Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 284, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 21, 2003Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2003, 7:33 PM EDT for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 42 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 21, 2003, 7:33 PM EDT (23:33 UTC)
Expired: Jul 21, 2003, 8:15 PM EDT
In force: 42 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), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:35 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, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 238 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: 1499 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 919 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 25 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.

034 
WUUS52 KGSP 212333
SVRGSP
SCC077-220015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
733 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT

* AT 733 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PICKENS...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH
  OF LIBERTY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  EASLEY AT 745 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 3495 8276 3494 8252 3484 8244 3478 8256
          3474 8265 3475 8277

$$
07

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 21, 3:20 PM EDT, 4 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 3:20 PM EDT, 4 hours 13 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
320 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ACROSS
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...IN AN AIRMASS
CHARACTERIZED BY CAPES RANGING FROM 2500 IN THE MOUNTAINS...TO 3500
J/KG ALONG THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE CWFA. WE WILL ADVERTISE
CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION EARLY THIS EVENING TO HANDLE
THIS ACTIVITY. WITH MODERATE TO HIGH INSTABILITY AND STEEP MID LEVEL
THETA-E LAPSES...EXPECT THAT WE WILL SEE A FEW WET MICROBURSTS HERE
AND THERE THIS EVENING. OF GREATER CONCERN IS THE RATHER STRONG MCS
CURRENTLY ADVANCING OUT OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY...INTO NORTHERN
MIDDLE/NORTHEAST TENN. THE UNSTABLE AIRMASS AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE
AND CORFIDI VECTORS/THERMAL WIND PROGS SHOULD SUPPORT IT INTO OUR NC
MNTNS DURING THE MID/LATE EVENING...AND WILL CARRY LIKELY POPS THERE
DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. HOWEVER...WITH LACK OF UPPER SUPPORT/ADEQUATE
SHEAR...THE MCS SHOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ITSELF EAST OF THE
MOUNTAINS...SO POPS WILL BE HELD IN THE CHANCE RANGE THERE.

TUESDAY...PERSISTENT EAST COAST TROUGH AMPLIFIES AS A STRONG SW
MOVES INTO THE BASE OF THE TROUGH...AND DEEP LAYER W/SW FLOW
STRENGTHENS QUITE NICELY IN RESPONSE...ESP FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
ALTHOUGH INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND RATHER WEAK MID LEVEL LAPSE
RATES WILL PRECLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TERRIBLY UNSTABLE
AIRMASS...EXPECT CONVECTION TO REDEVELOP TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITHIN
LEE TROUGH...AND/OR PERHAPS ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY(S) LEFT BEHIND
FROM TONIGHTS MCS. SHEAR WILL BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR SOME OF
THIS ACTIVITY TO ORGANIZE INTO SEVERE MULTICELL CLUSTERS...AND WE
WILL ADVERTISE HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS TOMORROW AFTERNOON. AS THE
SW TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES INTO THE AREA
TUESDAY EVENING/NIGHT...AND THE REGION COMES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN 80KT H2 JET...SUSPECT THAT WE WILL
SEE A LARGE MCS AFFECT THE CWFA DURING THIS TIME...AND LIKELY POPS
WILL BE MAINTAINED FOR THIS PERIOD. ASSUMING THAT THE AIRMASS ISNT
COMPLETELY WORKED OVER FROM TOMORROW AFTERNOONS CONVECTION...THERE
SHOULD BE A CONTINUED THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER INTO TUESDAY NIGHT.

HAVE LINGERED POPS INTO WEDNESDAY AND PART OF THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE EAST...AS THE BOUNDARY BEGINS TO STALL IN OR NEAR THE
AREA. FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN FREE OF
POPS...AS THE EAST COAST TROUGH DEAMPLIFIES AND THE BOUNDARY SLOWLY
WASHES OUT OVER THE SOUTHEAST. POPS RETURN TO THE FORECAST FOR
MONDAY...AS MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HINT AT A REAMPLIFICATION OF THE
TROUGH.

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

LANE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 1:40 PM EDT, 5 hours 53 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-211945-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
140 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ONE
OR TWO OF THEM COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING...AND COULD PRODUCE MORE SEVERE
WEATHER...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF WIND DAMAGE. FOR MORE
INFORMATION...SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (SPSGSP) ISSUED AT
130 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON TUESDAY...WEDNESDAY...AND
THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

MOORE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 4:37 PM EDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
437 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

353 PM     10 NW HENDERSONVILLE      NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   HENDERSON                      EOC REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Jul 21, 4:58 PM EDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

330 PM     1 SE AVL                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   HENDERSON                      PUBLIC REPORTED NINE
                                          BRADFORD PEAR TREES BLOWN
                                          DOWN AT GOLF COURSE...
                                          LARGEST OF WHICH WAS 15
                                          IN DIAM. ALSO PEA SIZED
                                          HAIL.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:18 PM EDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
518 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

501 PM     2 NW TAYLORSVILLE         NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   ALEXANDER                      SPOTTER REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Jul 21, 6:46 PM EDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
646 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

635 PM     NEWTON                    NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   CATAWBA                        PUBLIC REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Jul 21, 6:50 PM EDT, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

647 PM     10 N SHELBY               NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   CLEVELAND                      QUARTER SIZE HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

630 PM     UNION                     SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   UNION                          SPOTTER REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN.

RB

Local storm report, Jul 21, 7:26 PM EDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
726 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

700 PM     2 N NEWTON                NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   CATAWBA                        A COUPLE OF TREES ON
                                          POWER LINES ALONG HIGHWAY
                                          70.

RBN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 21, 1:15 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Pickens	45 min
Jul 21, 2:25 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Pickens	110 min
Jul 21, 5:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Laurens, Spartanburg	41 min
Jul 21, 5:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Oconee	55 min
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	60 min
Jul 21, 7:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville	41 min
Jul 21, 7:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	York	39 min
Jul 21, 7:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	York	29 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.