Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 375, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 22, 2003Cleveland County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 22, 2003, 5:03 PM EDT for Cleveland County, North 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: Aug 22, 2003, 5:03 PM EDT (21:03 UTC)
Expired: Aug 22, 2003, 5:45 PM EDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cleveland County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:04 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 169 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: 1565 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1038 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 4 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.

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 222103
SVRGSP
NCC045-222145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
502 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL CLEVELAND COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 545 PM EDT

* AT 502 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHELBY...OR ABOUT 3 MILES EAST OF
  LATTIMORE...OVER THE TOWN OF KINGSTOWN... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20   
  MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SHELBY AT 505 PM EDT.
  PATTERSON SPRINGS AT 515 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 3547 8150 3550 8169 3523 8171 3522 8139

$$

NED/SBK

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 22, 3:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 22, 3:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
300 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

WARMING TOP MCS OVER EASTERN KY AND WEST VA CONTINUING TO MOVE SOUTH
TOWARD THE LOWER APPALACHIANS. WITHIN THE CWA...CONVECTION HAS
DEVELOPED OVER THE RIDGE TOPS AND LEE TROF...THESE CELLS ARE
DRIFTING SLOWLY TO THE SE. WILL EXPECT A FAIR AMOUNT OF COVERAGE
FROM NATIVE SH/TS AND REMNANTS OF A WEAKENING MCS...ARRIVING IN THE
0-6Z WINDOW. WITH CAPES > 3K AND SLOW STORM MOTIONS WILL REISSUE SPS
FOR THE SEVERE AND HIGH RAINFALL THREAT. BY DAYBREAK...COLD FRONT
WILL BE DRAPED JUST NORTH AND WEST OF THE FA. WITH A TRIGGERING
MECHANISM SLOWLY WORKING ACROSS THE AREA...I FELL VERY COMFORTABLE
FORECASTING OVER MOS...WITH POPS IN THE MID TO U30S. WILL EXPECT
FRONT WILL SLIP SOUTH OF THE FA BY SUNSET SAT. SAT NIGHT...1023 MB
HIGH WILL MOVE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC AND THE MESOETA SHOWS A WEAK
CAD-LIKE SYSTEM TO BUILD OVER THE FT.HILLS AND PIEDMONT BY SUN AM.
WITH LITTLE UPGLIDE AND DECENT DRY AIR ADVECTION WILL FORECAST A
PARTLY (SOUTH) TO MOSTLY (NORTH) SUNNY DAY...AND WILL FAVOR THE
COOLER MOS TEMPS.

MON AND TUES...HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES OFFSHORE AND MOISTURE BEGINS TO
BUILD OVER THE FA...WILL KEEP A DRY FORECAST AND WILL INCREASE TEMPS
A FEW DEGREES OVER PREVIOUS FORECAST. FROM WED THROUGH FRI...GFS
SHOWING A MORE PROGRESSIVE COLD FRONT AND TROPICAL SYSTEM. BY
WEDNESDAY AM...COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED OVER THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY
WITH DEEP MOISTURE ADVECTING OVER THE FA. GFS LIS COOL TO AROUND
-4C WHILE UPPER HEIGHTS BEGIN TO FALL...THIS SEEMS A LITTLE TOO
QUICK WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER MEDIUM RANGE MODELS. WILL EXPECT
SCATTERED CONVECTION OVER THE MTNS AND ISOLATED EAST. COLD FRONT
WILL SLOWLY PASS OVER THE FA ON THURSDAY AND WILL BLANKET CWA WITH
CHC POPS FAVORING THE MTNS. FRI NIGHT...GFS DEPICTS THAT THE
TROPICAL SYSTEM...WHICH COULD BE CALLED FABIAN...WOULD BE OVER THE
NW GULF AS THE FRONT IS SLOWLY WORKING SOUTH. UNCERTAINTIES GATHER
IN THE DETAILS OF THE OUTER PERIODS. BUT WILL KEEP TRENDS SIMILAR TO
THE GFS DEPICTION...KEEPING POPS FOR ALL BUT THE NORTHERN TIER ON
FRI.

FCSTID = 16

GSP 70 89 68 84 / 50 40 30 10
AND 70 90 70 86 / 50 40 30 10
CLT 71 88 66 84 / 50 40 30 10
HKY 69 86 64 82 / 50 40 20 10
AVL 64 84 63 81 / 50 30 20 10

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

NED

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 22, 6:01 AM EDT, 11 hours 2 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-221200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
601 AM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY
SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY. ONE OR
TWO OF THE STORMS COULD BRIEFLY REACH SEVERE LEVELS...BUT WIDESPREAD
SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM WILL BE SLOW
MOVERS...ENHANCING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AT ANY ONE
LOCATION. SEE THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...UNDER PRODUCT
LABEL CAESPSGSP...FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR SEVERE WEATHER
PROSPECTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO CROSS OUR REGION SATURDAY. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED AGAIN...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER
POSSIBLE. A PERIOD OF FAIR WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED FOLLOWING THE
SATURDAY FRONTAL PASSAGE...BEFORE ANOTHER COLD FRONT RETURNS THE
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MIDWEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

BURRUS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 22, 12:04 PM EDT, 4 hours 59 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-222100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1204 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...

THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN QUITE MOIST TODAY AS
TEMPERATURES CLIMB TO SOME OF THEIR HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE SUMMER. BY
LATE AFTERNOON...THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA ARE
EXPECTED TO BE VERY UNSTABLE...RESULTING IN IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. ONE OR TWO THUNDERSTORMS COULD BRIEFLY
REACH SEVERE LEVELS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH
AND LARGE HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR
THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

RWH

Local storm report, Aug 22, 3:22 PM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
322 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

313 PM     TAYLORSVILLE              NC   .75 INCH HAIL
08/22/03   ALEXANDER                      SPOTTER REPORT FROM
                                          DOWNTOWN TAYLORSVILLE.

LAMB

Local storm report, Aug 22, 3:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
356 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

330 PM     ICARD                     NC   .75 INCH HAIL
08/22/03   BURKE                          TRAINED SPOTTER REPORT
                                          FROM EAST BURKE HIGH
                                          SCHOOL.

318 PM     4 SW MILLS RIVER          NC   .75 INCH HAIL
08/22/03   HENDERSON                      PUBLIC REPORT FROM HWY
                                          280.

LAMB

Local storm report, Aug 22, 4:10 PM EDT, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
410 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

351 PM     5 W STATESVILLE           NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   IREDELL                        SHERIFFS DEPT REPORTED A
                                          UTILITY SHED BLOWN DOWN
                                          AND SEVERAL POWERLINES
                                          DOWNED. FIRE DEPT EN
                                          ROUTE.

LAMB

Local storm report, Aug 22, 4:29 PM EDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
429 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

320 PM     9 E TRYON                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   POLK                           SHERIFF REPORTED A TREE
                                          AND A POWERLINE DOWN ON
                                          SANDY PLAINS RD.

LAMB

Local storm report, Aug 22, 4:52 PM EDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
452 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

430 PM     LAKE LURE                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   RUTHERFORD                     RUTHERFORD 911 REPORTED
                                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. ALSO
                                          A SUBSTANTIAL MUDSLIDE IN
                                          PROGRESS. MORE DETAILS TO
                                          FOLLOW.

445 PM     SHERILLS FORD             NC   .88 INCH HAIL
08/22/03   CATAWBA                        TRAINED SPOTTER REPORT.

445 PM     NEWTON                    NC   .75 INCH HAIL
08/22/03   CATAWBA                        TRAINED SPOTTER REPORT.

LAMB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 22, 2:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Polk	41 min
Aug 22, 3:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander	43 min
Aug 22, 3:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Iredell	39 min
Aug 22, 3:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, Caldwell	50 min
Aug 22, 3:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	52 min
Aug 22, 4:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Gaston	44 min
Aug 22, 4:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba	39 min
Aug 22, 4:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Iredell	43 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.