Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 242, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 16, 2003, 5:04 PM EDT for Burke County, Catawba County, North Carolina. It was in force for 56 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 16, 2003, 5:04 PM EDT (21:04 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 16, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Burke County, NC, Catawba County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 117 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:06 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, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 140 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 161 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -157 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1179 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 6 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 12 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 70 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
067 WUUS52 KGSP 162104 SVRGSP NCC023-035-162200- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 503 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... EASTERN BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CATAWBA COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 600 PM EDT * AT 503 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 3 MILES WEST OF HICKORY TO 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HICKORY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. * SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... CONOVER AT 520 PM EDT. NEWTON AT 525 PM EDT. CLAREMONT AT 530 PM EDT. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. LAT...LON 3576 8146 3556 8156 3556 8125 3574 8113 $$ NED/LGL
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 16, 2:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 2:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 250 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003 18Z SFC ANALYSIS DEPICTS A WEAK FRONT STRETCHED FROM THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS TO THE MID MS RIVER VALLEY...WITH A SFC TROUGH OVER THE FOOTHILLS OF THE CAROLINAS JUST EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. RADAR SHOWS ISOLATED CONVECTION WHICH HAS FINALLY OVERCOME THE WARM TEMPERATURES ALOFT. AS THE BOUNDARY TO THE NW SLIPS SLOWLY TOWARD THE AREA...AND OUTFLOWS FROM THE ONGOING CONVECTION CONT...COVERAGE SHOULD SLOWLY INCREASE ACROSS THE WRN CAROLINAS AND NE GA THROUGH SUNSET AND THEN DISSIPATE BY MIDNIGHT. WILL THUS USE EVENING CHC POPS IN THE FORECAST. FRONT WASHES OUT UPON APPROACH TOMORROW WITH A RESIDUAL TROUGH AXIS THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. INSTABILITY POOLS ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE FRONT WITH ETA SUGGESTING 2500 TO 3000 J/KG CAPES BY AFTERNOON. A CAPPING INVERSION IS PRESENT IN MOST SOUNDINGS...WHICH SHOULD DELAY SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION UNTIL MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...BUT SCATTERED COVERAGE OF STRONG STORMS IS LIKELY AGAIN TOMORROW WITH MID LEVEL DRY PUNCH AND LOW WET BULB ZEROES. CHARACTER OF PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN MAINLY DIURNAL IN NATURE FROM TOMORROW THROUGH NEXT MONDAY...WITH ANOTHER WEAK BOUNDARY WASHING OUT OVER THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS WEEKEND. MEDIUM RANGE CONSENSUS IS FOR A STRONGER SHORTWAVE TO LOAD UP OVER MANITOBA LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND CARVE OUT ANOTHER EASTERN TROUGH BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD PUSH A STRONGER FRONT FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE FORECAST AREA BY TUESDAY...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE. SOME DRYING IS LIKELY BEHIND THE SYSTEM STARTING WED. FCSTID = 33 GSP 70 90 70 89 / 40 30 30 30 AND 70 90 70 90 / 40 30 30 30 CLT 70 90 70 89 / 40 40 40 30 HKY 67 88 67 89 / 40 30 30 30 AVL 63 85 62 86 / 40 30 30 30 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 16, 6:00 AM EDT, 11 hours 4 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-161200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 600 AM EDT WED JUL 16 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL...OR LOCALIZED FLOODING. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (SPSGSP) ISSUED AT 410 AM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP EVERY DAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY...MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ON ANY GIVEN DAY...ONE OR TWO COULD PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. MOORE
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 3:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-170300- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 330 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003 ...ISOLATED FLOODING AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH SUNSET. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTHEAST...PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OVER AFFECTED AREAS. THIS RAINFALL MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS. IF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP REPEATEDLY IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA...STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE VERY RAPID RISES AND SOME COULD APPROACH BANKFULL. THE GREATEST THREAT OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL THIS EVENING WILL BE OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS...ESPECIALLY JUST EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. ANY LOCATION ACROSS THE REGION...HOWEVER...WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IF A THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAIN...ANY OF THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...GENERATING HAIL THE SIZE OF PENNIES OR NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE BY MIDNIGHT. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO RELAY REPORTS OF FLOODING... WIND...OR HAIL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION. HG
Local storm report, Jul 16, 4:17 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
417 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
415 PM 2 E AVL NC .75 INCH HAIL
07/16/03 HENDERSON SPOTTER REPORTS DIME SIZE
HAIL ON HOPPERS CREEK
ROAD.
415 PM 2 E AVL NC TSTM GUST
07/16/03 HENDERSON SPOTTER REPORTS 65 TO 70
MPH WIND GUST ON HOPPERS
CREEK ROAD
HGSpecial weather statement, Jul 16, 4:33 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
SCZ012-162100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 433 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT LAURENS COUNTY THROUGH 5 PM... AT 429 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAURENS...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. RADAR INDICATES THAT THIS THUNDERSTORM IS PRODUCING AN OUTFLOW OF WINDS IN THE 40 TO 50 MPH RANGE. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL AFFECT THE AREA FROM JOANNA TO CROSS HILL BY 440 PM. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND PEA SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM AS WELL. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CLOSELY MONITOR THIS THUNDERSTORM IN CASE A WARNING BECOMES NECESSARY. HG
Local storm report, Jul 16, 4:54 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
454 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
420 PM LENOIR NC .75 INCH HAIL
07/16/03 CALDWELL DIME SIZE HAIL AT
SHERIFFS OFFICE
LGLThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 3:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Caldwell | 51 min |
| Jul 16, 3:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Davie, Rowan | 66 min |
| Jul 16, 4:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Henderson | 37 min |
| Jul 16, 5:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Rutherford | 36 min |
| Jul 16, 6:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Lincoln | 45 min |
| Jul 16, 6:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Transylvania | 65 min |
| Jul 16, 6:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cleveland, Gaston | 61 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.