Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 9, 2002Laurens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 9, 2002, 5:33 PM EST for Laurens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 57 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 9, 2002, 5:33 PM EST (22:33 UTC)
Expired
Mar 9, 2002, 6:30 PM EST
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Laurens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 256 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2002-03-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 330 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2002-03-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 49 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
330 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
485 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
99 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 092233
SVRGSP
SCC059-092330-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
531 PM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN LAURENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 630 PM EST

* AT 531 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A 
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 17 MILES WEST OF LAURENS
  TO 10 MILES NORTH OF GREENWOOD...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  HICKORY TAVERN AT 545 PM EST.
  WATERLOO AT 555 PM EST.
  LAURENS AT 610 PM EST.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE
ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.

$$

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 Mar 9, 2:55 PM EST, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 2:55 PM EST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
255 PM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS FRONT STRETCHING FROM NEAR CROSSVILLE TO
HUNTSVILLE AS WE APPROACH 20Z. RADAR DEPICTS A SOLID PRE FRONTAL
BAND JUST GETTING INTO THE MTNS AT PRESENT. LAPS ANALYSIS HAS BEST
AREA OF INSTABILITY WELL EAST OF THE CURRENT ACTIVITY...GENERALLY
OVER THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS. WITH ETA SOUNDINGS DEPICTING
CONTINUED INCREASE OF INSTABILITY AND STRONG 850 TO 500 MB LAPSE
RATES...ON THE ORDER OF 6.5 C/KM...WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS GOING FOR
THUNDER THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND JUST PAST MIDNIGHT FROM CLT E.
INSTABILITY AND SHEAR PARAMETERS ALL LOOK DECENT FOR SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY ERN SECTIONS...AND WILL LIKELY
UPDATE THE OUTLOOK WITH THE AFTN PACKAGE. WILL HOLD OFF ON
INTRODUCING ANY SEVERE WIND WORDING IN THE ZONES UNLESS WE START
GETTING UPSTREAM REPORTS.

FROPA AND RAPID DRYING AFTER 06Z WILL CLEAR THE CWA FROM THE WEST.
WINDY CONDITIONS WILL ONSET...ESPECIALLY MTNS...LATE OVERNIGHT. WILL
KEEP WINDS JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH BEST COLD ADVECTION AND
50 KT 850 MB JET JUST N IN VA. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS E OVER THE REGION
THROUGH MONDAY WITH AVN TIMING ON NEXT SYSTEM SLIGHTLY FASTER LATE
MON NIGHT AND TUE. WILL CONTINUE SMALL CHC POP WORDING FOR LATE MON
NIGHT AND KEEP THE BULK OF THE CLOUDS AND PRECIP CHANCES CONFINED TO
TUE WITH THE MODEL CONSENSUS TIMING.

FOLLOWING NDFD CLUSTER COORD...WILL USE CHC POP FOR SHOWERS IN THE
MOUNTAINS NEXT SATURDAY AND KEEP PIEDMONT SECTIONS DRY UNDER WITH A
STUBBORN SE RIDGE BUT WITH A GRADUAL GULF MOISTURE RETURN.

FCSTID = 33
GSP   40  60  26  60 /  60   0   0   0
AND   41  61  25  60 /  60   0   0   0
CLT   44  60  25  59 /  60   0   0   0
HKY   37  55  23  56 /  60   0   0   0
AVL   35  53  23  57 /  60   0   0   0

.GSP...
GA...WIND ADVISORY FOR AREA LAKES GA MOUNTAINS TONIGHT.
NC...WIND ADVISORY FOR AREA LAKES NC MOUNTAINS TONIGHT.
SC...WIND ADVISORY FOR AREA LAKES SC MOUNTAINS TONIGHT.

GERAPETRITIS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 9, 11:50 AM EST, 5 hours 43 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-092100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1150 AM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING
ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
THIS EVENING. THIS FRONT WILL INTERACT WITH THE WARM AND MOIST
AIRMASS IN PLACE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST TO MAINTAIN A PERSISTENT LINE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY
DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN WESTERN TENNESSEE...AND THIS LINE
SHOULD REACH THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY
EVENING.

STRONG WINDS ALOFT IN THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL
FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO DEVELOP. WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH WILL
BE POSSIBLE WITH THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. DIME SIZED HAIL MAY ALSO
ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF THE LINE. THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD AFFECT
THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA BETWEEN
4 AND 8 PM THIS EVENING...WHILE ADJACENT FOOTHILL AND PIEDMONT
SECTIONS WILL BE AFFECTED MAINLY FROM 8 PM TO MIDNIGHT.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOP.
DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE
AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS
POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION.

HG
Special weather statement, Mar 9, 3:35 PM EST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-100400-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
335 PM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS
EARLY THIS EVENING...AND REACH THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR AROUND
MIDNIGHT. A RATHER SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
ACCOMPANY THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL COMBINE
WITH STRONG WINDS ALOFT IN THE ATMOSPHERE TO CREATE THE POTENTIAL
FOR THIS LINE TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. THE LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH ABOUT 7 PM THIS EVENING...AND THEN
PIEDMONT SECTIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

AREA ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR...OR SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 85...WILL SEE THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER
DEVELOPING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THE GREATEST INSTABILITY WILL
BE AROUND THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH AND HAIL THE SIZE OF DIMES MAY ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF THE
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET IN
CASE ANY WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY THIS EVENING IF SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPS.
DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE
AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

HG
Local storm report, Mar 9, 5:08 PM EST, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
508 PM EST SAT MAR 09 2002

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

455 PM     ANDERSON                  SC   WIND DAMAGE
03/09/02   ANDERSON                       COUNTY 911 REPORTS POWER
                                          LINES DOWN ON  PARKER
                                          BOWIE RD AT GOOD HOPE
                                          CHURCH ROAD.

455 PM     ANDERSON                  SC   WIND DAMAGE
03/09/02   ANDERSON                       COUNTY 911 REPORTS 1 TREE
                                          DOWN ON SAM MCGEE ROAD.

HG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 9, 5:05 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville25 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.