Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 32, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 29, 2003Habersham County, Georgia

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 29, 2003, 6:01 PM EDT for Habersham County, Georgia. It was in force for 59 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: Apr 29, 2003, 6:01 PM EDT (22:01 UTC)
Expired: Apr 29, 2003, 7:00 PM EDT
In force: 59 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Habersham County, GA

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:04 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, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 177 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: 11 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -376 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1529 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 66 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.

349 
WUUS52 KGSP 292201
SVRGSP
GAC137-292300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEAST HABERSHAM COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 600 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTH OF CLAYTON...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF
  TURNERVILLE.  THE STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS FROM TURNERVILLE TO 
TALLULAH FALLS.

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 3471 8351 3462 8341 3470 8335 3475 8340

$$

LANE/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 Apr 29, 3:22 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 29, 3:22 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
322 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

LAPS 18Z CAPES ARE RUNNING GENERALLY >1500 J/KG WITH LITTLE CIN.
RADAR SHOWING A FEW SH AND TS DEVELOPING OVER NC COUNTIES. WITH AN
OLD BOUNDARY...LEE TROF...AND THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY OVER THE FA
EXPECT THE POPULATION OF SH/TS TO GROW INTO THE EARLY EVENING. HAVE
HELD ONTO MENTION INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS STORMS WILL GRADUALLY
ASH OUT AFTER DUSK. IN THE MEANTIME...STORMS WILL BE PULSE-LIKE AND
WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A ISOLATED WIND OR HAIL EVENT.

H5 RIDGE WILL BUILD OVERNIGHT AND OVERALL A SUMMER-LIKE PATTERN.
AGAIN DIURNAL TS STILL THE MAIN CONCERN FOR WEDNESDAY. WITH RETURN
FLOW AHEAD OF DEVELOPING PLAINS LOW DEWPOINTS WILL REMAIN IN THE U50
AND L60S WITH ANOTHER DAY IN THE 70-80S. ATMOS MOISTURE WILL ALSO
INCREASE MAKING A INTERESTING AFTERNOON SOUNDING. MODIFIED TO
EXPECTED LLVL VALUES CAPES ARE EXPECTED IN THE 1500-2500 J/KG RANGE.
WITH A MORE FAVORABLE WIND PATTERN WILL KEEP CHC POPS UP AROUND 40%.
THIS IS SUPPORTED WITH MOS POPS...AND COULD BE TOO LOW...ESPECIALLY
WITH FWC THUNDER POPS IN THE LIKELY RANGE. THURS...AGAIN DIURNAL TS
IS THE MAIN CONCERN. FRI...A FOCUSING MECHANISM ARRIVES IN THE FROM
OF A COLD FRONT. INSTABILITY REMAINS IN PLACE AND WILL KEEP CHC POPS
FOR CONVECTION.

A COLD FRONT SHOULD CROSS THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY MORNING. ALTHO
THERE IS SOME POSSIBILITY OF LINGERING SHOWERS AFTER SUNRISE AS
HINTED BY THE 00Z GFS...WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY BASED ON THE
DRIER 06Z RUN...THINKING THAT ANY POST FRONTAL CONVECTION WILL NOT
DEVELOP UNTIL AFTERNOON WHEN FRONT IS NEARLY TO THE COAST. LATEST
GUIDANCE TEMPS ARE MUCH WARMER FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WILL RAISE
TEMPS A CATEGORY THINKING THAT CLEAR SKY BEHIND FRONT AND DOWNSLOPE
E OF MOUNTAINS WILL MORE THAN COUNTERACT WEAK COLD ADVECTION IN THE
AFTERNOON. SUNDAY AND MONDAY ARE QUIET AND GUIDANCE WILL BE FOLLOWED
CLOSELY. ON TUESDAY...THE GFS DEVELOPS A RETURN FLOW OF MOISTURE
ACROSS THE AREA. PRECIP IN GFS IS NO DOUBT OVERDONE IN THE
MOISTENING PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE...BUT
SCATTERED CONVECTION SEEMS A GOOD BET.

FCSTID =   16
GSP   60  80  59  80 /  50  40  40  30
AND   59  81  59  80 /  40  40  40  30
CLT   58  81  59  81 /  30  40  40  30
HKY   58  77  59  78 /  50  40  40  30
AVL   55  76  55  77 /  50  40  40  30

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

NED/MOORE

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 29, 6:10 AM EDT, 11 hours 51 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-291210-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
610 AM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON.
A FEW THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN
AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY EVEN SOME SMALL
HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

EXPECT A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 29, 4:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
417 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

330 PM     TURNERSBURG               NC   .75 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   IREDELL                        POST OFFICE REPORTED.

345 PM     COOL SPRINGS              NC   .75 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   IREDELL                        REPORTED BY JONES
                                          GROCERY.

405 PM     TAMASSEE                  SC   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   OCONEE                         HAIL NEARLY BROKE
                                          WINDSHILED. REPORTED BY
                                          TAMASSEE STORE.

JAT

Local storm report, Apr 29, 4:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
456 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

450 PM     SPINDALE                  NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   RUTHERFORD                     PUBLIC REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Apr 29, 5:02 PM EDT, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
502 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

450 PM     GREEN HILL                NC   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   RUTHERFORD                     COUNTY EOC REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Apr 29, 5:24 PM EDT, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
524 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

513 PM     TALLULAH FALLS            GA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   HABERSHAM                      REPORTED BY HABERSHAM
                                          COUNTY OFFICIALS.

KRENTZ

Local storm report, Apr 29, 5:27 PM EDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
527 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

455 PM     CORNELIUS                 NC   .50 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   MECKLENBURG                    12 TO 18 INCH DEEP HAIL.
                                          LEAVES AND LIMBS DOWN.

JAT

Local storm report, Apr 29, 5:58 PM EDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
558 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2003

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

551 PM     TALLULAH FALLS            GA   1.50 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   RABUN                          HAM REPORT.

JAT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 29, 5:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Habersham, Stephens	60 min
Apr 29, 5:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rabun	56 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 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.