Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 203, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 12, 2003Spartanburg County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 12, 2003, 6:22 PM EDT for Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 53 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 12, 2003, 6:22 PM EDT (22:22 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 2003, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Spartanburg County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:23 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, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 235 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 2003-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1650 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 2003-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -35 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
1650 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
580 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
132 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

131 
WUUS52 KGSP 122222
SVRGSP
SCC083-122315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
621 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SPARTANBURG COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 621 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF SPARTANBURG...OR ABOUT 2 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF DUNCAN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  REIDVILLE AT 625 PM EDT.
  MOORE AT 650 PM EDT.
  PAULINE AT 710 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 8221 3490 8222 3478 8215 3460 8183
          3496 8179 3512 8203

$$
BURRUS

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 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 4 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
221 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO PERSIST. SURFACE FRONT E OF AREA TO WASH
OUT...WHILE ANOTHER WEAK FRONT MOVES INTO AREA TONIGHT...STALLING
JUST TO S ON SUN. AREA CAPPED UNTIL THIS EVENING...WHEN CAPES OF
200-300 PROGGED BY MODEL SOUNDINGS AS MID LEVELS COOL. SUNDAY
AFTERNOON TO HAVE A BIT MORE INSTABILITY...AND FRONTAL MOISTURE.
MON/TUE NEARLY A REPEAT OF SUN. GULF NOT OPEN...SO ACTIVITY JUST
EXPECTED TO BE SCATTERED. NOT MUCH COOLING BEHIND THESE BOUNDARIES
...WITH MOISTURE/CLOUDS REMAINING...AND COOLEST AIR WELL TO N.

WEAK S FLOW TO DOMINATE WED/THU AS SLOW MOVING FRONT ADVANCES FROM
NW. FRONT TO STALL OVER AERA FRI...WITH LIMITED MOISTURE...THEN TO
WASH OUT SAT. CHANCE POPS CONTINUE...PRIMARILY AFTERNOON/EVENING...
WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND OR JUST BELOW NORMAL.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   67  86  67  87 /  30  40  40  30
AND   68  86  68  87 /  30  40  40  30
CLT   67  87  67  87 /  30  40  40  30
HKY   65  84  66  84 /  30  40  40  30
AVL   60  81  62  81 /  30  40  40  30

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

O7
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 12, 5:20 AM EDT, 13 hours 2 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-121130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
520 AM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND ORGANIZE
ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STORMS MAY MOVE INTO
THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS
EVENING...AND THEN MOVE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA...AS WELL AS NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
LATER IN THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND PERHAPS LARGE HAIL...ESPECIALLY
DURING THE EARLY TO MID EVENING IN AREAS WEST OF I-26 IN GEORGIA AND
SOUTH CAROLINA...AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERD...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE POSSIBLE MOST DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING.

LANE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 12, 6:07 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
NCZ033-034-048>055-058-059-062>067-130100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
607 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND
PIEDMONT THIS EVENING..

AT 6 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS EAST TENNESSEE. THESE STORMS WILL SLOWLY SPREAD OVER THE
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...AND THE FOOTHILLS...THIS EVENING.
SCATTERED STORMS WERE ALREADY ONGOING ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN...
AND THIS ACTIVITY MAY BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED BEFORE THE MAIN LINE
CROSSES THE REGION.

AS THE STORMS PROGRESS EASTWARD...THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF OF
PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS TO NEAR 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL
RAIN. ONE OR TWO OF THE STORMS COULD BRIEFLY REACH SEVERE STATUS IN
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION OR
CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

44
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 6:07 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
NCZ033-034-048>055-058-059-062>067-130100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
607 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

CORRECTED HEADLINE.

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS THIS EVENING..

AT 6 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS EAST TENNESSEE. THESE STORMS WILL SLOWLY SPREAD OVER THE
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...AND THE FOOTHILLS...THIS EVENING.
SCATTERED STORMS WERE ALREADY ONGOING ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN...
AND THIS ACTIVITY MAY BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED BEFORE THE MAIN LINE
CROSSES THE REGION.

AS THE STORMS PROGRESS EASTWARD...THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF OF
PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS TO NEAR 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL
RAIN. ONE OR TWO OF THE STORMS COULD BRIEFLY REACH SEVERE STATUS IN
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION OR
CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

44

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 8:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPSpartanburg59 min
Jul 12, 4:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenville48 min

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.