVEL

FLOW. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ACROSS NRN MS AND NRN AL AT 21Z SATURDAY

SHOW MLCAPE CAPE AROUND 2000 J/KG WITH 50 KT OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND

STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES. THIS ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE SUPPORTIVE

OF SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT WITH LARGE HAIL ACCOMPANYING THE MORE

DOMINANT STORMS. IN ADDITION...TORNADOES MAY OCCUR AS SUPERCELLS

MATURE AND THE LOW-LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS SATURDAY EVENING. THE

BIRMINGHAM FORECAST SOUNDING EARLY SATURDAY EVENING SHOWS 0-3 KM

STORM RELATIVE HELICITIES AROUND 400 M2/S2 SUGGESTING A THREAT FOR

STRONG TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE. A CLUSTERING OF TORNADOES MAY

OCCUR ACROSS NRN MS AND NCNTRL AL WHERE INSTABILITY...SHEAR AND LIFT

IS FORECAST TO BE MAXIMIZED.

FURTHER EAST SOUTHEAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY IN CNTRL GA...MODEL

FORECASTS ARE ALSO IN AGREEMENT WITH THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT

SATURDAY AFTERNOON. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AROUND MACON AT 21Z SATURDAY

SHOW MLCAPE VALUES OF 1000 J/KG WITH 50 KT OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR. THIS

SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR A SEVERE THREAT WITH SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT

POSSIBLE. LARGE HAIL AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT MAY ACCOMPANY

THE STRONGER CELLS ESPECIALLY IF STORMS REMAIN DISCRETE.

HOWEVER...THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A LINEAR MCS COULD DEVELOP

WHICH WOULD MAKE WIND DAMAGE THE PRIMARY THREAT.

..LOWER MS VALLEY/ARKLATEX

A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE ARKLATEX SATURDAY AS A COLD

FRONT ADVANCES SEWD INTO THE SRN PLAINS AND SRN OZARKS. AS SFC TEMPS

WARM AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY...MODERATE INSTABILITY IS FORECAST TO

DEVELOP BY MIDDAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A STRONG CAPPING

INVERSION IN PLACE UNTIL MID-AFTERNOON WHEN INCREASING CONVERGENCE

ALONG THE BOUNDARY COULD RESULT IN THUNDERSTORM INITIATION ACROSS

SRN AR...NRN LA AND EAST TX. THE MODELS DISAGREE ON HOW MUCH

CONVECTION WILL FORM BUT THE GFS IS MORE AGGRESSIVE...DEVELOPING

SCATTERED STORMS BY EARLY SATURDAY EVENING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS

AROUND GREENVILLE AR AT 03Z SUNDAY SHOW MLCAPE VALUES OF 1200 TO

1500 J/KG WITH 0-6 KM SHEAR IN THE 40 TO 50 KT RANGE. THIS COMBINED

WITH STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES SHOULD RESULT IN AN ISOLATED LARGE

HAIL THREAT. A FEW DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE

SEVERE THREAT SHOULD BE INCREASINGLY ISOLATED WITH SWWD EXTENT WITH

JUST A MINIMAL THREAT ACROSS SE TX.

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From James Spann's blog, from ABC 33/40 in Birmingham.

Significant Severe Weather Threat

SEVERE WEATHER THREAT: SPC maintains their standard “slight” risk of severe weather for the northern two-thirds of Alabama, but they continue to show an enhanced 30 percent chance of severe weather within 25 miles of a given point for North Alabama, and are now mentioning strong tornadoes as a possibility. They indicate the best combination of instability, shear, and lift will be over North-Central Alabama, so we will all have to be on our toes.

All modes of severe weather are likely, including hail, damaging straight line winds, and tornadoes. While we could see severe weather as early as 3:00… it really looks like the core threat will come from about 6:00 p.m. tomorrow through 4:00 a.m. Sunday. Everybody will need to be close to a good source of weather information so you won’t miss any warnings.

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685

ACUS11 KWNS 252044

SWOMCD

SPC MCD 252043

ARZ000-LAZ000-TXZ000-OKZ000-252315-

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0271

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0343 PM CDT FRI MAR 25 2011

AREAS AFFECTED...NCNTRL/NERN TX...SCNTRL/SERN OK...SWRN AR AND

EXTREME NRN LA

CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH POSSIBLE

VALID 252043Z - 252315Z

LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A DEEPENING CUMULUS FIELD

ACROSS THE WARM SECTOR OVER SCNTRL/SERN OK AND NCNTRL TX.

HOWEVER...RIDGE/ANTICYCLONIC CHARACTER TO HIGH-LEVEL CLOUDS MOVING

OVER THE REGION AND LACK OF SUBSTANTIAL LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL

PROBABLY BE DETRIMENTAL TO SURFACE-BASED CONVECTIVE INITIATION UNTIL

AFTER 23Z OR SO. THEREAFTER...WEAK HEIGHT FALLS ASSOCIATED WITH AN

UPSTREAM TROUGH AND THE PRE-EXISTING WARM BOUNDARY LAYER MAY BECOME

SLIGHTLY MORE FAVORABLE FOR INITIATION. THERE APPEARS TO BE ENOUGH

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT LATEST RUC/GFS/NAM SOLUTIONS FOR AT LEAST

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE TRIPLE POINT AND SWD ALONG THE

DRYLINE FROM SCNTRL OK INTO NCNTRL TX NEAR SUNSET WHERE NRN-EXTENT

OF 1000-1500 J/KG MLCAPES WILL EXIST.

SHOULD A STORM FORM...ROUGHLY 45-50 KTS OF LARGELY UNIDIRECTIONAL

DEEP-LAYER SHEAR AND MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES IN EXCESS OF 7 DEG C PER

KM WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR SPLITTING SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL.

A SUSTAINED SURFACE-BASED STORM EVOLVING ALONG/N OF THE RED RIVER

NEAR A WARM FRONT COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO OR TWO...BUT THE HAIL RISK

WILL DOMINATE.

OTHERWISE...ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE AND/OR DEVELOP

ALONG/N OF THE WARM FRONT AS ELEVATED ENTITIES OVER ERN OK AND CNTRL

AR LATER THIS EVENING WITH POSSIBLE LARGE HAIL.

..RACY.. 03/25/2011

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My concern for tornado potential tomorrow is two-fold:

1) That the frontal zone might shift southward more than currently progged, and

2) That the edge of the capping inversion might nudge northward.

I have seen both happen on severe weather days, and tomorrow is no exception, with a shortwave allowing early convective development to reinforce the front, and the usual NAM bias in underestimating the cap. I just *feel* like tomorrow's one of those days when everything elevated develops north of the front, and no surface-based convection develops south of it... alas, fine details will need to be sorted out tomorrow on frontal placement and capping strength. Otherwise, on paper, this looks like a decent (MDT-risk sized) event.

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Re: Mesoscale Discussion above.

Latest SPC RUC based analysis, the cap is almost gone along what appears to be a diffuse dry line South of DFW.

DFW late afternoon looks like maybe a candidate for some hailers based on real good midlevel instability. Light low level winds and a high LFC, not so good tornado wise, but a spread T to Td might enhance downdrafts

post-138-0-47953900-1301086986.gif

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STORM INITIATION IS STILL EXPECTED ACROSS THE ARKLATEX EARLY THIS

EVENING AS THE CAPPING INVERSION WEAKENS. HOWEVER...STORM COVERAGE

REMAINS THE GREATEST UNCERTAINTY DUE TO THE LACK OF LARGE-SCALE

ASCENT. THE ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE CHARACTERIZED BY MODERATE

INSTABILITY...STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE

RATES. THIS SHOULD SUPPORT SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT WITH EFFICIENT HAIL

PRODUCTION SO WILL KEEP THE 30 % HAIL PROBABILITY IN PLACE ACROSS

FAR NE TX...SE OK AND SW AR. OVERALL...THE OUTLOOK IS IN GOOD SHAPE

AND NO CHANGES ARE MADE FOR THE 20Z ISSUANCE.

From the day 1 outlook from SPC.

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I thought I was finally seeing something on satellite, but thewxmann may be correct.

Obs at DFW and the FWD radar show the dryline is retreating. Winds back to the South after being SW, and dewpoints rising.

I think the Lubbock F-5 of years back formed on a retreating dryline, but in general observation, it seems like it works out more often the other way.

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You can have a cap, and no convective inhibition present on the plot.... and you can also have convective inhibition present.... but no capping inversion present. CIHN is basically "anti CAPE" and happens when the environmental temperature is greater than the theoretical parcel temperature in a certain layer (temperature line goes to the right of the parcel lapse rate on the skew-T). This can happen right at the surface with no inversion at all present..... but would keep any storms that form from being surface based. In the same manner, there can be a moderate or even strong cap in place, but no CIHN, as long as there is a layer where the temperature increases with height.... but the temp curve doesn't go to the right of the parcel lapse rate line on the skew-T. CIHN does not instantly = capping inversion.

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/ISSUED 339 PM CDT FRI MAR 25 2011/

A DRY LINE WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS

THIS EVENING BUT WILL STALL/RETREAT AFTER SUNSET UNTIL A COLD

FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY MORNING. SCATTERED SHOWERS

AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS LARGE SCALE LIFT AND

INSTABILITY INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING SHORT WAVE. THE BEST

STORM CHANCES WILL BE IN THE NORTH/NORTHEAST. HOWEVER...WITH A

LACK OF GOOD FORCING EXPECTED...WE WILL KEEP POPS LOW. IF ANY

STORMS DO FORM TONIGHT THEY WILL HAVE A POTENTIAL TO BRIEFLY

BECOME SEVERE WITH HAIL/DAMAGING WIND. THE SHORT WAVE WILL QUICKLY

TRANSLATE ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY MORNING AND ALLOW A COLD

FRONT SLIDE SOUTH. A FEW SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH

THE FRONT...MAINLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO

STALL OVER SOUTH TEXAS SATURDAY NIGHT WITH SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT

EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN ZONES. THEREFORE...WE WILL CARRY SOME

LOW POPS. RAIN CHANCES WILL WILL END SUNDAY WITH DRIER AND COOLER

AIR EXPECTED.

This is from the Area Forecast Discussion from the NWS Dallas/Fort Worth office.

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MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0272

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0731 PM CDT FRI MAR 25 2011

AREAS AFFECTED...NCNTRL/NERN TX...SCNTRL/SERN OK...SWRN AR AND NWRN

LA

CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH POSSIBLE

VALID 260031Z - 260200Z

CURRENT POTENTIAL FOR A WW ISSUANCE ACROSS NCNTRL/NERN TX...

SCNTRL/SERN OK AND EWD TO SWRN AR/NWRN LA REMAINS CONDITIONAL BASED

ON TSTM DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE AVAILABLE WARM SECTOR

INSTABILITY/SHEAR PARAMETERS...STORMS WILL LIKELY BE SEVERE ONCE

INITIATION OCCURS. THUS...THIS REGION WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED

FOR GREATER REFLECTIVITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEED FOR A SEVERE

WEATHER WATCH THIS EVENING.

...ANALYSIS AND THREATS...

EARLY EVENING SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE

LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL OK /INVOF ADM/ WITH A DRY LINE TRAILING

SWWD /TO THE NW-W OF DALLAS-FT WORTH METROPLEX/ THROUGH SRN MONTAGUE

TO STEPHENS COUNTIES TX. MEANWHILE...A QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY

EXTENDED ESEWD FROM THE SURFACE LOW THROUGH EXTREME SERN OK TO FAR

SRN AR AND WEST CENTRAL MS. LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY AND

REGIONAL RADARS INDICATED MORE PERSISTENT AND LIKELY DEEPER CU/TCU

ALONG THE DRY LINE FROM WISE AND MONTAGUE COUNTIES TX TO LOVE COUNTY

OK...WITH A SECOND AREA OF GREATER CU FORMATION ALONG AND NORTH OF

THE STATIONARY FRONT...JUST EAST OF THE SURFACE LOW.

00Z FWD SOUNDING SHOWED A WEAK CAP REMAINS AROUND 700-800 MB WITH

MLCAPE CLOSE TO 1000 J/KG. THIS INSTABILITY WHICH WAS SIMILAR

WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR ACROSS NCNTRL/NERN TX INTO NWRN LA COMBINED

WITH EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR AROUND 50 KT IS SUFFICIENT FOR ORGANIZED

STORMS. A STRAIGHT HODOGRAPH WITH THIS SOUNDING SUPPORTS SPLITTING

STORMS. GIVEN THE FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL DRY SUB-CLOUD LAYER...STRONG

WIND GUSTS AND HAIL WOULD BE THE INITIAL PRIMARY THREATS.

HOWEVER...ANY STORM THAT CAN TRACK ALONG THE STATIONARY FRONT WOULD

HAVE A GREATER POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A TORNADO.

...STORM INITIATION POTENTIAL...

GIVEN THE WEAK CAP YET EVIDENT ON THE 00Z FWD SOUNDING AND OVERALL

WEAK UPPER FORCING ACROSS THIS REGION...STORM INITIATION IS

UNCERTAIN DURING THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS...WHICH IS MORE CONSISTENT WITH

THE RECENT RUNS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL HRRR MODEL. TRENDS IN LOW LEVEL

FLOW STREAMLINE ANALYSIS INDICATED DIFFLUENT FLOW ACROSS THE

DISCUSSION AREA WITH WINDS OVER NWRN TX BEGINNING TO BACK IN

RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FALLS WITH THE LEE TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL/SRN

HIGH PLAINS AND MORE VEERED SSWLY WINDS ALONG THE SABINE RIVER.

THIS WOULD TEND TO LIMIT LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG AFOREMENTIONED

BOUNDARIES.

THUS...DESPITE THE MORE PERSISTENT CU/TCU DEVELOPMENT...STORM

INITIATION MAY NOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER SUNSET ALONG THE RED RIVER

VALLEY OF NERN TX/SERN OK WHEN THE STRENGTHENING LLJ INTO THIS

REGION RESULTS IN AN INCREASE OF WAA/ASCENT AND MOISTENING. THESE

LATTER FACTORS WOULD SUPPORT BOTH A TORNADO THREAT AND HAIL/DAMAGING

WINDS.

..PETERS.. 03/26/2011

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