Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 173, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 2, 2002Buncombe County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2002, 2:41 PM EDT for Buncombe County, North Carolina. It was in force for 49 min. 2 reports 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 2, 2002, 2:41 PM EDT (18:41 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 2002, 3:30 PM EDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Buncombe County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:42 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 2, 3:20 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50 EAsheville, NCTrees were blown down near the intersection of Interstates 26 and 40.
Jul 2, 3:20 PM EDTHail 0.75Enka, 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 243 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 2002-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1124 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 2002-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1124 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-86 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1269 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
47 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.

362 
WUUS52 KGSP 021841
SVRGSP
NCC021-021930-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
241 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  BUNCOMBE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 330 PM EDT

* AT 241 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS 10 MILES NORTHEAST
  OF ASHEVILLE...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF SWANNANOA...MOVING
  SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SWANNANOA AT 245 PM EDT.
  WEAVERVILLE AT 305 PM EDT.
  WOODFIN AT 320 PM EDT.
  ASHEVILLE AT 325 PM EDT.
  BILTMORE FOREST AT 330 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.

$$
07

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 2, 2:25 PM EDT, 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 2:25 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
225 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

TSRA ARE DEVELOPING AT THE SAME PLACE...AT THE SAME TIME AND WITH
THE SAME INTENSITY AS YDAY. CURRENTLY CAPES ARE RUNNING AOA 3000
ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON. ABOUT THE ONLY THING DIFFERENT ON THE GSO
SOUNDING WAS THE WBZ WHICH WAS A LITTLE OVER 11KFT THIS
MORNING...ABOUT 1500 FT HIGHER THAN YDAY. THETA-E DIFFERENCES OFF OF
THE NESDIS GOES WEB PAGE SHOW DELTA/S OF 25 TO 30 DEG...SIMILAR ONCE
AGAIN TO YDAY.

THE FLOW IS A LITTLE MORE OUT THE E TDA...AND A LITTLE STRONGER.
THIS MAY KEEP CONVECTION CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN A LITTLE
LONGER...BUT SINCE THE BEST MOISTURE FLUX DIVERGENCE IS ACTUALLY
CENTERED E OF THE MTNS...EXPECT CONVECTION TO GRADUALLY DEVELOP E ON
OUTFLOW BNDRYS.

POPS WL ONCE AGAIN BE DECIDED AT THE LAST MINUTE BASED ON THE
ORIENTATION AND MOVEMENT OF CONVECTION. WL PROBABLY HAVE LIKELY W
AND CHANCE E ONCE AGAIN THIS EVENING.

BY WED AFTN...THE DEEP LAYER FLOW WL BE A LITTLE MORE ELY THAN
TDA...AND THE UPPER RIDGE WL PUSH IN A LITTLE CLOSER FROM THE NW.
THIS WOULD IMPLY A LITTLE LESS MOISTURE AND A STRONGER MID LEVEL
INVERSION. THEREFORE...SLIGHTLY LOWER POPS SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA.
THIS WL ALSO RESULT IN TEMPS A COUPLE DEGREES WARMER.

BY LATE THU...SFC FRONT WL PUSH INTO THE NRN MOST ZONES. FLOW ALOFT
IS KIND OF WEAK...BUT AVN POOLS MOISTURE ALONG THE FRONT AND
DEVELOPS CONVECTION OVER THE NRN ZONES IN THE AFTN. WL CARRY 40 POPS
N AND 30 SOUTH. WL CARRY 40 POPS ALL ZONES FRI. CAN/T BE TOO SURE OF
LOCATION OF FRONT...AS A GREAT DEAL WL BE DEPENDANT ON OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES.

SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...
BEHIND FRI/S FRONT RIDGING BOTH FROM SFC NEW ENGLAND HIGH AND ALOFT
SHOULD SQUELCH STRONG CONVECTION...LEAVING A PARTLY CLOUDY SKY
BEHIND A FIELD OF CUMULUS. SUN...DEEP LEVEL RIDGING CONTINUES AND
AIRMASS DRIES FURTHER...CU RULE VALUES ARE ALSO WARMING...LEADING TO
LESS CLOUD COVER AND SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS. AVN BACKS H5 RIDGE TO
THE WEST OF THE FA AS A LOW DEEPENS OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION.
MOISTURE DEEPENS ON MONDAY AND WOULD EXPECT SOME AIRMASS TS...FOR
NOW LOOKS AS IF COVERAGE WILL BE LIMITED TO 20% AND WILL USE SILENT
20 POPS. TUE SFC FRONT FROM THE LOW ENTERS THE FA FROM THE NW WITH
GOOD CAA. I BELIEVE THAT THE AVN IS GOING A LITTLE TOO FAR WITH THE
STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM BUT WILL MENTION A CHANCE POPS FOR TS/SH AS
BOUNDARY LAYER LIS ARE COMFORTABLY IN THE NEGATIVE RANGE. WILL KEEP
TEMPS AROUND THE ENSEMBLE MEANS.

FCSTID =
GSP   72  92  71  92 /  30  30  30  30
AND   72  92  71  92 /  30  30  30  30
CLT   69  92  68  92 /  30  30  30  30
HKY   69  90  68  90 /  30  30  30  30
AVL   68  87  67  87 /  40  40  40  30

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

MCAVOY/NED

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 1:50 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-030230-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
150 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

...SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION AGAIN
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA HAS
ONCE AGAIN BECOME VERY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON. AT 130 PM
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING OVER THE
EASTERN ESCARPMENT OF THE BLUE RIDGE. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE
PRIMARY THREAT FROM THE STORMS...THOUGH THE STRONGEST CELLS COULD
PRODUCE HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER.

AS THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS PROGRESS...THUNDERSTORMS
WILL ALSO DEVELOP FARTHER EAST. JUST ABOUT ANY LOCATION EAST OF THE
MOUNTAINS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM LATER
IN THE AFTERNOON...THOUGH LOCATIONS WITHIN ABOUT 50 MILES OF THE
MOUNTAINS WILL BE MOST AT RISK.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DRIFT SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHWEST. SIMILAR TO
YESTERDAY...A FEW LOCATIONS WILL SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN IN A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...AND SOME ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING PROBLEMS MAY
DEVELOP.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/ER/GSP

MCAVOY
Local storm report, Jul 2, 2:18 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
218 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

200 PM     15 S FRANKLIN             NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   MACON                          PUBLIC REPORT.

JAT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 1:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMacon37 min
Jul 2, 3:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe38 min
Jul 2, 4:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMadison39 min
Jul 2, 5:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMadison42 min
Jul 2, 5:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAvery57 min
Jul 2, 6:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg52 min
Jul 2, 6:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPSwain66 min
Jul 2, 6:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMcDowell60 min
Jul 2, 7:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGaston, Mecklenburg58 min
Jul 2, 7:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2002Every 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.