Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 306, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 29, 2003, 4:26 PM EDT for Alexander County, Catawba County, North Carolina. It was in force for 64 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 29, 2003, 4:26 PM EDT (20:26 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 29, 2003, 5:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 64 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Alexander County, NC, Catawba County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 137 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:28 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 3:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 116 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 681 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -58 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1045 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 54 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
361
WUUS52 KGSP 292026
SVRGSP
NCC003-035-292130-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
426 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
SOUTHERN ALEXANDER COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
CATAWBA COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 530 PM EDT
* AT 426 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTH OF HICKORY...OR ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF
BETHLEHEM...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
ST. STEPHENS AT 430 PM EDT.
CONOVER AT 445 PM EDT.
CLAREMONT AT 450 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 3554 8097 3554 8107 3576 8135 3589 8134
3595 8127 3582 8105 3578 8109 3572 8103
3563 8093
$$
LANE/BPMWhat 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 29, 4:20 PM EDT, 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 4:20 PM EDT, 6 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 420 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 SPC HAS BOXED MOST OF THE CWA E OF THE MTNS AS AN MCV MOVES IN FROM NRN GA. AT THE SFC...WEAK FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM GSP TO CLT. SCT STRONG CONVECTION IS FIRING ON THE BNDRY...WITH OTHER CONVECTION FIRING OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE COMBINATION OF GOOD LLVL CONVERGENCE...SBCAPES AOA 3000 AND THE SHORT WAVE WL RESULT IN GOOD CONVECTIVE COVERAGE E OF THE MTNS THE REST OF THE AFTN AND THIS EVENING. ASIDE FROM SEVERE THREAT...WEAK ELY FLOW N OF THE FRONT...COUPLED WITH FAIRLY LIGHT WLY FLOW ALOFT AS WELL AS HIGH PW/S AND HIGH WBZ/S WL RESULT IN AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. ATTM A WATCH IS NOT WARRANTED...BUT WL MONITOR AS A SHORT TERM WATCH MAY BE NEEDED AT SOME POINT THIS EVENING. NOT MUCH FORCING ON WED...THOUGH THE FRONT WL REMAIN IN THE AREA. BEST LLVL CONVERGENCE ON THE MODELS DEVELOPS OVER THE SW MTNS. LAYER DRIES OUT QUITE A BIT AS WELL. THEREFORE...WL HAVE ONLY SLGT CHANCE POPS IN THE FAR NE ZONES...INCREASING TO AROUND 50 PERCENT INTO THE SW MTNS. THERE WL BE LGT UPSLOPE FLOW AGAIN TMRW NGHT...AND THERE MAY ONCE AGAIN BE A PROBLEM W/STATIONARY CELLS INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN WED NGHT. LONG WAVE SHARPENS A LITTLE ON THU W/DEEP AND MOIST SWLY FLOW. ETA HAS GOOD CONVERGENCE ALONG THE LEE AS WELL. WL GO W/A 50 POP ALL ZONES. DEEPER FRONTAL BNDRY MOVES ACROSS THE CWA EARLY FRIDAY. LOOKS LIKE A CONTINUED GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN. FCSTID = 14 GSP 70 86 70 88 / 60 30 30 50 AND 71 87 71 89 / 50 40 40 50 CLT 70 84 71 89 / 60 30 30 50 HKY 68 82 69 86 / 60 20 30 50 AVL 66 81 67 83 / 30 30 30 50 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. MCAVOY
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 29, 4:58 AM EDT, 11 hours 28 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-291100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 458 AM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED ATT HIS TIME. RB
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 1:08 PM EDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-300000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 108 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS... THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. A MOSTLY SUNNY START TO THE DAY HAS RESULTED IN A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST...AND A POTENT UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ROTATES ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGH EARLY EVENING WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 70 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD WEAKEN WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. WITH A WEAK WIND FLOW ALOFT...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO DEVELOP ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY...AND COULD PRODUCE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF INCHES OF RAIN IN ANY ONE LOCATION. STANDING WATER ON ROADS...AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS LIKELY WHEREVER THUNDERSTORMS LINGER FOR LONG PERIODS. STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS COULD SEE QUICK RISES ACROSS THE REGION...ENHANCING THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED FLOODING. 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. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. BURRUS
Local storm report, Jul 29, 2:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
254 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
237 PM MATTHEWS NC WIND DAMAGE
07/29/03 MECKLENBURG SPOTTER REPORTED TREE
DOWN ON CAR ON
INDEPENDENCE BLVD NEAR
MATTHEWS. 0.7 OF RAIN IN
TEN MINUTES. TRASH CANS
WASHING DOWN STREET.
LAMBSpecial weather statement, Jul 29, 3:50 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
NCZ034-035-054>056-066>070-SCZ004>008-010-292045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 350 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING OFF OF THE BLUE RIDGE... AT 344 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTH AND EAST TOWARD THE I-85 AND I-77 CORRIDORS THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT...AND THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF INCREASING TO SEVERE LEVELS. WIND GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA UNTIL 9 PM. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THESE STORMS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. LANE
Local storm report, Jul 29, 4:02 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
402 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
236 PM 1 W MATTHEWS NC WIND DAMAGE
07/29/03 MECKLENBURG ***INJURED 1, DEAD 3***
LARGE TREE DOWN ON
VEHICLE. OCCURRED ON
MATTHEWS TOWNSHIP
PARKWAY. REPORTED BY
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.
MOOREThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2:37 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg, Union | 53 min |
| Jul 29, 2:46 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg | 119 min |
| Jul 29, 5:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Lincoln | 65 min |
| Jul 29, 5:28 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Iredell | 47 min |
| Jul 29, 5:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Gaston | 54 min |
| Jul 29, 6:16 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Davie, Rowan | 3 hr |
| Jul 29, 6:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg | 56 min |
| Jul 29, 6:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Rowan | 58 min |
| Jul 29, 6:42 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Iredell | 2 hr |
| Jul 29, 7:10 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg | 110 min |
| Jul 29, 7:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cabarrus | 49 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.