Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 138, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 25, 2003Cherokee County, York County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 25, 2003, 6:33 PM EDT for Cherokee County, York County, South Carolina. It was in force for 42 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 25, 2003, 6:33 PM EDT (22:33 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 2003, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Cherokee County, SC, York County, SC

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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 188 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 2003-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 30 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 2003-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
30 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
494 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
64 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 252233
SVRGSP
SCC021-091-252315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
632 PM EDT SUN MAY 25 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA 
  WESTERN YORK COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 632 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF UNION...OR ABOUT OVER SARATT...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  HICKORY GROVE AT 650 PM EDT.
  SMYRNA AT 700 PM EDT.
  YORK AT 705 PM EDT.
  KINGS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK AT 715 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.

LAT...LON 3491 8168 3478 8152 3509 8109 3515 8138

$$

RBN

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 25, 3:36 PM EDT, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 3:36 PM EDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
336 PM EDT SUN MAY 25 2003

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN QUITE
UNSTABLE AIRMASS AHEAD OF NEARLY STATIONARY SURFACE BOUNDARY DRAPED
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN 1/4 OF THE CWFA. THE MAIN CONCERN
OVERNIGHT WILL SURROUND HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL. EXPECT COVERAGE OF
CONVECTION TO INCREASE FURTHER AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY INTO THE
EVENING...AS UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK PASSES WEST AND NORTH OF THE
AREA TONIGHT...PLACING MUCH OF THE REGION IN THE RR QUAD BETWEEN 00
AND 06Z. CONVECTIVE CELLS ARE ALREADY INDICATING A TRAINING
TREND...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST NC PIEDMONT...AND EASTERN
PIEDMONT OF SC. WITH COVERAGE EXPECTED TO INCREASE DURING THE
EVENING...AND CONSIDERING ANTECEDENT MOIST CONDITIONS ACROSS THE
AREA...HAVE DECIDED TO HOIST A FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF THE I-77
CORRIDOR. WEST OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY...WE STILL ANTICIPATE A
DECENT SHOT OF SEEING SOME RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE LARGER SCALE
FORCING...BUT WEAKER INSTABILITY WILL INHIBIT HEAVY RAIN THREAT.

THE MODELS INIDCATE ONLY A SLIGHT EASTWARD SHIFT OF THE BOUNDARY
TOMORROW...BUT WITH LACK OF UPPER SUPPORT...COVERAGE OF CONVECTION
SHOULD BE OF A SCATTERED NATURE TOMORROW AFTERNOON...MAINLY ACROSS
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWFA. MEANWHILE...DRIER LOW LEVEL AIR AND
WARMING MID LEVEL TEMPS WILL INHIBIT CONVECTION ACROSS THE WESTERN
HALF OF THE CWFA TOMORROW. THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION
ON WEDNESDAY...BUT WITH DEEP LAYER RH SHUNTED EAST OF THE AREA...
PRECIPITATION WILL BE DIFFICULT TO COME BY...AND HAVE OPTED TO
SHOTGUN A SILENT 20 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

UPPER LOW FINALLY SHIFTS EAST OF THE REGION WEDNESDAY...BUT ANOTHER
NORTHERN STREAM WAVE SLIDES DOWN THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE LOW
AND CROSSES THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. POPS HAVE BEEN
INCREASED TO THE CHANCE RANGE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN
ADVANCE OF THIS FEATURE. ANOTHER NORTHERN STREAM WAVE PASSES WELL
NORTH OF THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND...BUT DOES SEND A FRONTAL
BOUNDARY TOWARD THE REGION BY SUNDAY...WARRANTING A MENTION OF
POPS.

FCSTID = 4
GSP   62  81  60  77 /  60  40  20  20
AND   62  81  59  78 /  50  20  10  20
CLT   62  81  60  76 /  80  50  20  20
HKY   60  77  58  73 /  60  40  10  20
AVL   58  67  53  72 /  70  20  10  20

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES NCZ036>037...NCZ056>057...
NCZ069>072...NCZ082.

SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONE SCZ009.

LANE
Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 10:55 AM EDT, 7 hours 38 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-251615-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1055 AM EDT SUN MAY 25 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND EXTREME
NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FEW OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE...ESPECIALLY FROM ELBERTON AND
ABBEVILLE NORTHEAST TO CHESTER AND THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA. FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK ISSUED AT
1050 AM. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING RAIN WHERE SLOW MOVING
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AND MOVE OVER THE SAME AREA REPEATEDLY...
MAINLY THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THE AREA FROM GREENVILLE AND
RUTHERFORDTON EAST TO GASTONIA...METRO CHARLOTTE...AND SALISBURY
WILL BE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOOD PROBLEMS DUE TO THE
EXCESSIVE RAINS OF LAST WEEK. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE SEVERE
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN ON MEMORIAL DAY...AND THERE IS THE
CHANCE THAT SOME OF THEM COULD BE SEVERE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE
PIEDMONT IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT
EXPECTED FROM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MORE THUNDERSTORMS COULD
DEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS ON SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

MOORE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 25, 2:15 PM EDT, 4 hours 18 minutes before
NCZ071-SCZ009-251915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
215 PM EDT SUN MAY 25 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTERN YORK COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 215 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING
OVER EASTERN YORK COUNTY BETWEEN THE CITIES OF YORK AND ROCK HILL.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

ON ITS PRESENT TRACK...THIS STORM WILL MOVE NEAR THE SOUTHERN END OF
LAKE WYLIE AROUND 220 PM...THEN PINEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA AROUND 235
PM...AND MATTHEWS AROUND 250 PM. THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE SMALL
HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 MPH. BOATERS ON THE SOUTHERN END OF LAKE
WYLIE SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO AVOID THE STORM.

A WARNING MAY BE ISSUED IF THE STORM CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

MOORE
Local storm report, May 25, 5:11 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
511 PM EDT SUN MAY 25 2003

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

445 PM     2 N MONROE                NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/25/03   UNION                          SPOTTER AND 911 REPORTS
                                          OF TREE DOWN...PART OF
                                          BUILDING BLOWN OFF...AND
                                          TENTS BLOWN DOWN HWY
                                          74/601 AREAS.

455 PM     NEW SALEM                 NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/25/03   UNION                          SPOTTER REPORTED...ALONG
                                          WITH A HALF INCH OF RAIN
                                          IN A SHORT TIME.

JONES
Local storm report, May 25, 5:47 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
547 PM EDT SUN MAY 25 2003

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

500 PM     2 W GREAT FALLS           SC   WIND DAMAGE
05/25/03   CHESTER                        911 REPORTED A FEW TREES
                                          BLOWN DOWN.

JONES

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2003Every 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.