Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 242, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 16, 2003Burke County, Catawba County, North Carolina

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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2003-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 161 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 2003-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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

HG
Special 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

LGL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 3:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCaldwell51 min
Jul 16, 3:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie, Rowan66 min
Jul 16, 4:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHenderson37 min
Jul 16, 5:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford36 min
Jul 16, 6:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLincoln45 min
Jul 16, 6:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPTransylvania65 min
Jul 16, 6:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland, Gaston61 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.