Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 248, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 16, 2003Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 16, 2003, 7:02 PM EDT for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 58 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, 7:02 PM EDT (23:02 UTC)
Expired: Jul 16, 2003, 8:00 PM EDT
In force: 58 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Pickens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:05 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, 11.0 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: 1129 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 976 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 28 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 162302
SVRGSP
SCC077-170000-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 701 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A 
SEVERE   THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF PICKENS...OR NEAR ROCKY 
BOTTOM...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  ROCKY BOTTOM AT 710 PM EDT.
  NINE TIMES AT 755 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 3505 8260 3513 8265 3503 8300 3488 8286

$$
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, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 2:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 12 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, 13 hours 2 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, 6:19 PM EDT, 43 minutes before

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

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

610 PM     RUTHERFORDTON             NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/16/03   RUTHERFORD                     COUNTY EOC REPORTS TREES
                                          DOWN COUNTYWIDE.

615 PM     7 SE LINCOLNTON           NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/16/03   LINCOLN                        SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          PENNY SIZE HAIL.

HG

Special weather statement, Jul 16, 6:24 PM EDT, 38 minutes before

NCZ070-071-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
624 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA
THROUGH 8 PM...

AT 624 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH INTO GASTON AND
MECKLENBURG COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF
40 TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL.

THE AREA FROM GASTONIA TO LAKE NORMAN WILL BE AFFECTED THROUGH
7 PM...WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS REACHING CHARLOTTE BY 730 PM.
THE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL LIKELY PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE STANDING
WATER IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CLOSELY MONITOR THESE
THUNDERSTORMS IN CASE A WARNING BECOMES NECESSARY.

HG

Local storm report, Jul 16, 6:34 PM EDT, 28 minutes before

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

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

627 PM     BREVARD                   NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/16/03   TRANSYLVANIA                   EOC REPORTS MULTIPLE
                                          TREES AND POWERLINES
                                          DOWN.

RB

Local storm report, Jul 16, 6:39 PM EDT, 23 minutes before

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

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

637 PM     GASTONIA                  NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/16/03   GASTON                         SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          QUARTER SIZED HAIL IN
                                          DOWNTOWN GASTONIA.

HG

Special weather statement, Jul 16, 6:44 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

NCZ070-071-SCZ009-162315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
644 PM EDT WED JUL 16 2003

...THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE LAKE WYLIE AREA...

AT 645 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING LAKE WYLIE FROM THE NORTHWEST.  A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR GASTON COUNTY UNTIL 730 PM.

BOATERS... SWIMMERS... AND OTHERS WHO ARE IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE
WYLIE SHOULD PREPARE TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY UNTIL THE STORMS
PASS ACROSS THE AREA.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN AFFECTING THE
LAKE AROUND 700 PM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  FREQUENT LIGHTNING SHOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED.

LGL

Local storm report, Jul 16, 7:01 PM EDT, 1 minute before

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

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

657 PM     BELMONT                   NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/16/03   GASTON                         SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          PENNY SIZE HAIL.

HG

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, 5:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville	50 min
Jul 16, 6:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cherokee	61 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.