Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 208, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 12, 2003Rutherford County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 12, 2003, 8:36 PM EDT for Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 39 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, 8:36 PM EDT (00:36 UTC)
Expired: Jul 12, 2003, 9:15 PM EDT
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:38 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 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 184 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: 293 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1730 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 54 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 130036
SVRGSP
NCC161-130115-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 915 PM EDT

* AT 833 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUTHERFORDTON...OR ABOUT OVER
  SUNSHINE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THERMAL CITY... 
SUNSHINE...AND BOSTIC.

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 3555 8186 3555 8170 3548 8168 3533 8169
          3537 8189 3542 8190

$$

WAJ/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 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 6 hours 15 minutes 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, 15 hours 16 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

Local storm report, Jul 12, 7:51 PM EDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
751 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

648 PM     FAIRVIEW                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   BUNCOMBE                       COUNTY EOC REPORTED
                                          NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN IN AND
                                          AROUND FAIRVIEW.

746 PM     10 N LENOIR               NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/03   CALDWELL                       SPOTTER REPORT.

725 PM     3 S THERMAL CITY          NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/12/03   RUTHERFORD                     SPOTTER REPORTED QUARTER
                                          SIZE HAIL...STRIPPED
                                          LEAVES FROM ONE TREE.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 12, 7:57 PM EDT, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
757 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

752 PM     7 E RUTHERFORDTON         NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   RUTHERFORD                     FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS
                                          TREES DOWN ON ENGINEER
                                          ROAD IN BOSTIC.

BURRUS

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:00 PM EDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
800 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

752 PM     7 E RUTHERFORDTON         NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   RUTHERFORD                     TREES DOWN AT CEDAR GROVE
                                          BAPTIST CHURCH IN BOSTIC.
                                          COUNTY DISPATCH CENTER
                                          REPORT.

752 PM     7 E RUTHERFORDTON         NC   .88 INCH HAIL
07/12/03   RUTHERFORD                     COUNTY 911 CENTER REPORTS
                                          NICKEL-SIZED HAIL IN
                                          BOSTIC.

BURRUS

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:12 PM EDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
812 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

738 PM     COLLETTSVILLE             NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   CALDWELL                       TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMS CENTER.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:18 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
631 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

600 PM     2 E WEAVERVILLE           NC   LIGHTNING
07/12/03   BUNCOMBE                       ***INJURED 1, DEAD 0***
                                          COUNTY EOC REPORTED ONE
                                          MAN HOSPITALIZED AND SERIOUSLY
                                          INJURED WHILE STANDING UNDER                                         STANDING UPDER A TREE IN REEMS
                                          A TREE IN REEMS CREEK.

CORRECTED DETAILS ON INJURY.

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:31 PM EDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
831 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

824 PM     7 NW SHELBY               NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   CLEVELAND                      SPOTTER REPORTED TREES
                                          BLOWING DOWN AND DEBRIS
                                          IN THE AIR ON HIGHWAY 226
                                          BETWEEN SHELBY AND
                                          POLKVILLE.

TJB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 12, 8:30 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Cleveland	45 min
Jul 12, 8:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Gaston	42 min
Jul 12, 9:43 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	McDowell	2 hr
Jul 12, 9:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston	46 min
Jul 12, 9:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell, Rutherford	65 min
Jul 12, 10:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	58 min
Jul 12, 10:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Lincoln	59 min
Jul 12, 10:27 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Rutherford	3 hr
Jul 12, 10:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland	48 min
Jul 12, 11:00 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Lincoln	3 hr
Jul 12, 11:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston	40 min
Jul 12, 11:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	40 min
Jul 13, 12:01 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke	44 min
Jul 13, 1:35 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 13, 1:46 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 13, 3:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, Caldwell	47 min
Jul 13, 4:44 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 13, 5:14 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Burke	3 hr
Jul 13, 5:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg, Union	56 min
Jul 13, 5:28 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Buncombe	3 hr
Jul 13, 7:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Graham	48 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.