Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 388, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

November 19, 2003Gaston County, Lincoln County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 19, 2003, 7:00 AM EST for Gaston County, Lincoln County, North Carolina. It was in force for 45 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 19, 2003, 7:00 AM EST (12:00 UTC)
Expired
Nov 19, 2003, 7:45 AM EST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Gaston County, NC, Lincoln County, NC

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Nov 19, 2:20 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 140 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2003-11-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 115 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2003-11-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 283 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
115 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
563 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
283 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
397 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 191200
SVRGSP
NCC071-109-191245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
700 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  LINCOLN COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
  GASTON COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 745 AM EST

* AT 659 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 16 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUTHERFORDTON TO 14
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF GAFFNEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  CHERRYVILLE AT 725 AM EST.
  VALE AT 730 AM EST.
  CROWDERS AT 735 AM EST.
  LINCOLNTON AT 740 AM EST.
  STANLEY AT 745 AM EST.

ALTHOUGH TORNADOES HAVE NOT BEEN DETECTED WITH THIS LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP
WITHOUT WARNING FROM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.

THIS RAPIDLY MOVING LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE WINDS FROM
60 TO 100 MPH...AND MAY MOVE THROUGH VERY QUICKLY WITH LITTLE 
THUNDER OR LIGHTNING.

$$
JONES

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 Nov 19, 6:15 AM EST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 6:15 AM EST, 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
615 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

.DISCUSSION...
PER LATEST SPC WATCH STATUS MESSAGE...WILL CLEAR TORNADO WATCH WEST
OF A LINE FROM ASHEVILLE TO SPARTANBURG TO GREENWOOD AT 630 AM.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLOOD WATCH TODAY GAZ010...GAZ017>018.
NC...FLOOD WATCH TODAY NC MTNS AND FOOTHILLS.
SC...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR SCZ001>007.
&&

HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 19, 6:00 AM EST, 1 hour before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-191245-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS
AND PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS THIS MORNING. THIS LINE COULD PRODUCE
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH THIS MORNING...AND POSSIBLY ISOLATED
TORNADOES. SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP BEHIND THIS
LINE IN THE AFTERNOON...AFFECTING THE MOUNTAINS IN THE EARLY
AFTERNOON AND THEN REACHING THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR BY LATE
AFTERNOON. THIS SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MORE LIKELY TO
PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. PLEASE SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...
CAESPSGSP...FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING
WILL ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL BEFORE TAPERING OFF FROM THE WEST BY
NOON. RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD TOTAL 3 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY ON THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN
ESCARPMENTS...BY THE TIME THE PRECIPITATION DIMINISHES. PLEASE SEE
THE FLOOD WATCH...CAEFFAGSP...FOR MORE INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

HG

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 19, 5:55 AM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
555 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

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

0405 AM    11 ESE TOCCOA             GA   TORNADO
11/19/03   STEPHENS                       DEPUTY REPORTED THROUGH 911
                                          THAT HE OBSERVED TORNADO OR
                                          WATERSPOUT IN THE BRUCE
                                          CREEK AREA OF LAKE
                                          HARTWELL. HE WAS FOLLOWING
                                          THE TRACK BACK TO THE WEST
                                          AND ENCOUNTERING SOME LIMBS
                                          AND TREES DOWNED IN THE
                                          ROAD. NO OTHER DAMAGE KNOWN
                                          AT THIS TIME.

JONES
Special weather statement, Nov 19, 6:20 AM EST, 40 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-191300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
620 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

...THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM TORNADO WATCH 965...

IN GEORGIA...
ELBERT...FRANKLIN...HABERSHAM...HART...RABUN...STEPHENS.

IN NORTH CAROLINA...
AVERY...BUNCOMBE...GRAHAM...HAYWOOD...HENDERSON...JACKSON...MACON...
MADISON...MITCHELL...POLK...SWAIN...TRANSYLVANIA...YANCEY.

IN SOUTH CAROLINA...
ABBEVILLE...ANDERSON...GREENVILLE...GREENWOOD...LAURENS...
OCONEE...PICKENS...SPARTANBURG.

...TORNADO WATCH 965 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EST FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CAROLINA...
ALEXANDER...BURKE...CABARRUS...CALDWELL...CATAWBA...
CLEVELAND...DAVIE...GASTON...IREDELL...LINCOLN...MCDOWELL...
MECKLENBURG...ROWAN...RUTHERFORD...UNION.

IN SOUTH CAROLINA...
CHEROKEE...CHESTER...UNION...YORK.
Local storm report, Nov 19, 6:35 AM EST, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
635 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

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

633 AM     8 SW GAFFNEY              SC   60 MPH TSTM GUST
11/19/03   CHEROKEE                       COUNTY OFFICIAL ESTIMATE.

JAT
Special weather statement, Nov 19, 6:35 AM EST, 25 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-191300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR TIME OF ISSUANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
635 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

...THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM TORNADO WATCH 965...

IN GEORGIA...
ELBERT...FRANKLIN...HABERSHAM...HART...RABUN...STEPHENS.

IN NORTH CAROLINA...
AVERY...BUNCOMBE...GRAHAM...HAYWOOD...HENDERSON...JACKSON...MACON...
MADISON...MITCHELL...POLK...SWAIN...TRANSYLVANIA...YANCEY.

IN SOUTH CAROLINA...
ABBEVILLE...ANDERSON...GREENVILLE...GREENWOOD...LAURENS...
OCONEE...PICKENS...SPARTANBURG.

...TORNADO WATCH 965 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EST FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CAROLINA...
ALEXANDER...BURKE...CABARRUS...CALDWELL...CATAWBA...
CLEVELAND...DAVIE...GASTON...IREDELL...LINCOLN...MCDOWELL...
MECKLENBURG...ROWAN...RUTHERFORD...UNION.

IN SOUTH CAROLINA...
CHEROKEE...CHESTER...UNION...YORK.

HG
Local storm report, Nov 19, 6:44 AM EST, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
644 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

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

600 AM     SPARTANBURG               SC   WIND DAMAGE
11/19/03   SPARTANBURG                    TREE ON HOUSE. COUNTY 911
                                          REPORT.

625 AM     CHESNEE                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
11/19/03   SPARTANBURG                    TREES IN ROAD. COUNTY 911
                                          REPORT.

JAT
Local storm report, Nov 19, 6:58 AM EST, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
658 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

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

655 AM     5 NE GAFFNEY              SC   WIND DAMAGE
11/19/03   CHEROKEE                       COUNTY COMMS RECEIVED
                                          REPORT OF A TV ANTENNA
                                          RIPPED OUT OF THE WALL OF
                                          A MOBILE HOME.

LAMB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 19, 6:49 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland41 min
Nov 19, 7:46 AM ESTTornado WarningGSPMecklenburg44 min
Nov 19, 8:14 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCabarrus, Rowan, Union46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North 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.