Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 202, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 3, 2002Lincoln County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 3, 2002, 7:18 PM EDT for Lincoln County, North Carolina. It was in force for 57 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 3, 2002, 7:18 PM EDT (23:18 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 2002, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Lincoln County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:19 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 3, 7:20 PM EDTHail 0.75Lincolnton, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 3, 2:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 136 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 2002-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 429 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 2002-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 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
429 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-175 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1263 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
39 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 
WUUS52 KGSP 032318
SVRGSP
NCC109-040015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
717 PM EDT WED JUL 3 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT

* AT 717 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF LINCOLNTON...OR ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF
  CROUSE...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  VALE AT 725 PM.

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.

$$

TOMKO/LAMB

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 3, 3:45 PM EDT, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 3:45 PM EDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
345 PM EDT WED JUL 3 2002

WATCH BOX IS FILLING IN NICELY WITH CONVECTION ATTM. WENT CAT POPS
MTNS...LIKELY FOOTHILLS AND CHANCE IN THE PIEDMONT FOR THIS EVENING.
CONVECTION IS DEVELOPING IN AN AREA OF LLVL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE
WHICH EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL VA SW TO THE UPSTATE. THIS IS IN RESPONSE
TO UPPER LOW OVER EASTERN NC WHICH HAS HELPED TO SHARPEN SFC TROF
OVER THE REGION.

SUSPECT THAT CONVECTION OVER VA WL CONTINUE TO FILL IN ALONG THE LEE
TROF AND EVENTUALLY START MOVING MORE RAPIDLY TO THE SW AS H5 WINDS
INCREASE AT LITTLE BY 00 UTC. EVEN IF THE MCS SCENARIO DOES NOT PAN
OUT...CONVECTION FIRED FOR SEVERAL HOURS LAST NGHT ON OUTFLOW
BNDRYS...AND EXPECT SIMILAR BEHAVIOR TNGT.

JULY 4TH REALLY DOESN/T LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT FROM TDA. WL START W/40
POPS IN THE MTNS AND THE FOOTHILLS AND 30S FARTHER EAST...BUT
WOULDN/T BE SURPRISED IF WE HAVE TO UP THE POPS AGAIN IN THE AFTN.

ON FRI SFC FRONT WL FALL ACROSS THE NRN HALF OF THE CWA. UPPER
SUPPORT IS STILL WEAK...AND WE ARE UNDER NVA UNTIL THE EARLY
EVENING...BUT MOISTURE POOLING ALONG THE FRONT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT
FOR MORE SCT TSRA.

EXTENDED...
SUN...AVN KEEPS SFC BOUNDARY WITHIN THE CWA WITH SUBZERO LIS AND
HOT AND HUMID AIRMASS IN PLACE. BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME TS
IN THE CWA BUT QUESTION REMAINS ABOUT FRONTAL PLACEMENT AS AVN IS
CHANGING WITH EACH RUN. HEIGHTS FALL ON MON BRINGING SOME UPPER
SUPPORT AND WILL INTRODUCE CHC POPS FOR CONVECTION. TUES FROPA
BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE WITH AVN BACKING OFF OF CAA IT WAS ADVERTISING
ON THE 02.00Z RUN. FRONT HAS A HARD TIME MOVING SOUTH AND IS STILL
IN THE AREA WED AND WILL EXTEND POPS INTO WEDS. LITTLE CHANGE IN
TEMPS WILL TREND WED TEMPS DOWN A CLICK FROM TUES VALUES.

FCSTID =
GSP   70  93  70  93 /  50  30  30  30
AND   70  93  70  93 /  40  30  30  30
CLT   67  93  68  93 /  50  30  30  40
HKY   68  91  69  92 /  60  30  30  40
AVL   66  87  66  89 /  80  40  40  40

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

MCAVOY/NED

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 3, 6:26 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
626 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2002

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

556 PM     CHARLOTTE                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/03/02   MECKLENBURG                    1 TREE ON CAR ON HWY 49.
                                          STOPLIGHTS FACING WRONG
                                          WAY AND SIGNS TWISTED AT
                                          49 AND BACK CREEK CH. RD.
                                          REPORTED BY MECKLENBURG
                                          EOC.

LAMB
Local storm report, Jul 3, 6:35 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
635 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2002

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

555 PM     10 NE LAURENS             SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/03/02   LAURENS                        SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTED
                                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON
                                          FLEMMING MILL ROAD.
                                          ALSO...NUMEROUS TRAFFIC
                                          SIGNALS OUT IN THE CITY
                                          OF LAURENS.

BURRUS
Local storm report, Jul 3, 6:39 PM EDT, 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
639 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2002

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

625 PM     MECKLENBURG               SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/02   MECKLENBURG                    REPORTED BY SKYWARN
                                          SPOTTER.

MCAVOY
Local storm report, Jul 3, 6:43 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
643 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2002

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

620 PM     8 N SHELBY                NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/03/02   CLEVELAND                      SPOTTER REPORTS NUMEROUS
                                          TREES DOWN

DEO
Local storm report, Jul 3, 6:49 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
649 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2002

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

647 PM     FOUNTAIN INN              SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/02   GREENVILLE                     DIME HAIL REPORTED BY
                                          SKYWARN SPOTTER.

LAMB
Local storm report, Jul 3, 7:06 PM EDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
706 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2002

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

655 PM     BOILING SPRINGS           SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/03/02   SPARTANBURG                    PUBLIC REPORTED POSS.
                                          FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR
                                          INTERSECTION I26 & HWY 9.
                                          MODERATE DAMAGE TO HOUSE
                                          ROOF.

701 PM     GREENVILLE                SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/02   GREENVILLE                     DIME HAIL AT INTSCT OF
                                          PELHAM AND HUDSON RD. 15
                                          MPH WIND. SPOTTER REPORT.

702 PM     DONALDS                   SC   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/02   ABBEVILLE                      DIME TO NICKEL HAIL IN
                                          DONALDS REPORTED BY
                                          SPOTTER.

LAMB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 8:17 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAvery118 min
Jul 2, 8:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie58 min
Jul 3, 5:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg57 min
Jul 3, 6:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCabarrus57 min
Jul 3, 6:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg58 min
Jul 3, 6:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland, Gaston65 min
Jul 3, 7:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland62 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.