Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 188, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 9, 2003Burke County, Caldwell County, McDowell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 9, 2003, 5:18 PM EDT for Burke County, Caldwell County, McDowell County, North 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 outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jul 9, 2003, 5:18 PM EDT (21:18 UTC)
Expired: Jul 9, 2003, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 57 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Burke County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, McDowell County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:21 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 176 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: 1065 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1236 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 60 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.

158 
WUUS52 KGSP 092118
SVRGSP
NCC023-027-111-092215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
515 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 515 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEWLAND TO 12 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF MARION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  GLOBE AT 525 PM EDT.
  COLLETTSVILLE AT 540 PM EDT.
  MARION AT 545 PM EDT.
  GLENWOOD AT 550 PM EDT.
  LENOIR AT 555 PM EDT.

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.

LAT...LON 3610 8177 3590 8134 3579 8134 3556 8154
          3560 8171 3554 8185 3570 8223 3574 8218
          3579 8216 3584 8210 3590 8195 3599 8189
          3596 8185 3596 8180

$$

HG/JRL

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 9, 3:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 3:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
330 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2003

TEMPS AGAIN RUNNING FROM THE L90S OVER M70S DWPTS EAST OF THE
MTNS...NATURALLY LESSER AMOUNTS WEST. LAPS ANALYSIS SHOWING CAPES
GENERALLY 2700-3000 J/KG EAST TO 1400-2000 J/KG WEST. ATTENTION
GIVEN TO LARGE CONVECTIVE LINE JUST NORTH OF THE CWA...MOVEMENT AS
BEEN ESE. CORFIDI VECTORS PRESENTLY SE...BY 6Z GFS/NOGAPS SO VECTORS
MORE OUT OF THE WSW. WILL EXPECT LINE TO INVADE THE NRN
MTNS...FTHILLS...AND PIEDMONT BEFORE FAVORING A WESTERLY DIRECTION.
AS SLOW MOVING TS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...SOME
CONCERNING EXCESSIVE RAINFALL HAVE DEVELOPED. WILL ISSUE SPS TO
HIGHLIGHT THREAT OF SLOW MOVING TS AND TRAINING OVER THE NORN TIER
THIS EVENING.

THROUGH THURSDAY MOISTURE DEEPENS OVER THE FA...WITH AMP TROF AND
INSTABILITY RUNNING HIGH WILL EXPECT IMPROVING COVERAGE THROUGH THE
DAY. POPS WILL TREND FROM LIKELY MTNS TO HIGH CHC EAST. AS FRONT AND
UPPER SUPPORT SWEEP ACROSS THE FA THURS NIGHT WILL PEAK POPS THURS
NIGHT AS FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE MTNS. ETA/MM5 SHOW FRONT BREAK UP A
LITTLE WITH THE PASSAGE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...BUT FRONT WILL
SHARPEN AS IT MOVES EAST. WILL TAKE POPS UP TO HIGH CHC FOR
NOW...BUT LIKELY COVERAGE MAY BE NEED AND FROPA TIMING AND STRENGTH
COME BETTER INTO VIEW. WILL TREND POP AND WX OUT OF FA FRI AND FRONT
MAKE SLOW PROGRESS TO THE EAST.

THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD A LONG WAVE TROF WILL
REMAIN OVER THE EAST COAST...IN BETWEEN DESERT SW AND ATLANTIC H5
HIGHS. AFTER INITIAL DRY SATURDAY...AIR MASS WILL UNDERGO A GRADUAL
DESTABILIZATION. SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WILL CARRY DIURNAL SH/TS
ACROSS THE CWA WITH FAVOR GIVEN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. WILL CONTINUE TO
ADVERTISE CLIMO MEX/HPC TEMPS.

FCSTID =   16
GSP   71  89  69  87 /  40  40  50  50
AND   71  88  69  88 /  40  50  50  50
CLT   72  90  70  88 /  40  40  50  50
HKY   70  87  69  83 /  60  40  50  50
AVL   66  84  66  80 /  50  60  60  50

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

NED

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 6:27 AM EDT, 10 hours 51 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-091230-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
627 AM EDT WED JUL 9 2003

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

.DAY ONE...

AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL ONCE AGAIN REACH INTO THE UPPER
90S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT WITH ONLY SMALL CHANCES OF LATE DAY
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS STILL FORECAST FOR THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 9, 4:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
400 PM EDT WED JUL 09 2003

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

345 PM     3 E HEPCO                 NC   FLASH FLOOD
07/09/03   HAYWOOD                        COUNTY SHERIFF  REPORTED
                                          FINES CREEK AND WESLEY
                                          CREEK OUT OF THEIR
                                          BANKS...CAUSING MINOR
                                          ROAD FLOODING.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 9, 4:24 PM EDT, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
424 PM EDT WED JUL 09 2003

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

419 PM     BELMONT                   NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/09/03   GASTON                         TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          HAM RADIO.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 9, 4:38 PM EDT, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
438 PM EDT WED JUL 09 2003

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

433 PM     BELMONT                   NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/03   GASTON                         DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY HAM SPOTTER.

LAMB

Special weather statement, Jul 9, 4:45 PM EDT, 33 minutes before

NCZ033-049-050-092145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
445 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...

AT 440 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN TENNESSEE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND AFFECT AREAS
FROM BANNER ELK TO NEWLAND AND BAKERSVILLE A LITTLE AFTER 5 PM.

THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. OUTDOOR OBJECTS SHOULD BE
SECURED AHEAD OF THESE STORMS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 9, 5:00 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
500 PM EDT WED JUL 09 2003

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

455 PM     5 W GAFFNEY               SC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/03   CHEROKEE                       REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 9, 5:06 PM EDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
506 PM EDT WED JUL 09 2003

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

455 PM     3 N BAKERSVILLE           NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/09/03   MITCHELL                       TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN ALL ACROSS THE
                                          NORTHERN END OF THE
                                          COUNTY. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER.

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 9, 3:25 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Haywood	2 hr
Jul 9, 4:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston	42 min
Jul 9, 4:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	47 min
Jul 9, 5:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Mitchell, Yancey	42 min
Jul 9, 5:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Gaston	62 min
Jul 9, 5:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander	63 min
Jul 9, 5:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Lincoln	38 min
Jul 9, 7:18 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Madison	117 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North 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.