Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 181, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 2, 2002Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2002, 6:08 PM EDT for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It was in force for 52 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, 6:08 PM EDT (22:08 UTC)
Expired: Jul 2, 2002, 7:00 PM EDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County Mecklenburg County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:10 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 2, 6:10 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind 60 E	Paw Creek, NC	Numerous trees and powerlines were blown down.
Jul 2, 6:10 PM EDT	Hail 0.75	Paw Creek, 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, 10.1 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-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: 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.

617 
WUUS52 KGSP 022208
SVRGSP
NCC119-022300-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 606 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHARLOTTE...OR ABOUT OVER PAW
  CREEK...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...

  THE CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 620 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.

$$
JT/WAJ

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, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 2:25 PM EDT, 3 hours 43 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

Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

440 PM     MARS HILL                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   MADISON                        COUNTY EOC REPORTS TREES
                                          DOWN.

HG

Local storm report, Jul 2, 5:26 PM EDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
526 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

515 PM     5 SE NEWLAND              NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   AVERY                          SPOTTER REPORTS DIME SIZE
                                          HAIL ON NEDS MOUNTAIN.

HG

Local storm report, Jul 2, 5:39 PM EDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
539 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

445 PM     MARSHALL                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   MADISON                        COUNTY EOC REPORTS TREES
                                          BLOWN DOWN.

HG

Local storm report, Jul 2, 5:50 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
550 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

530 PM     ANTREVILLE                SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   ABBEVILLE                      COUNTY 911 REPORTS CHAIRS
                                          BLOWN OFF A PORCH.

HG

Local storm report, Jul 2, 5:55 PM EDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
555 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

550 PM     ANTREVILLE                SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   ABBEVILLE                      SPOTTER REPORTS DIME SIZE
                                          HAIL.

540 PM     5 E ANDERSON              SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   ANDERSON                       COUNTY REPORTS SINGLE
                                          TREE DOWN ON ANDERSON
                                          BELTON HIGHWAY.

HG

Local storm report, Jul 2, 6:02 PM EDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
602 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

556 PM     BELTON                    SC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   ANDERSON                       NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE
                                          HAIL IN DOWNTOWN BELTON.

TJB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 2, 1:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Macon	37 min
Jul 2, 2:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe	49 min
Jul 2, 3:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe	38 min
Jul 2, 4:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Madison	39 min
Jul 2, 5:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Madison	42 min
Jul 2, 5:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery	57 min
Jul 2, 6:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Swain	66 min
Jul 2, 6:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell	60 min
Jul 2, 7:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston, Mecklenburg	58 min
Jul 2, 7:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	55 min

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.