Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 194, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 10, 2003Union County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 10, 2003, 3:54 PM EDT for Union County, North Carolina. It was in force for 51 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 10, 2003, 3:54 PM EDT (19:54 UTC)
Expired
Jul 10, 2003, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Union County, NC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:57 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, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 141 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 2003-07-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 117 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 2003-07-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 55 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
117 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-102 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1108 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
88 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 101954
SVRGSP
NCC179-102045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
353 PM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  UNION COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 445 PM EDT

* AT 353 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES WEST OF MONROE...OR ABOUT 6 MILES EAST OF
  WAXHAW...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MONROE AT 400 PM EDT.
  FAIRVIEW AT 405 PM EDT.
  WINGATE AT 410 PM EDT.
  MARSHVILLE AT 420 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 3499 8080 3484 8075 3483 8033 3518 8053

$$
LGL/HG

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 10, 3:27 PM EDT, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 10, 3:27 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
327 PM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

MCS CURRENTLY MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE UPSTATE AND THE NC PIEDMONT.
IN ITS WAKE IS A NEARLY SATURATED BL WITH TEMPS GENERALLY IN THE
LOWER 70S. UPSTREAM ANOTHER CONVECTIVE COMPLEX HAS DEVELOPED OVER
NORTHERN GA...AND WILL FOLLOW TRACK OF THE FIRST. WITH LITTLE TIME
FOR THE AIRMASS TO RECOVER WILL EXPECT A SLOW WANING OF THE STRENGTH
OF THE ACTIVITY. FURTHER UPSTREAM...OVER CENTRAL TN...ANOTHER MCS
HAS DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN MCV/VORT BAND. THIS ACTIVITY HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP INTO A QUICK MOVING LINEAR BAND AND TRACK ENE
TOWARD THE FA. WIND DAMAGE WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN...SOME STORMS
MAY BE ABLE TO PRODUCE HAIL AROUND A PENNY...WILL LEAVE SVR WATCH
UNTOUCHED.

VORT OVER TN WILL MIGRATE EAST TONIGHT AND WILL EXPECT SH/TS TO
ACCOMPANY ITS PASSAGE. WILL EXTEND LIKELY POPS TO THE WEST OVER
NIGHT...TO THE EAST WILL REDUCE POPS TO A GOOD CHC OVERNIGHT. ETA
AND GFS BRING THE SFC FRONT SLOWLY ACROSS THE FA FRI. I WILL TREND
POPS EAST WITH EXPECTED FROPA...BY THE LATE AFTERNOON WILL LIMIT CHC
TO THE EAST OF THE NC MTNS. GFS AND ETA ARE SURPRISINGLY SIMILAR FOR
SAT AS BOTH MODELS SPAWN A MCS OVER THE MS VALLEY SAT AM. I BELIEVE
THAT THE MODEL SOLUTION OF BRINGING THE ACTIVITY THIS FAR EAST IS
OVERDONE...WILL GO SCHC IN THE LATE AFTERNOON WHICH IS IN AGREEMENT
WITH MOS GUIDANCE.

MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW FA UNDER LONGWAVE TROF THROUGH
THE EXTENDED. TROF AMPLIFIES FROM SUN TO TUE AND WOULD EXPECT BEST
COVERAGE OF CONVECTION TO FOLLOW. HOWEVER...WITH THE HARDSHIP OF
TIMING POTENTIAL MCSS AND SHORTWAVES WILL LIMIT PRECIP WORDING TO
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH FAVOR GIVEN TO THE HIGH TERRAIN.
LITTLE CHANGE IN THE TEMP FORECAST...WILL KEEP TEMPS WITHIN ENSEMBLE
SPREAD.

FCSTID =   16
GSP   69  88  66  88 /  70  50  30  20
AND   69  89  67  89 /  70  50  30  20
CLT   70  89  67  90 /  60  40  40  20
HKY   68  86  65  86 /  60  50  30  20
AVL   66  83  59  83 /  70  50  20  20

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

NED
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 10, 6:04 AM EDT, 9 hours 50 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-101200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
604 AM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

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

.DAY ONE...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY...WITH A FEW POSSIBLY BECOMING
SEVERE AND SOME PRODUCING LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL. FOR FURTHER
DETAILS...REFER TO THE LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SPSGSP...
ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON FRIDAY...WITH DAILY CHANCES
RETURNING AGAIN SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 10, 12:36 PM EDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
SCZ006-011-012-019-101720-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1236 PM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA
THIS AFTERNOON.  AT 1230 PM EDT  THE STORMS WERE IN ANDERSON
AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES...STORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST
AT 25 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE UPSTATE OF
SOUTH CAROLINA AND THESE STORM MAY PRODUCE WINDS OF MORE
THAN 50 MPH AND PENNY SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.  THERE HAVE
BEEN MANY REPORTS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING
WITH THESE STORMS.

PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE UPSTATE SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS
AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

DICARLO
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 1:23 PM EDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
SCZ007-008-012-013-019-101815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
123 PM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON.  THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO MOVE THROUGH SPARTANBURG...LAURENS AND GREENWOOD
COUNTIES BY 200 PM. THE STORMS WILL THEN MOVE THROUGH
CHEROKEE AND UNION COUNTIES BY 230 PM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE UPSTATE OF
SOUTH CAROLINA AND THESE STORM MAY PRODUCE WINDS OF MORE
THAN 50 MPH AND PENNY SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.  THERE HAVE
BEEN MANY REPORTS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING
WITH THESE STORMS.

PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE UPSTATE SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS
AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

DICARLO
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 2:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
NCZ071-082-SCZ008-009-013-014-101915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
245 PM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

AT 245 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
SHOWED A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN CHEROKEE
COUNTY AND NORTHERN UNION COUNTY MOVING TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT
15 TO 20 MPH.  NEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ACROSS YORK COUNTY.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE
SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA. BOATERS ON LAKE WYLIE
SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO AN AREA OF SAFETY.

SEVERAL SMALL DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHERN
MECKLENBURG COUNTY... NEAR PINEVILLE... AT  245 PM.  HOWEVER...
MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST
WILL NOT ARRIVE IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY UNTIL AFTER 315 PM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHARLOTTE METRO
AREA UNTIL 600 PM.

LGL
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 3:25 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
NCZ070>072-082-SCZ009-014-101955-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
325 PM EDT THU JUL 10 2003

AT 325 PM... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED IN AN ARC FROM NEAR
KINGS MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST TO ROCK HILL THEN SOUTH THROUGH RICHBURG
IN CHESTER COUNTY.  A WIND GUST TO 41 MPH WAS RECORDED AT THE ROCK
HILL AIRPORT IN YORK COUNTY AT 311 PM.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT
APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH.  THEY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CHARLOTTE
METROPOLITAN AREA BEFORE 430 PM.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN... STRONG AND
GUSTY WIND... AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL WILL OCCUR.

LAKE WYLIE WILL EXPERIENCE THUNDERSTORM WEATHER. BOATERS AND
SWIMMERS IN LAKE NORMAN SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THE THUNDERSTORMS TRAVEL TOWARD THE NORTHEAST.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO THE SOUTHERN END OF LAKE
NORMAN BY 400 PM.  ANYONE OUTSIDE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT LIGHTNING
ACCOMPANIES ALL THUNDERSTORMS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHARLOTTE METRO
AREA UNTIL 600 PM.

LGL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 10, 2:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford62 min
Jul 10, 7:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGraham, Swain47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.