Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 319, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 4, 2003Buncombe County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 4, 2003, 6:29 PM EDT for Buncombe County, North Carolina. It was in force for 61 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: Aug 4, 2003, 6:29 PM EDT (22:29 UTC)
Expired: Aug 4, 2003, 7:30 PM EDT
In force: 61 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Buncombe County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:32 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, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 243 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: 384 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -28 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 661 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -8 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.0
Supercell composite: -0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

570 
WUUS52 KGSP 042229
SVRGSP
NCC021-042330-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
629 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 629 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES WEST OF ASHEVILLE...OR ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF
  LEICESTER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CANDLER AT 630 PM EDT.
  WOODFIN AT 635 PM EDT.
  BENT CREEK AT 640 PM EDT.
  ASHEVILLE AT 645 PM EDT.
  BILTMORE FOREST AT 650 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 3573 8271 3566 8251 3561 8230 3551 8214
          3543 8252 3555 8282

$$

55

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 Aug 4, 2:23 PM EDT, 4 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 2:23 PM EDT, 4 hours 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
223 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS TO REMAIN W OF AREA. REMNANTS OF WEAK
SURFACE BOUNDARY APPEAR TO REACH AREA LATE TUE...STALLING OVER
AREA....WITH SURFACE WAVE MOVING INTO AREA FROM W WED. FIRST OF
SEVERALE VORT LOBES MOVES ACROSS AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
LEFT POPS AT LIKELY NE THIS EVENING...WHERE GREATEST INSTABILITY
EXPECTED...WITH HIGH CHANCE REST OF AREA. ANOTHER VORT LOBE TO PASS
TO SW OF AREA LATE TUE. CARRIED CHANCE POPS...BEST IN WHERE VORT
LOBE COMES CLOSEST. THIRD VORT MAX APPROACHES WED...AND CARRIED
CHANCE POP ACROSS AREA. WITH VERY MOIST AIR MASS AND POSSIBLE
BOUNDARY...LEFT SLIGHT CHANCE POPS LATE EACH NIGHT. WEAK COLD FRONT
TO CROSS AREA EARLY THU...SUPPORTING ANOTHER DAY OF CHACNE POPS.
TEMPERATURES NEAR PERSISTENCE EACH DAY...GENERALLY LOW TO MID 80S
OVER MID TO UPPER 60S.

POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER TO EXIST THROUGH EARLY PART OF
PACKAGE. ALTHOUGH LARGE SCALE QPF NOT EXPECTED TO VERY GREAT ON ANY
GIVEN DAY...CUMULATIVE EFFECT ON ALREADY SOAKED SOIL COULD LEAD TO
FLOODING BY MID WEEK. WILL ISSUE FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK.

EXTENDED FORECAST FEATURES WEAK STATIONARY FRONT STALLED ACROSS
CENTRAL CAROLINAS. CARRIED CHANCE POPS EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING
WITH SLIGHT CHANCE LATE EACH NIGHT. TEMPERATURES AGAIN NEAR
PERSISTENCE.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   68  87  69  85 /  50  30  30  40
AND   68  88  69  85 /  50  30  30  40
CLT   68  88  70  85 /  60  30  30  40
HKY   65  85  67  83 /  60  30  30  40
AVL   62  83  64  81 /  50  40  40  40

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

O7

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 5:17 AM EDT, 13 hours 12 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-041115-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 AM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME NUMEROUS
TODAY...ESPECIALLY FROM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT. SOME OF THESE
STORMS COULD BECOME QUITE STRONG AND A FEW COULD REACH SEVERE
LEVELS. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL CAN ALSO BE ANTICIPATED. SEE THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (CAESPSGSP) FOR MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE WEEK. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL AUGMENT ONGOING ELEVATED
WATER LEVELS...INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR FLOODING. IN
ADDITION...THESE STORMS COULD ALSO BECOME QUITE STRONG AND A FEW
COULD REACH SEVERE LEVELS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

NED

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 4, 4:08 PM EDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
408 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

400 PM     WEAVERVILLE               NC   .75 INCH HAIL
08/04/03   BUNCOMBE                       SPOTTER REPORTED PENNY
                                          SIZED HAIL COVERING
                                          GROUND. POWER KNOCKED OUT
                                          FOR UNKNOWN REASON.

LAMB

Local storm report, Aug 4, 4:25 PM EDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
425 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

400 PM     WEAVERVILLE               NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   BUNCOMBE                       BUNCOMBE 911 REPORTED 7-8
                                          TREES DOWN IN TOWN OF
                                          WEAVERVILLE. ALSO MAJOR
                                          POWER OUTAGES IN NORTHERN
                                          BUNCOMBE COUNTY.

LAMB

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 5:35 PM EDT, 54 minutes before

NCZ068-042230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
535 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING SOUTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY...

AT 530 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM LOCATED ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SHELBY. THIS STORM
WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...SMALL
HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL
AS IT MOVES FROM NEAR EARL AND PATTERSON SPRING. THIS STORM COULD
INTENSIFY TO SEVERE LEVELS RAPIDLY...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS STORM FOR A POSSIBLE WARNING.

LANE

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 6:12 PM EDT, 17 minutes before

NCZ053-042255-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
612 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHWEST BUNCOMBE COUNTY...

A VERY STRONG STORM JUST SOUTHWEST OF CANTO AT 610 PM WILL
CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH THROUGH 7 PM.
INTERESTS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD MONITOR IT/S
PROGRESS...AND BE ALERT FOR FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY WIND GUSTS TO
40 MPH AND HAIL.

55

Local storm report, Aug 4, 6:13 PM EDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
613 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

540 PM     NEBO                      NC   LIGHTNING
08/04/03   MCDOWELL                       ***INJURED 2, DEAD 0***
                                          SPOTTER REPORTED TWO
                                          PERSONS STRUCK BY
                                          LIGHTNING ON MARION LAKE
                                          CLUB GOLF COURSE.
                                          AIRLIFTED TO
                                          HOSPITAL...MEDICAL
                                          CONDITIONS UNKNOWN.

545 PM     NEBO                      NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   MCDOWELL                       HAM SPOTTER REPORTED ONE
                                          TREE DOWN ON US-70 IN
                                          NEBO. ALSO NUMEROUS
                                          TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DUE TO
                                          REDUCED VISIBILITIES FROM
                                          HVY RAIN.

LAMB

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 6:19 PM EDT, 10 minutes before

NCZ070-071-SCZ009-042315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
619 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA...

AT 612 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM LOCATED ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GASTONIA...MOVING
EAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY
WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HOURLY RAINFALL RATES BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES PER
HOUR AS IT TRACKS NEAR THE GASTON AND YORK COUNTY LINE THROUGH 7
PM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS STORM COULD BRIEFLY INTENSIFY TO SEVERE
LEVELS...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THIS STORM CLOSELY FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO REACH MECKLENBURG COUNTY BETWEEN 7 AND 730
PM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST INFORMATION REGARDING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

LANE

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 4, 3:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Madison	52 min
Aug 4, 5:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Haywood	25 min
Aug 4, 7:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Henderson	76 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North 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.