Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 80, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 1, 1990Gaston County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 1, 1990, 3:49 PM EDT for Gaston County, North Carolina. It was in force for 41 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 1, 1990, 3:49 PM EDT (19:49 UTC)
Expired
Jul 1, 1990, 4:30 PM EDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Gaston County, NC

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 1, 4:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Gaston, NC

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 1990-07-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 373 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 1990-07-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 115 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
373 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-170 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1629 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 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 011953
SVRCLT
NCC071-012030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
349 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
          ...GASTON
 
AT 345 PM EDT ... AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED NICKLE SIZED HAIL
AND WINDS ESTIMATED AT 50 MPH NEAR THE TOWN OF DALLAS IN GASTON
COUNTY. RADAR INDICATED THE STORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AND
THE CATAWBA RIVER AND WESTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY.
 
 
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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, Jul 1, 2:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
NCZ007-008-012000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
205 PM EDT SUNDAY JUL 1 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 9PM EDT.  THIS WATCH INCLUDES BUT IS
NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTH CAROLINA ... CLEVELAND
... CATAWBA ... LINCOLN ... GASTON ... MECKLENBURG ... CABARRUS ...
STANLY ... MONTGOMERY ... IREDELL AND ROWAN ... AND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA COUNTIES OF ... CHEROKEE ... YORK ... CHESTER ... AND
LANCASTER.

AT 2 PM EDT ... CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED SEVERAL SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN NORTH CAROLINA ...
EXTENDING INTO SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.  A RAIN SHOWER WAS LOCATED OVER
THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ... DUE NORTH OF ASHEVILLE.  ALL OF THE
PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE SUCH
TO FAVOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  IF SEVERE WEATHER IS
DETECTED A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.  STAY TUNED TO RADIO OR CONTINUE
TO WATCH TELEVISION TO KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE JUST BEFORE 4 PM
EDT.l

CLARK
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 3:04 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SCZ001>004-012000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
300 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT...

AT 250 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS
DEVELOPING OVER THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS
OVER NORTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED IN EASTERN TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
VALVERDE
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 3:48 PM EDT, 1 minute before
NCZ007-008-012000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
348 PM EDT SUNDAY JUL 1 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 9PM EDT.  THIS WATCH INCLUDES BUT IS
NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTH CAROLINA ... CLEVELAND
... CATAWBA ... LINCOLN ... GASTON ... MECKLENBURG ... CABARRUS ...
STANLY ... MONTGOMERY ... IREDELL AND ROWAN ... AND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA COUNTIES OF ... CHEROKEE ... YORK ... CHESTER ... AND
LANCASTER.

AT 345 PM EDT ... CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN
PIEDMONT AND OVER NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA.  A THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER CENTRAL CHEROKEE COUNTY OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAD
DRIFTED SLOWLY TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST INTO EXTREME WESTERN YORK COUNTY.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.

RADAR ALSO DETECTED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER CENTRAL
GASTON COUNTY AND OVER SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY ... BOTH IN NORTH
CAROLINA.

ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT BETWEEN
15 AND 20 MPH.  THIS MOVEMENT WILL BRING SHOWERS AND VERY HEAVY
THUNDERSTORMS OVER ALL OF YORK COUNTY AND INTO CHESTER AND LANCASTER
COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE 5 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORM OVER GASTON COUNTY WILL MOVE INTO ACROSS THE CATAWBA
RIVER ... POSSIBLY GATHERING ADDITIONAL STRENGTH AS IT INVADES
WESTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY AROUND 445 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY WILL MOVE INTO
WESTERN UNION COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 430 AND 445 PM EDT.

SPOTTY SHOWERS WERE BEGINNING TO FORM ELSEWHERE IN THE UNSTABLE AIR
OVER THE PIEDMONT CAROLINAS.  THOUGH A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS
IN EFFECT FOR THIS EVENING ... MANY AREAS WILL RECEIVE BENEFICIAL AND
MUCH NEEDED

AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED CUMULONIMBUS MAMMATUS OCCURRING
OVER ALEXANDER COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA JUST WEST OF BARRETTS
MOUNTAIN AT 315 PM EDT.

AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED NEAR BLOWING ROCK REPORTED PEA
SIZED HAIL ... GUSTY WINDS ... AND TORRENTIAL RAINS OCCURRING NEAR
LENOIR WITH A NEARLY IDENTICAL REPORT RECEIVED FROM BLOWING ROCK AT
330 PM EDT.

THE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THE CHARLOTTE OFFICE REPORTED HAIL BETWEEN
1/4 AND 1/2 INCH ... GUSTY WINDS ... TORRENTIAL RAINS ... AND SOME
ROAD FLOODING AT BOONE BETWEEN 327 AND 330 PM EDT.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE SUCH
TO FAVOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  IF SEVERE WEATHER IS
DETECTED A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.  STAY TUNED TO RADIO OR CONTINUE
TO WATCH TELEVISION TO KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE JUST BEFORE 6 PM
EDT.

CLARK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 1, 4:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg67 min
Jul 1, 4:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee65 min
Jul 1, 4:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPUnion59 min
Jul 1, 5:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMontgomery55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.