Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 324, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 4, 2003, 9:19 PM EDT for Franklin County, Stephens County, Georgia; Oconee County, South Carolina. It was in force for 56 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, 9:19 PM EDT (01:19 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 4, 2003, 10:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Franklin County, GA, Stephens County, GA, Oconee County, SC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 7:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2177 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -10 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 868 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 47 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 101 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.7
- Supercell composite
- 3.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
236
WUUS52 KGSP 050119
SVRGSP
GAC119-257-SCC073-050215-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
917 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
STEPHENS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
SOUTHERN OCONEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 1015 PM EDT
* AT 917 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOCCOA...AND 10 MILES WEST OF
CARNESVILLE......MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
AVALON AT 920 PM EDT.
LAVONIA AT 925 PM EDT.
WHITWORTH AT 930 PM EDT.
OAKWAY AT 945 PM EDT.
TOWNVILLE AT 955 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 3438 8357 3424 8316 3450 8305 3455 8288
3468 8285 3483 8307
$$
BURRUSWhat 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, 6 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 2:23 PM EDT, 6 hours 56 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, 16 hours 2 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
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 6:19 PM EDT, 3 hours 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
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 7:10 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
NCZ070>072-SCZ009-050000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 710 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA THROUGH 8 PM... AT 705 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE METRO AREA. PONDING OF WATER WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS ACROSS THE AREA...AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. LANE
Local storm report, Aug 4, 7:19 PM EDT, 2 hours before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
719 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
710 PM ASHEVILLE NC WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03 BUNCOMBE BUNCOMBE 911 REPORTED
EXTENSIVE WIND DAMAGE
FROM ENKA THROUGH
ASHEVILLE TO WOODFIN.
NUMEROUS TREES AND
POWERLINES DOWN.
710 PM 3 W ASHEVILLE NC 1.75 INCH HAIL
08/04/03 BUNCOMBE BUNCOMBE 911 REPORTED
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. PEA
SIZE HAIL WAS OCCURRING
IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE AT
911 CENTER.
LAMBLocal storm report, Aug 4, 8:28 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
828 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
805 PM MILLS RIVER NC WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03 HENDERSON MILLS RIVER F.D. REPORTED
ONE TREE DOWN IN MILLS
RIVER AND A LOT OF 0.5
HAIL.
LAMBSpecial weather statement, Aug 4, 8:36 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
GAZ018-026-050110- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 836 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING STEPHENS AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES... STRONG STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING IN FROM BANKS COUNTY INTO STEPHENS AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES THROUGH 930 PM. INTERESTS ACROSS THESE COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THESE STORMS AND BE READY FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS. 55
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 8:57 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
NCZ071-082-SCZ009-050145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 857 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CHARLOTTE METRO AND SURROUNDING AREAS... AT 845 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN YORK...SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG...AND UNION COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR IS POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL LIKELY PRODUCE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...ESPECIALLY IN MONROE AND PINEVILLE AND OTHER URBAN AREAS. PONDING OF WATER WILL ALSO OCCUR ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS ACROSS THE AREA...AS WELL AS SIDE ROADS. IN ADDITION TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. LANE
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 8:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Rabun | 57 min |
| Aug 4, 9:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenville, Spartanburg | 48 min |
| Aug 4, 9:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Pickens | 28 min |
| Aug 4, 10:36 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Greenville | 3 hr |
| Aug 5, 2:37 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Laurens | 38 min |
| Aug 5, 3:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cherokee, York | 62 min |
| Aug 5, 7:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Spartanburg | 44 min |
| Aug 5, 7:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Union | 64 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 2003Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South 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.