Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 264, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 19, 2003McDowell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 19, 2003, 3:52 PM EDT for McDowell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 53 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 19, 2003, 3:52 PM EDT (19:52 UTC)
Expired
Jul 19, 2003, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County McDowell County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:54 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, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 192 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 2003-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 445 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 2003-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -43 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
445 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-114 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1209 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 191952
SVRGSP
NCC111-192045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
351 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 445 PM EDT

* AT 351 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARION...OR ABOUT 2 MILES EAST OF
  FERO...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS SOUTH OF GLENWOOD AND
  DYSARTSVILLE THROUGH 445 PM.

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 3571 8186 3558 8181 3553 8185 3552 8197
          3555 8201 3552 8204 3560 8206 3566 8206

$$
NED/HG

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 19, 3:15 PM EDT, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 19, 3:15 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
315 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2003

SFC TROUGH REMAINS STRETCHED ACROSS THE REGION AS COLD FRONT SLIDES
S TOWARD THE AREA. CONVECTION HAS FIRED EARLY IN THE UNSTABLE
AIRMASS WITH LITTLE CAPPING AND WEAK H5 SHORTWAVES SLIPPING EAST
ACROSS THE REGION. COVERAGE SHOULD REMAIN SCATTERED THROUGH
SUNSET...WITH THE BEST FOCUS SHIFTING TOWARD THE NRN FOOTHILLS IN
LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. SLIGHTLY BETTER MID
LEVEL WIND FLOW ACROSS THE NRN TIER TO ALLOW TSTM MODE TO VARY FROM
WEAK MULTI CELL N TO MAINLY PULSE SEVERE S.

WEAK DRYING INTO SUN WITH NO ADDITIONAL UPPER SUPPORT SHOULD INHIBIT
COVERAGE A LITTLE. LOW LEVEL TROUGH/WEAK FRONT LINGER TO PROVIDE A
FOCUS FOR SLIGHT CHC CONVECTION SUN PM. ANOTHER MAINLY DIURNAL CHC
ON MONDAY BEFORE UPPER ENERGY ASSOC WITH SIGNIFICANT HEIGHT FALLS
ARRIVE BY TUE ALONG WITH APPROACHING FRONT. SETUP REMAINS IMPRESSIVE
FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WX THREAT FROM TUE INTO WED UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF STRONG UPPER DYNAMICS. HAVE PUSHED POPS INTO LIKELY RANGE FOR TUE
AND WILL MAINTAIN HIGH CHC THROUGH WED BEFORE PARING BACK FROM THE W
ON THU.

EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF LONGWAVE TROUGH STILL QUESTIONABLE FOR LATE
WEEK...BUT DRYING IN THE COLUMN SHOULD ALLOW DRY FORECAST TO GO
FORWARD FOR NEXT FRI/SAT.

FCSTID =   33
GSP   69  89  69  89 /  30  20  20  30
AND   69  90  69  90 /  30  20  20  30
CLT   69  89  69  89 /  30  20  20  30
HKY   67  87  67  87 /  40  20  20  30
AVL   64  85  64  85 /  30  20  20  30

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

HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 19, 5:35 AM EDT, 10 hours 17 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-191145-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
535 AM EDT SAT JUL 19 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION AGAIN TODAY. SOME OF
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL. SEE OUR SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...UNDER THE PRODUCT I.D.
CAESPSGSP...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN LATE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AS AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION. SOME OF
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL STAND A GOOD CHANCE OF BEING SEVERE. IF THE
FRONT MOVES SLOWLY ENOUGH...THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE OF LOCALIZED
FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY.

MCAVOY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 19, 11:49 AM EDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-192100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1149 AM EDT SAT JUL 19 2003

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN OVER THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF
AN UPPER LEVEL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE...AND A WEAK COLD FRONT...WILL
RESULT IN CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO
BECOME SEVERE.

THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON WILL MOVE FASTER AND BE MORE ORGANIZED
THAN THEY HAVE THE PAST FEW DAYS. THIS MEANS THAT LARGER AREAS MAY
SEE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN
OVER THE MOUNTAINS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO
THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL EXIST
ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT.

MULTIPLE STORMS MAY TRACK ACROSS THE SAME AREAS OR BECOME SLOW
MOVING...INCREASING THE CHANCES 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 19, 5:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie25 min
Jul 19, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRowan64 min
Jul 19, 6:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCabarrus38 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.