Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 10, 1992Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 10, 1992, 10:20 PM EST for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 10, 1992, 10:20 PM EST (03:20 UTC)
Expired
Mar 10, 1992, 11:00 PM EST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Mecklenburg County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 125 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 00:00Z on 1992-03-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 46 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1992-03-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 261 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
46 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
760 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
85 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
261 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
262 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 110320
TORCLT
NCC119-110400-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
1020 PM EST TUE MAR 10 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM EST
FOR EVERYONE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...MECKLENBURG COUNTY
 
AT 1015 PM EST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IM MECKLENBURG COUNTY
REPORTED A TORNADO IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY ... SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT NEAR
THE STEELECREEK AREA. INJURIES WERE REPORTED WITH THIS TORNADO NEAR
MOSS ROAD OFF OF HIGHWAY 49.
 
TAKE COVER NOW.
 
PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES. GO TO A BASEMENT...THE CENTER OF
BUILDINGS...COVER YOUR HEAD. DO NOT GO NEAR DOORS OR WINDOWS. GET
OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. GET INTO A STURDY BUILDING OR A
DITCH.
 
MATT

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Mar 10, 7:49 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-110145-

BULLETIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
747 PM EST TUE MAR 10 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES UPSTATE UNTIL 1000 PM EST...
AT 740 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING STRONGER IN PART
OF THE UPSTATE.  THE RADAR PATTERN SUGGESTED THAT A SMALL LOW PRESSURE
CENTER COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LINE OF STORMS.  STRONG
STORMS...WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS QUITE LIKELY...WILL BE MOVING INTO THE
HONEA PATH...WILLIAMSTON...GREENVILLE...AND NEARBY AREAS BEFORE 815 PM.

LATEST INFORMATION FROM UPPER AIR DATA STILL INDICATES VERY STRONG AND
DAMAGING WINDS COULD OCCUR RAPIDLY WITH LITTLE CHANCE FOR WARNING.

AMATEUR RADIO FROM SLABTOWN IN NORTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY JUST REPORTED
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...MEASURED.  THAT STORM WOULD IMMEDIATELY
APPROACH THE EASLEY/POWDERSVILLE AREA.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLY WARNINGS.

W. JONES/GSP
Special weather statement, Mar 10, 8:20 PM EST, 2 hours before
NCZ007-008-110220-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
820 PM EST TUE MAR 10 1992

... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EST FOR MOST OF
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA INCLUDING NORTH CAROLINAS SOUTHERN PIEDMONT
AND FOOTHILLS ... AS WELL AS A PORTION OF SOUTH CAROLINAS FOOTHILLS
AND EASTERN PIEDMONT.

AT 815 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN CHARLOTTE SHOWED A
NEARLY SOLID AREA OF SHOWERS FROM BOONE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENDING
SOUTH TO GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA.

SINCE 720 PM EST THE SHOWERS HAD STRENGTHENED AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD
DEVELOPED. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE SOLID AREA OF
SHOWERS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED
ACROSS NORTH CAROLINAS FOOTHILLS ... WEST OF HICKORY AND LENOIR ...
AND NORTH OF MORGANTON. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN
WERE LOCATED IN WEST RUTHERFORDTON COUNTY.

SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE ALSO DETECTED EAST OF MAXTON NORTH CAROLINA
AND EXTENDED SOUTHWEST TO NEAR SUMTER SOUTH CAROLINA.

ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AROUND 20 MPH.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 920 PM EST OR EARLIER SHOULD
CONDITIONS WORSEN.

MATT
Special weather statement, Mar 10, 8:29 PM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-110230-

BULLETIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
828 PM EST TUE MAR 10 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES UPSTATE UNTIL 1000 PM EST...
AT 815 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A NARROW...CURVED LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
FROM BLUE RIDGE TO GREER TO THE GSP AIRPORT TO FOUNTAIN INN AND THEN
SOUTH THROUGH GREENWOOD.  STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WERE OCCURRING WITH THE
LINE AND ALSO BEHIND IT.  AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REPORT WINDS IN THE 30
TO 40 MPH RANGE IN GUSTS AT MOST LOCATIONS THE LINE OF STORMS PASSES.
A GUST TO ABOUT 55 MPH WAS JUST REPORTED 5 MILES EAST OF SIMPSONVILLE.
THAT AREA OF HIGH WINDS WILL MOVE QUICKLY INTO THE REIDVILLE AREA OF
SPARTANBURG COUNTY.

THE LINE OF STORMS SEEMED TO BE ACCELERATING TO THE EAST...MOVING MUCH
FASTER THAN EARLIER.  THAT INDICATES THE CHANCES FOR DAMAGING WINDS
COULD BE INCREASING OVER SPARTANBURG...UNION...LAURENS AND EVENTUALLY
CHEROKEE COUNTIES.

W. JONES/GSP
Local storm report, Mar 10, 9:05 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
904 PM EST TUE MAR 11 1992

DATE/TIME

850 PM    REIDVILLE AREA...SPARTANBURG COMMS REPORTS POWER LINES
          DOWN.
855 PM    SPARTANBURG COMMS REPORTpS TREES DOWN IN CITY.

JONES
Special weather statement, Mar 10, 9:07 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
NCZ007-008-110307-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
907 PM EST TUE MAR 10 1992

... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EST FOR MOST OF
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA INCLUDING NORTH CAROLINAS SOUTHERN PIEDMONT
AND FOOTHILLS ... AS WELL AS A PORTION OF SOUTH CAROLINAS FOOTHILLS
AND EASTERN PIEDMONT.

AT 905 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN CHARLOTTE SHOWED A
NEARLY SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 50 MILES WIDE
FROM NORTH WILKSBORO NORTH CAROLINA EXTENDING SOUTH ... TO HICKORY
... AND FARTHER SOUTH TO NEAR SHELBY IN CLEVELAND COUNTY. THE LINE OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED INTO SOUTH CAROLINA ACROSS
CHEROKEE COUNTY AND FARTHER SOUTH TO GREENWOOD.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED ACROSS NORTH
CAROLINAS FOOTHILLS ... WEST OF HICKORY AND LENOIR. OTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED OVER ... NORTHWEST AND
SOUTHWESTERN CLEVELAND CO&UNTY.

ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AROUND 20 MPH.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1000 PM EST OR EARLIER
SHOULD CONDITIONS WORSEN.

MATT
Local storm report, Mar 10, 9:25 PM EST, 55 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
917 PM EST TUE MAR 11 1992

DATE/TIME

905 PM    CONVERSE/COWPENS AREAS SPARTANBURG COUNTY TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN.
907 PM    WESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY CANNONS CAMPGROUND TREES DOWN.

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 10, 9:20 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland40 min
Mar 10, 10:42 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPCabarrus63 min
Mar 10, 10:53 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPUnion52 min
Mar 10, 11:03 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPStanly27 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.