Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 243, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 16, 2003Greenville County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 16, 2003, 5:40 PM EDT for Greenville County, South Carolina. It was in force for 50 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, 5:40 PM EDT (21:40 UTC)
Expired: Jul 16, 2003, 6:30 PM EDT
In force: 50 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), 28 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:41 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, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 247 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: 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.

061 
WUUS52 KGSP 162140
SVRGSP
SCC045-162230-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
540 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 630 PM EDT

* AT 540 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A         
    SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES NORTH OF GREENVILLE...OR ABOUT      
    3 MILES NORTH OF TIGERVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CLEVELAND AND TIGERVILLE AT 545 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 3520 8226 3514 8256 3496 8250 3503 8222

$$
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 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 2:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 50 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 40 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

Local storm report, Jul 16, 4:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 23 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, 1 hour 7 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, 46 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

Local storm report, Jul 16, 5:30 PM EDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
530 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003

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

424 PM     10 SW NEWTON              NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/16/03   CATAWBA                        HAM REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Jul 16, 5:30 PM EDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED FOR TIME OF EVENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
530 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003

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

524 PM     10 SW NEWTON              NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/16/03   CATAWBA                        HAM REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Jul 16, 5:32 PM EDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
532 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003

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

515 PM     5 E MOCKSVILLE            NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/16/03   DAVIE                          EOC REPORTS TREE ON
                                          HOUSE.

JAT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 16, 12:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Oconee	48 min
Jul 16, 2:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Anderson	37 min
Jul 16, 6:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cherokee	61 min
Jul 16, 7:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Pickens	58 min
Jul 16, 7:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	York	53 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.