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Mesoscale Convective Vortex in Texas

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

As a nocturnal Mesoscale Convective System dissipated over North Texas around sunrise on 23 June 2020, 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) revealed a Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) — which then aided the development of new thunderstorms across northeast Texas during the subsequent afternoon and evening hours.

SPC Mesoscale Analysis products at 13 UTC and 16 UTC (below) showed that the MCV was moving into an environment characterized by low wind shear and instability — which helped the MCV persist as it moved eastward during the day.

SPC Mesoscale Analysis of 850/500 hPa wind shear and Most Unstable Lifted Index at 13 UTC [click to enlarge]

SPC Mesoscale Analysis of 850/500 hPa wind shear and Most Unstable Lifted Index at 13 UTC [click to enlarge]

SPC Mesoscale Analysis of 850/500 hPa wind shear and Most Unstable Lifted Index at 16 UTC [click to enlarge]

SPC Mesoscale Analysis of 850/500 hPa wind shear and Most Unstable Lifted Index at 16 UTC [click to enlarge]

Categories: GOES-16