Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

February 22, 2003Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County, Union County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 22, 2003, 10:31 AM EST for Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County, Union County, North Carolina. It was in force for 44 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
Feb 22, 2003, 10:31 AM EST (15:31 UTC)
Expired
Feb 22, 2003, 11:15 AM EST
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Cabarrus County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC, Union County, NC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 142 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:33 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 22, 9:45 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 121 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 2003-02-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2003-02-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 705 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
483 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
705 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
845 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 221531
SVRGSP
NCC025-119-179-221615-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1031 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
  CABARRUS COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
  UNION COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1115 AM EST

* AT 1031 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF CHARLOTTE TO 11
  MILES NORTHWEST OF LANCASTER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  WAXHAW AT 1035 AM EST.
  MOUNT PLEASANT AT 1045 AM EST.
  MONROE AT 1050 AM EST.
  WINGATE AT 1055 AM EST.
  STURDIVANTS AT 1100 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.

LAT...LON 3534 8078 3503 8083 3477 8089 3482 8032
          3518 8027 3519 8051 3550 8032

$$

MOORE

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 Feb 22, 9:59 AM EST, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 22, 9:59 AM EST, 32 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
959 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

UPDATED FOR TORNADO WATCH CLT METRO AREA...ASSOCAITED WITH LINE OF
CONVECTION.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   66  42  58  37 /  90  40   0  20
AND   66  42  58  37 /  90  40   0  20
CLT   66  42  57  36 /  90  40   0  20
HKY   59  39  52  34 /  90  40  10  20
AVL   62  38  49  32 /  90  40  10  20

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR ZONES NCZ051>052...NCZ058>059...
NCZ062>064.
TORNADO WATCH THROUGH 4 PM FOR ZONES NCZ057-071>072-082.
SC...TORNADO WATCH THROUGH 4 PM FOR ZONES SCZ009-014.

O7
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 22, 6:19 AM EST, 4 hours 12 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-221300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
619 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

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

.DAY ONE...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE
WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL
LIKELY BE SEVERE...ESPECIALLY LATE THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON.
HEAVY RAINFALL COULD ALSO PRODUCE ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. WINDS
WILL REMAIN STRONG AFTER THE PRECIPIATION ENDS TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE CAESPSGSP.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED BY EARLY AFTERNOON...
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE I-85 CORRIDOR.

LANE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 22, 5:02 AM EST, 5 hours 29 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-222100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
502 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THIS WILL ALLOW A WARM FRONT TO LIFT NORTHWARD
ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS MORNING
THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON. WARM...MOIST...AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL
MOVE IN BEHIND THE WARM FRONT...AND CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS. A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...AND
INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME
SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING IN THE FORM OF DAMAGING STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS. ISOLATED WEAK TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE NORTHWARD MOVING WARM FRONT.

AS A COLD FRONT MOVES TOWARD THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING...ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THESE
STORMS COULD ALSO BE SEVERE...WITH A CONTINUED THREAT OF DAMAGING
WINDS. HOWEVER...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MORE
UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
STRONGER STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES.

ALTHOUGH SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA
TODAY...IT APPEARS THAT THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE IN AREAS SOUTH OF I-85. ALTHOUGH THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE AS INTENSE OVER THE MOUNTAINS...WINDS ALOFT TODAY
ARE EXPECTED TO BE VERY STRONG...AND EVEN WEAK STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE
OF BRINGING SOME OF THESE STRONG WINDS INTO THE VALLEYS...RESULTING
IN DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES.

IN ADDITION TO SEVERE WEATHER...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME
OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. THIS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED FLOODING ALONG
SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...AS WELL AS IN URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

LANE
Local storm report, Feb 22, 9:51 AM EST, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
951 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

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

935 AM     UNION                     SC   .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03   UNION                          REPORTED AT 911 CENTER

MOORE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 22, 11:21 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPUnion39 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.