Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 235, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 13, 2003Graham County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 13, 2003, 7:57 PM EDT for Graham County, North Carolina. It was in force for 48 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, 7:57 PM EDT (23:57 UTC)
Expired: Jul 13, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Graham County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:56 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, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 224 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.

678 
WUUS52 KGSP 132357
SVRGSP
NCC075-140045-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  GRAHAM COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 845 PM EDT

* AT 757 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 16 MILES WEST OF ROBBINSVILLE...OR ABOUT 8 MILES WEST
  OF TAPOCO...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  TAPOCO AT 800 PM EDT.
  SANTEETLAH AT 815 PM EDT.
  ROBBINSVILLE AT 825 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 3539 8403 3546 8399 3531 8369 3524 8367
          3524 8378 3521 8399 3532 8405

$$

07/NED

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, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 3:31 PM EDT, 4 hours 26 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, 15 hours 7 minutes 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

Local storm report, Jul 13, 6:23 PM EDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before

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

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

535 PM     GRAY COURT                SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   LAURENS                        LAURENS 911 REPORTED
                                          TREES DOWN IN GRAY COURT
                                          AND HWY 56 AND BAINES
                                          CREEK ROAD IN HICKORY
                                          TAVERN.

500 PM     MAULDIN                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   GREENVILLE                     911 CENTER REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN ON HOLLAND FORD ROAD
                                          SOUTH OF GREENVILLE.

TJB

Local storm report, Jul 13, 6:27 PM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

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

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

552 PM     HICKORY TAVERN            SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   LAURENS                        LAURENS 911 REPORTED
                                          TREES DOWN HWY 56 AND
                                          GREEN PLAINS ROAD IN
                                          HICKORY TAVERN.

TJB

Local storm report, Jul 13, 6:59 PM EDT, 58 minutes before

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

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

515 PM     CARNESVILLE               GA   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   FRANKLIN                       EOC REPORTED 2 TREES
                                          BLOWN DOWN ON BOLD
                                          SPRINGS ROAD NEAR
                                          CARNESVILLE.

JMP

Local storm report, Jul 13, 7:10 PM EDT, 47 minutes before

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

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

330 PM     LIBERTY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   PICKENS                        TV STATION REPORTED ROOF
                                          BLOWN OFF LOWES SUPPLY
                                          BUILDING IN LIBERY AND
                                          TREES SNAPPED.

TJB

Local storm report, Jul 13, 7:10 PM EDT, 47 minutes before

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

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

330 PM     LIBERTY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   PICKENS                        TV STATION REPORTED ROOF
                                          BLOWN OFF ROSE RESTAURANT.

CORRECTED FOR BUILDING DAMAGE.

Local storm report, Jul 13, 7:30 PM EDT, 27 minutes before

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

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

630 PM     DUE WEST                  SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   ABBEVILLE                      EOC REPORTED LARGE LIMB
                                          BLOWN DOWN IN THE ROAD
                                          AND REMOVED BY OFFICER IN
                                          DUE WEST.

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, 8:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	39 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

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.