Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 6, 1986Lincoln County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 6, 1986, 1:16 PM EDT for Lincoln County, North Carolina. It was in force for 54 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 6, 1986, 1:16 PM EDT (17:16 UTC)
Expired
Aug 6, 1986, 2:10 PM EDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Lincoln County, NC

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 136 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1986-08-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 592 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1986-08-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
592 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
669 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KCLT 061716
SVRCLT
NCC109-061810-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
116 PM EDT WED AUG 6 1986
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 210 PM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF
 
THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... LINCOLN
 
AT 110 THIS AFTERNOON WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN
LINCOLN COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA.  A POLICE OFFICER REPORTED HAIL
3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER IN DENVER..EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY
OF NORTH CAROLINA AT 107 PM.

THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH
AND EVERYONE IN THE EASTERN ONE HALF OF LINCOLN COUNTY INCLUDING
LINCOLNTON SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SEVERE WEATHER.
 
TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM LIGHTNING...TRY TO GET INSIDE A BUILDING.
STAY AWAY FROM KITCHEN APPLIANCES AND DO NOT USE THE TELEPHONE.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO REACH A SAFE BUILDING..AVOID OPEN
FIELDS SUCH AS GOLF COURSES..BALL FIELDS..OR FISHING FROM PIERS
OR SMALL BOATS.
TUNE TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION...WXL-70 OR YOUR FAVORITE
RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THIS WARNING.
 
RK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 6, 12:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
1205 PM EDT WED AUG 6 1986

...A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO GASTONIA NORTH CAROLINA
BY 1215 THIS AFTERNOON...

AT NOON WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF
GASTONIA OR ABOUT 18 MILES WEST OF CHARLOTTE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPED RAPIDLY BETWEEN GASTONIA AND SPARTANBURG SHORTLY AFTER 11 AM.

INITIAL IT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST ALONG I-85 AND CHARLOTTE.
AT NOON IT HAD TURNED MORE NORTHERLY TOWARD GASTONIA AND WAS MOVING AT
ABOUT 15 MPH.

LIGHT RAIN SURROUNDED THIS THUNDERSTORM AND COVERED MOST OF THE AREA
FROM KINGS MOUNTAIN TO GASTONIA..SOUTH CHARLOTTE AND JUST EAST OF
PINEVILLE ALL IN NORTH CAROLINA.  THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE RAIN WAS
ALONG A LINE FROM YORK TO BLACKSBURG IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
ON ITS PRESENT COURSE..RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS..WILL SPREAD
NORTHEAST ACROSS CHARLOTTE..MOORESVILLE AND CONCORD BY ABOUT 1 OCLOCK.
AT THE SAME TIME RAIN WILL BE ENDING IN YORK AND BLACKSBURG SOUTH
CAROLINA.

RK
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 12:21 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
1220 PM EDT WED AUG 6 1986

...CORRECTED SPELLING AND CLARIFIED 3RD AND 4TH PARAGRAPHS...

...A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO GASTONIA NORTH CAROLINA
BY 1215 THIS AFTERNOON...

AT NOON WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF
GASTONIA OR ABOUT 18 MILES WEST OF CHARLOTTE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPED RAPIDLY BETWEEN GASTONIA AND SPARTANBURG SHORTLY AFTER 11 AM.

INITIALLY THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST ALONG I-85 AND
CHARLOTTE. AT NOON IT HAD TURNED MORE NORTHERLY TOWARD GASTONIA AND WAS
MOVING AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

LIGHT RAIN SURROUNDED THIS THUNDERSTORM AND COVERED MOST OF THE AREA
FROM KINGS MOUNTAIN TO GASTONIA..SOUTH CHARLOTTE AND JUST EAST OF
PINEVILLE..ALL IN NORTH CAROLINA.  THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE RAIN WAS
ALONG A LINE FROM YORK TO BLACKSBURG IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

ON ITS PRESENT COURSE RAIN..WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS..WILL SPREAD
NORTHEAST ACROSS CHARLOTTE..MOORESVILLE AND CONCORD BY ABOUT 1 OCLOCK.
AT THE SAME TIME RAIN WILL BE ENDING IN YORK AND BLACKSBURG SOUTH
CAROLINA.

RK
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 12:34 PM EDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
 1235PM EDT WED AUG 6 1986

...UPDATE ON VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH
GASTONIA NORTH CAROLINA AND TOWARD LAKE NORMAN...

AT 1230 THIS AFTERNOON RADAR SHOWED THE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM
TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF CHARLOTTE HAD INCREASED IN FORWARD
SPEED TO ABOUT 40 MPH.  WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND 1/4 INCH HAIL
WAS OBSERVED AT SPENCER MOUNTAIN WHICH IS JUST NORTH OF GASTONIA
IN GASTON COUNTY.

ALL MARINE INTEREST ON LAKE NORMAN SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS
FOR THIS STORM.  BOATERS SHOULD GET OFF OF THE LAKE AT ONCE AND
THOSE FRONTING THE LAKE SHOULD ANTICIPATE WINDS OF AT LEAST 50 MPH THROUGH
1 OCLOCK THIS AFTERNOON.

EVERYONE IN THE AREA TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST THROUGH MORRESVILLE..
HUNTERSVILLE..CORNELIUS..CONCORD AND KANNAPOLIS SHOULD ALSO BE PREPARED
VIGORUS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH 1 PM EDT.

RK.
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 12:41 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...TIME OF HAIL IN 2ND PARAGRAPH ADDED.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
 1240PM EDT WED AUG 6 1986

...UPDATE ON VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH
GASTONIA NORTH CAROLINA AND TOWARD LAKE NORMAN...

AT 1230 THIS AFTERNOON RADAR SHOWED THE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM
TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF CHARLOTTE HAD INCREASED IN FORWARD
SPEED TO ABOUT 40 MPH.  WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND 1/4 INCH HAIL
WERE OBSERVED AT SPENCER MOUNTAIN AT 1221 PM. SPENCER MOUNTAIN IS
JUST NORTH OF GASTONIA IN GASTON COUNTY.

ALL MARINE INTEREST ON LAKE NORMAN SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS
FOR THIS STORM.  BOATERS SHOULD GET OFF OF THE LAKE AT ONCE AND
THOSE FRONTING THE LAKE SHOULD ANTICIPATE WINDS OF AT LEAST 50 MPH THROUGH
1 OCLOCK THIS AFTERNOON.

EVERYONE IN THE AREA TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST THROUGH MORRESVILLE..
HUNTERSVILLE..CORNELIUS..CONCORD AND KANNAPOLIS SHOULD ALSO BE PREPARED
VIGORUS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH 1 PM EDT.

RK.
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 1:08 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
110 PM EDT WED  AUG 06 1986

AT 100 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDER-
STORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR SPRUCE PINE SOUTHWEST TO NEAR EAST LAPORT
IN NORTH CAROLINA.

SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE HEAVY AND ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG
WINDS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THEY MOVE TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED WHEN NEEDED.
OS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 6, 12:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg42 min
Aug 6, 2:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

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.