Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 256, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 18, 2003Rutherford County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 2003, 3:57 PM EDT for Rutherford 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 18, 2003, 3:57 PM EDT (19:57 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 2003, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:59 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, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 216 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 2003-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 999 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 2003-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 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
999 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1023 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
65 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.

201 
WUUS52 KGSP 181957
SVRGSP
NCC161-182045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
357 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 445 PM EDT

* AT 357 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 13 MILES NORTH OF COLUMBUS...OR ABOUT OVER LAKE
  LURE...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  LAKE LURE AT 400 PM EDT.

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE THERE IS A
GOOD CHANCE OF BRIEF DAMAGING WINDS OVER SMALL AREAS...AND PERHAPS
LARGE HAIL. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO CAUSING AN UNUSUAL
AMOUNT OF CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING

LAT...LON 3552 8219 3546 8226 3540 8227 3538 8207
          3552 8205

$$

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 18, 3:00 PM EDT, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 3:00 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
300 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

SURFACE FRONT STRETCHES FROM SRN PA THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY AT 18Z
THIS AFTERNOON. LEE TROUGHING IS OBSERVED THROUGH THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS...WITH LAPS ANALSYS INDICATING BEST LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
FLUX CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE IN NC. SOUNDINGS INDICATE CAPE
VALUES ABOVE 3000 J/KG OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS WITH MUCH LESS CAPPING
OF WARM MID LEVEL TEMPS EVIDENT. CONVECTION SHOULD INITIATE EARLIER
TODAY...AND RADAR INDEED SHOWS TSRA FANNING OUT ALONG THE ESCARPMENT
PRESENTLY. LOW WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS ALONG WITH STEEP LAPSES OF
EQUIV POTENTIAL TEMPERATURES FROM THE SFC TO 700 MB SUGGEST THAT
HAIL AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ANY CONVECTION.

IR IMAGERY DEPICTS STRONG MCS OVER THE SRN TIP OF ILLINOIS AND
STEERING CURRENT SHOULD DRIVE THE BULK OF THIS CONVECTION SOUTHWARD
ALONG THE MS RIVER VALLEY. PROMINENT 500 MB SHORTWAVE IS INDICATED BY
THE MODELS...HOWEVER...TO SWING SOUTHEAST AND CROSS THE SRN
APPALACHIANS OVERNIGHT. THIS FORCING WILL INCREASE AS FRONTAL SYSTEM
ALSO SLOWLY APPROACHES FROM THE N. WILL THUS NEED SOLID CHC POPS TO
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH THE BEST CHANCES LATE OVER THE MTNS AND THE
NRN TIER.

UPPER WAVE EXITS TO THE EAST EARLY IN THE DAY...THEN THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY SAGS INTO THE REGION AND STALLS. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND
INSTABILITY WILL ONCE AGAIN BE FAVORABLE FOR CHC POPS THROUGHOUT THE
DAY. SOME DRYING IS THEN INDICATED BETWEEN UPPER TROUGHS ON SUNDAY
WITH WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGING IN PLACE. ETA INSTABILITIES BUBBLE BACK
TO 2000 TO 3000 CAPES BUT WITH SOME CAPPING EVIDENT.

HEIGHTS THEN FALL IN EARNEST THROUGH THE EARLY WEEK. THE GFS PAINTS
A SEVERE WEATHER SCENARIO AS 850 MB JET WRAPS INTO THE AREA
COINCIDENT WITH THE APPROACH OF AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG COLD FRONT
AND SIGNIFICANT UPPER FORCING. WILL NEED CHANCE POPS FROM PM MONDAY
THROUGH WED WITH THE BEST CHC TUE. SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH DRYING AND
TROUGH AXIS PROGRESSION FOR THU AND FRI...BUT DRY WEATHER STILL
LOOKS GOOD.

FCSTID =   33
GSP   70  86  69  88 /  40  50  30  20
AND   70  87  69  89 /  40  50  30  20
CLT   70  85  68  88 /  40  50  30  20
HKY   68  84  66  86 /  50  50  30  20
AVL   65  83  63  84 /  50  50  30  20

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 5:47 AM EDT, 10 hours 10 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-181145-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
547 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAIN AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER INTO SATURDAY MORNING...WITH MORE
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ONCE
AGAIN...A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE.

THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

MCAVOY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 18, 10:18 AM EDT, 5 hours 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1018 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

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

835 PM     7 WNW CLAYTON             GA   FLASH FLOOD
07/17/03   RABUN                          COOP OBSERVER REPORTED 20
                                          FOOT SECTION OF ROAD
                                          FLOODED NEAR HWY 76 IN
                                          THE PERSIMMON COMMUNITY.

TJB
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 11:16 AM EDT, 4 hours 41 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-182100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1116 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...

A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION TODAY AND
TONIGHT. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN CAROLINAS LATE
TONIGHT...THEN DISSIPATE ON SATURDAY.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND DRIFT INTO THE FOOTHILLS
AND UPSTATE EARLY THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD
BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS WILL
BECOME MORE NUMEROUS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 BY LATE
EVENING. THIS AREA WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE OVER THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA BY EARLY EVENING.

A SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA
MOUNTAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT...AS THE WEAK COLD FRONT ENTERS THE REGION.
DEPENDING ON HOW STABLE THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMES LATER TONIGHT...THESE
STORMS WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE ISOLATED AREAS OF
DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL.

AS STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
THERE WILL ONCE AGAIN BE A THREAT OF LOCALIZED FLOODING.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/GSP

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

NED

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 3:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHenderson, Transylvania42 min
Jul 18, 3:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCaldwell56 min
Jul 18, 4:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMcDowell40 min
Jul 18, 5:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCaldwell51 min
Jul 18, 5:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe52 min
Jul 18, 6:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie52 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.