Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Columbia, SC

May 31, 2003Edgefield County, Saluda County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2003, 4:42 PM EDT for Edgefield County, Saluda County, South Carolina. It was in force for 63 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 31, 2003, 4:42 PM EDT (20:42 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2003, 5:45 PM EDT
In force: 63 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Edgefield County, SC, Saluda County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:44 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 206 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1585 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 148 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.

748 
WUUS52 KCAE 312042
SVRCAE
SCC037-081-312145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
439 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
    SALUDA COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
    NORTHERN EDGEFIELD COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 545 PM EDT.

* AT 430 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  DEVELOPING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ALONG HIGHWAY 378 WEST OF OWDOMS
  IN NORTHERN EDGEFIELD COUNTY. THE STORM WAS MOVING EASTWARD
  NEAR 35 MPH. 

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
    OWDOMS
    SALUDA.
    HIGHWAY 378 IN NORTHERN EDGEFIELD COUNTY.

EXPECT DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. 

LAT...LON 3392 8212 3395 8201 3407 8192 3406 8148
          3389 8156 3383 8164

RJL

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 Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 31, 3:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 3:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
300 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

WILL SOON BE ISSUING ZONES TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH #450 FOR SEVERAL
NE COUNTIES OF CWA UNTIL 8 PM EDT.

FCSTID =   22
CAE   59  84  56  85 /  30  10   0  10
AGS   58  85  55  86 /  30  10   0  10
SSC   58  84  55  85 /  30  10   0  10
OGB   59  84  56  85 /  30  10   0  10

.CAE...

GA...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY EVENING FOR ZONES
GAZ040...GAZ063>065...GAZ077.

SC...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR
LANCASTER...LEE...CHESTERFIELD...AND KERSHAW COUNTIES UNTIL 8 PM
EDT.

WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY EVENING FOR ZONES
SCZ015>016...SCZ018...SCZ020>022...SCZ025>031...SCZ035>038...SCZ041.

BC

Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 5:22 AM EDT, 11 hours 20 minutes before

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-311115-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
522 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA.

.DAY ONE...
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE STATE
TODAY. AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEM THE AIRMASS WILL BECOME VERY
UNSTABLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS MORNING AND
CONTINUE IN TO THE AFTERNOON. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE
THIS AFTERNOON PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  ISOLATED
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.  SEE CAESPSCAE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

ALSO...AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEM...LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL BECOME
STRONG BY THIS AFTERNOON WITH SPEADS REACHING 25 TO 35 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE. SEE CAENPWCAE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 31, 11:50 AM EDT, 4 hours 52 minutes before

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-312130-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
1150 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE
CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF GEORGIA.

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY THIS EVENING.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE WEST THIS
AFTERNOON. THIS FRONT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SURFACE WINDS OF 25 TO
35 MPH WITH WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AT THE 5 THOUSAND FOOT LEVEL.
MOISTURE IS EXPECTED INCREASE JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND ALLOW
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. THE TIMING OF SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA IS FROM 4 PM LATE THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL 8
PM EARLY THIS EVENING. WINDS MAY BE TOO STRONG FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO
ACTUALLY DEVELOP BUT IF THEY DO...THEY COULD RAPIDLY BECOME SEVERE.
HAIL IS NOT LIKELY SINCE THE FREEZING LEVEL IS HIGH. HOWEVER...A
SQUALL LINE MAY FORM DURING THIS TIME PERIOD AND COULD PRODUCE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH. A FEW SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO SPAWN SMALL TORNADOES.

ALL INTERESTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE
WEATHER AND KEEP POSTED ON WEATHER STATEMENTS...WATCHES...
OR WARNINGS WHICH MAY BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER IS
SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS ARE REQUESTED TO MONITOR CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MAKE PLANS TO DEAL WITH SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD
IT OCCUR. SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS...INCLUDING AMATEUR RADIO
OPERATORS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS WEATHER SITUATION AND RELAY REPORTS
PROMPTLY TO THE NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

TTH

Special weather statement, May 31, 2:33 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before

SCZ016-312000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
233 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MAINLY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY UNTIL 4 PM. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE TOWNS OF
PAGELAND...CHESTERFIELD AND CHERAW. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY
PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS OF 50 MPH.

TTH

Local storm report, May 31, 4:24 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC
424 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

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

338 PM     CITY OF BETHUNE           SC   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/03   KERSHAW                        GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN
                                          BETHUNE

340 PM     BETHUNE                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/03   KERSHAW                        A TREE FELL ON TWO CARS
                                          IN A PARKING LOT IN
                                          BETHUNE

JDB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Columbia, SC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 3:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Kershaw	36 min
May 31, 3:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lee	30 min
May 31, 3:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lee	26 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2003 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.