Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 376, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 22, 2003Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 22, 2003, 6:37 PM EDT for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 23 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, 6:37 PM EDT (22:37 UTC)
Expired
Aug 22, 2003, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Pickens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:39 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, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 238 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-08-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 194 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-08-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
194 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-95 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
963 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
1 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-6 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 222237
SVRGSP
SCC077-222300-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 637 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PICKENS...OR ABOUT 4 MILES EAST
  OF LIBERTY...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  EASLEY AT 655 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 3489 8255 3482 8248 3477 8257 3469 8273
          3488 8274

$$
07

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, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 22, 3:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 37 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, 12 hours 36 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

Local storm report, Aug 22, 4:10 PM EDT, 2 hours 27 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, 2 hours 8 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, 1 hour 45 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
Local storm report, Aug 22, 5:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
524 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

507 PM     5 E SHELBY                NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   CLEVELAND                      COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED
                                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON
                                          HWY 74 BETWEEN SHELBY AND
                                          KINGS MOUNTAIN. ALSO PEA
                                          SIZE HAIL NE OF SHELBY.

LAMB
Local storm report, Aug 22, 5:51 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
551 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

500 PM     3 E SPARTANBURG           SC   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   SPARTANBURG                    COUNTY 911 REPORTED
                                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON
                                          EAST SIDE OF CITY.

LAMB
Local storm report, Aug 22, 6:15 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
615 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2003

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

603 PM     10 W CHARLOTTE            NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   MECKLENBURG                    TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN. CHARLOTTE PD.

JAT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 22, 4:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPSpartanburg52 min

Nearby

Severe 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.