Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 71, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 13, 2002Polk County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2002, 4:45 PM EDT for Polk County, North Carolina. It was in force for 30 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
May 13, 2002, 4:45 PM EDT (20:45 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2002, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Polk County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:49 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 13, 3:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 224 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 2002-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 719 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 2002-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 183 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
719 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-56 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
746 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
183 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
201 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 132045
SVRGSP
NCC149-132115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
444 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 444 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER COLUMBUS...
  MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MILL SPRING 450 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.

$$

RWH/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 May 13, 3:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 3:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
343 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

GETTING VERY BUSY NOW WITH SEVERE WEATHER...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN
SWAIN COUNTY...IN THE FAR WESTERN REACHES OF OUR AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY. ENTIRE CWFA IS BOXED...WITH NORTH CAROLINA PORTION
CONTINUING UNTIL 8 PM AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA/GEORGIA PORTION
TENTATIVELY PENCILED IN FOR A 6 PM EXPIRATION. THUNDERSTORMS ARE
MOVING INTO A FAVORED AREA FOR CONTINUED GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT...WITH IMPRESSIVE SPEED SHEAR PROFILE IN PLACE PER AREA
SOUNDINGS AND IN AN AREA OF UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE AS 25H JET SWINGS
INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. FRONT MAKING STEADY PROGRESS EASTWARD...BUT
WILL MAINTAIN LOW CHANCE POPS EARLY...ESPECIALLY WITH SEVERE WATCHES
IN PLACE.

MOSITURE EXPECTED TO DWINDLE RAPIDLY WITH FROPA...BUT SOME RESIDUAL
WRAP AROUND LOOKS TO WORK ITS WAY INTO OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES LATE.
MAIN WEATHER FEATURE TONITE...AND FOR MOST OF TUESDAY...WILL BE
WIND...ESPECIALLY ACROSS HIGHER TERRAIN. MOMENTUM TRANSFER OF PROGD
ETA SOUNDINGS SUPPORTS SOME WIND GUSTS TO 50 KT OR SO. AVN NOT
NEARLY AS AGGRESSIVE. WILL CONTINUE 20 TO 30 MPH WINDS ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS TONITE...DIMINISHING SOMEWHAT FROM THE SOUTHWEST
LATE...AND AT LEAST 15 TO 25 FOR HIGHER TERRAIN ON TUESDAY. WILL
HIGHLIGHT WIND GUSTS TO 45...JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. FOR
FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT...10 TO 20 AND GUSTY SHOULD SUFFICE.

DRY WEATHER LOOKS TO CONTINUE...BUT NOGAPS/UKMET AND LONGER RANGE
MRF (BUT NOT THE OPERATIONAL...THE ENSEMBLE MEMBERS) ALL SUPPORT A
FASTER FROPA FOR LATE WEEK...WITH CHANCE OF CONVECTION MOST OF
SATURDAY. WILL REMOVE POPS FROM SUNDAY AND MAKE MONDAY DRY. LITTLE
CHANGE TO LONGER RANGE TEMPERATURES.

FCSTID =
GSP   52  76  46  79 /  30   0   0   0
AND   52  78  48  80 /  30   0   0   0
CLT   52  76  45  78 /  30   0   0   0
HKY   51  73  42  74 /  30   0   0   0
AVL   49  67  41  74 /  30   0   0   0

.GSP...
GA...WIND ADVISORY FOR MOUNTAIN LAKES OVERNIGHT.
NC...WIND ADVISORY FOR MOUNTAIN LAKES OVERNIGHT.
SC...WIND ADVISORY FOR MOUNTAIN LAKES OVERNIGHT.

BURRUS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 13, 10:56 AM EDT, 5 hours 49 minutes before
NCZ048-131800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1056 AM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED OVER NORTHERN MADISON
COUNTY THIS MORNING...PRODUCING A LITTLE OVER AN INCH OF
RAIN DURING THE PAST HOUR.  MORE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE COUNTY THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON.

MORE RAIN MAY PPRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING OVER MADISON COUNTY
CAUSE A MAJOR THREAT TO MOTORISTS IN THE MORE MOUNTAINOUS
AREAS.  IF YOU ARE PLANNING A TRIP...PLEASE REMEMBER TO
AVOID WATER CROSSING A ROAD.

DICARLO
Local storm report, May 13, 3:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
326 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

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

322 PM     BRYSON CITY TO CHEROKEE   NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/13/02   SWAIN                          DOZEN TREES DOWN ON
                                          HIGHWAY 19.

DICARLO
Local storm report, May 13, 4:28 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
428 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

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

418 PM     SENECA                    SC   WIND DAMAGE
05/13/02   OCONEE                         LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          A FEW TREES DOWN

424 PM     CLEMSON                   SC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/13/02   PICKENS                        SPOTTER REPORTED DIME
                                          SIZE HAIL

RBN
Local storm report, May 13, 4:34 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
434 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

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

420 PM     CARNESVILLE               GA   WIND DAMAGE
05/13/02   FRANKLIN                       SEVERAL TREES DOWN
                                          CARNESVILLE TO LIVONIA

RBN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 3:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGraham, Jackson, Macon, Swain56 min
May 13, 3:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood, Madison54 min
May 13, 3:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHenderson47 min
May 13, 4:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland, Rutherford41 min
May 13, 4:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCatawba, Iredell39 min
May 13, 5:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLincoln43 min
May 13, 5:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGaston37 min
May 13, 5:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland32 min
May 13, 5:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie, Iredell, Rowan49 min
May 13, 5:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg46 min
May 13, 5:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCabarrus52 min
May 13, 5:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGaston48 min
May 13, 6:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg46 min
May 13, 6:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRowan29 min
May 13, 6:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPUnion55 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.