Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 162, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 1, 2002Polk County, Rutherford County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 1, 2002, 4:58 PM EDT for Polk County, Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 47 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, 2002, 4:58 PM EDT (20:58 UTC)
Expired: Jul 1, 2002, 5:45 PM EDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

Counties Polk County, NC, Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:01 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 1, 5:04 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind 50 E	Forest City, NC	Trees were blown down along Newton Cole Rd.

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.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 210 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1220 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1019 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 73 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.

553 
WUUS52 KGSP 012058
SVRGSP
NCC149-161-012145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
457 PM EDT MON JUL 1 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 545 PM EDT

* AT 457 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS 7 MILES SOUTH OF
  RUTHERFORDTON...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF HARRIS...MOVING
  SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
   HARRIS AT 500 PM EDT.
   
PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.

$$
WAJ/BPM

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.

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 1, 2:30 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 1, 2:30 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
230 PM EDT MON JUL 1 2002

TSRA ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ALONG THE EASTERN ESCARPMENT OF THE
BLUE RIDGE. CAPES ARE AOA 3000 AND WET BULB ZEROS ARE UNDER 10KFT.
SFC DWPTS HAVE HARDLY MIXED OUT AT ALL TDA AND LLVL MOISTURE FLUX
DIVERGENCE HAS BEEN BULLSEYED OVER THE NC MTNS FOR SEVERAL HRS NOW.

IN ADDITION...A COUPLE WEAK H5 WAVES WL CROSS THE REGION FROM NE TO
SW OVERNGHT. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT CONVECTION SHOULD KEEP GOING
WELL INTO THE NGHT. AS FOR 1ST PERIOD THE AREAL COVERAGE...ITS TOO
SOON TO REALLY TELL. WL INITIALLY PENCIL IN LIKELY POPS OVER THE SW
CWA AND CHANCE POPS N TNGT...THOUGH IF THE VORT OVER WV CONTINUES TO
ORGANIZE CONVECTION...WE COULD BE FACING SOMETHING ORGANIZED IN THE
NRN ZONES LATE.

TUE LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO TDA. WEAK SHEAR AIXS WL CONTINUE TO BE
ORIENTED NE TO SW ACROSS CWA. LLVL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WL CONTINUE
OVER THE CWA TO THE SE OF THESE UPPER WAVES DURING THE DAY...W/GOOD
AREAL COVERAGE LIKELY AGAIN IN THE AFTN...ESPECIALLY OVER AND NEAR
THE HIGHER TERRAIN.

BY WED...DEEP MID CONTINENTAL RIDGE WL BEGIN TO PUSH FARTHER TO THE
EAST. THE COLD TROF E OF THE RIDGE SHOULD STILL BE STRONG ENUF FOR
TSRA IN THE AFTN...BUT SUSPECT THAT AREAL COVERAGE WL NOT BE AS
GREAT.

DEEP ELY FLOW ON THE 4TH. NO LLVL CONVERGENCE TO SPEAK OF
ANYMORE...AND SUBSIDENCE AROUND THE RIDGE SHOULD REALLY EAT INTO OUR
INSTABILITY. WE MAY SEE HARDLY ANYTHING THU...BUT WL HOLD ON TO 30
POPS.

FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...
FOR FRI...AVN PUSHES A BACK DOOR COOL FRONT INTO AT LEAST THE
NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. ECMWF SHOW A SIMILAR BUT WEAKER FEATURE SO
WILL PRESERVE CHC POPS OF AFTERNOON TO EVENING TS/SH. FRONT SHOULD
WASH OUT SAT AND SUN AND WILL KEEP FORECAST DRY WITH ONLY SILENT 20
POPS. MONDAY...REGION SHOULD BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH PRESSURE
AND WILL KEEP DRY AS WELL. TEMPS SHOULD BE OVER MEX VALUES AS PLAINS
RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD IN FASTER THAN THE AVN
ADVERTISES...THEREFORE WILL KEEP TEMPS GENERALLY HIGHER THAN
GUIDANCE.

FCSTID = 14
GSP   72  92  72  92 /  60  30  30  30
AND   72  92  72  92 /  60  30  30  30
CLT   71  92  71  92 /  30  30  30  30
HKY   70  89  70  89 /  40  40  40  30
AVL   66  85  66  85 /  60  50  50  40

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

MCAVOY/NED

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 1, 11:10 AM EDT, 5 hours 48 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-012200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1110 AM EDT MON JUL 1 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING...

THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME VERY UNSTABLE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AS
DAYTIME HEATING BECOMES STRONG.  MORNING ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT
AMPLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WAS IN PLACE...AND THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE WERE QUITE COOL FOR THE SEASON.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD BEGIN TO DEVELOP IN THE
MOUNTAINS AROUND NOON.  THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL START IN
FOOTHILL AND PIEDMONT SECTIONS A BIT LATER...WITH PEAK DEVELOPMENT
SOUTH AND EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS DURING LATE AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING.

ANY STORMS TODAY COULD BECOME STRONG...WITH FREQUENT INTENSE
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND EXTREMELY HEAVY
RAINFALL.  BECAUSE OF THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF STORMS...LOCAL FLOODING
IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IF STORMS DEVELOP OVER URBAN AREAS.
SEVERE URBAN FLOODING DEVELOPED YESTERDAY IN PARTS OF
GREENVILLE...REQUIRING A FLASH FLOOD WARNING. SIMILAR STORMS AND
RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD OCCUR AGAIN LATE TODAY OR THIS
EVENING...AFFECTING ANY URBAN OR LOW FLOOD PRONE AREA.

SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AGAIN TODAY...WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  STORMS YESTERDAY CAUSED A NUMBER OF REPORTS OF DIME
TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WHICH DOWNED TREES AND
POWER LINES.

ALTHOUGH A SEVERE STORM COULD DEVELOP ANYWHERE IN THE FORECAST
AREA...THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING WILL AGAIN BE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 85 CORRIDOR IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.  THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THERE COULD BE AN INCREASED
THREAT LATER IN THE EVENING...IN PARTS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND NORTHERN PIEDMONT.

STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO LATER STATEMENTS AND
WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING
USING NORMAL SKYWARN PROCEDURES.

JONES

Local storm report, Jul 1, 3:18 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
318 PM EDT MON JUL 01 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

310 PM     ROSMAN                    NC   1.25 INCH HAIL
07/01/02   TRANSYLVANIA                   HAIL BROKE WINDSHIELD ON
                                          EM VEHICLE. REPORTED BY
                                          TRANSYLVANIA EOC.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 1, 3:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
355 PM EDT MON JUL 01 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

350 PM     5 NW PUMPKINTOWN          SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/01/02   PICKENS                        DIME SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY
                                          RAIN REPORTED BY CO-OP

PAT

Local storm report, Jul 1, 3:58 PM EDT, 1 hour before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
358 PM EDT MON JUL 01 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

356 PM     GREENVILLE                SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/01/02   GREENVILLE                     SPOTTER REPORTED NEAR BOB
                                          JONES UNIV.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 1, 4:20 PM EDT, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
420 PM EDT MON JUL 01 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

410 PM     5 NNW FRANKLIN            NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/01/02   MACON                          TREES REPORTED DOWN BY
                                          MACON EOC.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 1, 4:53 PM EDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
453 PM EDT MON JUL 01 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

355 PM     2 E CLARKESVILLE          GA   WIND DAMAGE
07/01/02   HABERSHAM                      COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER REPORTS A TREE
                                          BLOWN OVER AND DAMAGE TO
                                          A HOUSE ON ANTIOCH CHURCH
                                          ROAD.

HG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 1, 2:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Jackson	38 min
Jul 1, 3:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Transylvania	27 min
Jul 1, 3:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	44 min
Jul 1, 4:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Macon	39 min
Jul 1, 4:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	50 min
Jul 1, 6:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery	40 min
Jul 1, 6:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	39 min
Jul 1, 6:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rowan	37 min
Jul 1, 7:29 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2002 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.