Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 225, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 13, 2003Greenville County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 13, 2003, 3:50 PM EDT for Greenville County, South Carolina. It was in force for 40 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 13, 2003, 3:50 PM EDT (19:50 UTC)
Expired: Jul 13, 2003, 4:30 PM EDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Greenville County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:54 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 245 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: 1654 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 744 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 25 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 8 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 131950
SVRGSP
SCC045-132030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
349 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN GREENVILLE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 430 PM EDT

* AT 349 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREENVILLE...OR ABOUT OVER
  PIEDMONT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  FORK SHOALS AT 415 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 3481 8238 3466 8255 3448 8235 3467 8217

$$

44/14

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 13, 3:31 PM EDT, 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 3:31 PM EDT, 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
331 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

FOR THE SHORT TERM...MULTICELLULAR CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS WELL
INTO THE EVENING HOURS. EXPECT A FEW MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS GIVEN
A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT OF COOL TROF AT MID LEVELS AND LOW LEVEL
CONVERGENCE ALONG AND SOUTH OF SURFACE BOUNDARY CUTTING EAST TO WEST
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE CONVECTION MAY PERSIST THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS AS IT SHIFTS OFF TO THE EAST AS THE SYNOPTIC
ENVIRONMENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT...WITH SHORT WAVE ROTATING
AROUND BOTTOM OF UPPER TROF AND UPPER DIVERGENCE IN RIGHT ENTRANCE
REGION OF UPPER JET.

ON MONDAY...THE BEST FORCING SHIFTS OFF TO THE EAST...PUTTING THE
PIEDMONT IN THE GRADIENT OF PRECIP PROBABILITY WITH CHANCE ACROSS
THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS AND LIKELY TO OUR EAST. THE FORCING
SHOULD DIMINISH LATE IN THE DAY AS ENERGY PULLS OUT OF THE UPPER
TROF. AS A RESULT...CONVECTION SHOULD ALSO BE MORE DIURNAL IN
NATURE. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY SHOULD ALSO FEATURE TYPICAL DIURNAL
CONVECTION. HAVE STAYED RELATIVELY CLOSE TO TEMP GUIDANCE
THROUGHOUT.

FOR THE MEDIUM RANGE...HAVE FOLLOWED HPC SCENARIO AND GUIDANCE
FAIRLY CLOSELY...WHICH FAVORS THE ENSEMBLE GFS/ECMWF. THIS SCENARIO
KEEPS PRECIP PROBABILITY AND TEMPS CLOSE TO CLIMATOLOGY. SEE LITTLE
REASON TO CHANGE MUCH OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE ONGOING FORECAST...WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF HIGH TEMPS ON SATURDAY...WHICH WILL BE RAISED A FEW
DEGREES TO COME INTO LINE WITH ENSEMBLE MOS GUIDANCE UNDER THE
ASSUMPTION THAT ANY FRONT THAT MIGHT MOVE THROUGH WILL BE WEAK.

FCSTID =   10
GSP   67  86  68  88 /  60  40  40  30
AND   68  86  69  88 /  60  40  40  30
CLT   67  85  68  88 /  60  50  50  40
HKY   66  84  67  87 /  60  40  40  30
AVL   63  82  63  84 /  60  40  30  30

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

MOORE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 4:50 AM EDT, 11 hours before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-131100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
450 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 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 FORECAST AREA IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER LEVEL TROF MOVING
EAST TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST U.S.. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

.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.

RB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 13, 9:52 AM EDT, 5 hours 58 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-132000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
952 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON.
SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING
WIND AND LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION...THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR
THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

07

Local storm report, Jul 13, 1:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
158 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

138 PM     2 S FRANKLIN              NC   .88 INCH HAIL
07/13/03   MACON                          SPOTTER REPORTED NICKEL
                                          SIZED HAIL ACCUMULATING
                                          ON DECK. ESTIMATED WIND
                                          GUSTS TO 60 MPH.

128 PM     5 SE MONROE               NC   FLOODING
07/13/03   UNION                          UNION EOC REPORTED HWY
                                          601 SOUTH COVERED BY 6 TO
                                          8 INCHES OF FLOWING
                                          WATER...MAY BE CLOSED
                                          SOON.

JRL

Local storm report, Jul 13, 3:14 PM EDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
314 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

304 PM     4 NE SIX MILE             SC   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/13/03   PICKENS                        SPOTTER REPORTED GOLF
                                          BALL SIZE HAIL AND TREES
                                          BENT TOTALLY OVER BY
                                          WIND.

248 PM     PICKENS                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   PICKENS                        EOC REPORTED WIND DAMAGE
                                          OF UNKNOWN EXTENT IN MILE
                                          CREEK TRAILER PARK.

JRL

Local storm report, Jul 13, 3:31 PM EDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
331 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

323 PM     LIBERTY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   PICKENS                        TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED
                                          TREES DOWN IN LIBERTY AND
                                          .75 TO 1.0 INCH HAIL.

325 PM     LIBERTY                   SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/13/03   PICKENS                        HAM REPORT.

JRL

Local storm report, Jul 13, 3:48 PM EDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
348 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

346 PM     13 NE ANDERSON            SC   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/13/03   ANDERSON                       GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN
                                          POWDERSVILLE. ANDERSON
                                          COUNTY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT REPORT.

BURRUS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 12, 11:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Spartanburg	59 min
Jul 13, 12:36 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Spartanburg	39 min
Jul 13, 1:09 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Chester	66 min
Jul 13, 2:43 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenwood	47 min
Jul 13, 2:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Pickens	52 min
Jul 13, 3:20 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Anderson, Pickens	40 min
Jul 13, 4:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Anderson	45 min
Jul 13, 4:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville	44 min
Jul 13, 4:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Laurens	62 min
Jul 13, 4:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	York	47 min
Jul 13, 5:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Chester	52 min
Jul 13, 5:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Abbeville, Greenwood	59 min
Jul 13, 5:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Laurens	41 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South 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.