Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 30, 2003Iredell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 30, 2003, 7:12 PM EDT for Iredell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 33 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: Apr 30, 2003, 7:12 PM EDT (23:12 UTC)
Expired: Apr 30, 2003, 7:45 PM EDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Iredell County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:16 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, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 93 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: 8 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -241 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1558 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 63 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.

800 
WUUS52 KGSP 302312
SVRGSP
NCC097-302345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
712 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN IREDELL COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 745 PM EDT

* AT 712 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTH OF STATESVILLE...OR ABOUT 4 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF LOVE VALLEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  HARMONY AT 720 PM EDT.
  UNION GROVE AT 725 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 3596 8105 3584 8089 3602 8072 3606 8091

$$
BURRUS

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 Apr 30, 3:25 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 3:25 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
325 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

SH AND TS ARE ONGOING ACROSS THE SPINE OF THE APPALACHIANS AND
ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF NC. EXPECT THAT THE ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN
COVERAGE FURTHER EAST AND WILL REMAIN INTO THE EVENING. SEVERE
CHANCES STILL LOOK GOOD AS PARAMETERS REMAIN FAVORABLE...IN
FACT...DEWPOINTS HAVE REMAINED HIGHER THAN EXPECTED RESULTING IN
CAPES AROUND 3000 J/KG AT PEAK HEATING. WILL TREND POPS FROM LIKELY
OVER THE NRN MTNS DOWN TO 30S EAST OF CLT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...WILL
DECREASE POPS TO SCHC AND WILL ADD PATCHY FOG. FOG COULD BECOME
DENSE IN SPOTS AS MIN WILL SURPASS CROSSOVER TEMPS.

FORECAST CHANGES A BIT FOR THU AS MODELS HAVE ADOPTED THE COASTAL
LOW OFF THE SE. WILL FOLLOW MAINLY THE ETA ON THIS FEATURE AS AGAIN
THE GFS IS OVER DEVELOPING THE LOW. THE CIRCULATION AROUND THE LOW
WILL ADVECT IN MORE STABLE AIR OVER THE NE CWA...BUT AREAS IN THE
WEST WILL FEEL LITTLE DIFFERENCE. WILL GO SCHC OVER THE NRN PIEDMONT
OF NC AND MAINTAIN CHC OVER THE REST OF THE CWA. WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COASTAL SYSTEM AS THE MAIN LOW...THE COLD FRONT
THAT WAS PROGGED FOR FRI HAS SLOWED. IN FACT...FRONT MAY STALL OVER
THE CWA FOR SAT...WITH ETA HOLDING ONTO SOME CAPE. WILL DELAY ONSET
OF PRECIP TO FRI AFTERNOON AND HOLD ONTO MENTION UNTIL MIDNIGHT. DUE
TO THIS CHANGE WILL LEAN AGAINST ADDING POPS TO THE SAT PERIOD...BUT
WILL INCREASE POPS TO SCHC TO TREND INTO THE DIRECTION OF MENTION.

HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO RIDGE DOWN AS IT MOVES PAST TO THE
NORTH ON SUNDAY AND EARLY MONDAY. GUIDANCE IS FOLLOWED CLOSELY HERE.
ONCE THE HIGH IS OFFSHORE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND A WEAK WARM FRONT
LIFTS NORTH...MOISTURE SHOULD BEGIN TO RETURN. WILL INTRODUCE A
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS FOR THE
AFTERNOON. WITH THE MOISTENING RETURN FLOW...HAVE RAISED LOW TEMP
MONDAY NIGHT BY A FEW DEGREES ACROSS SC/NE GA. BY TUESDAY...WE
SHOULD BE SET UP FOR SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION WITH
THE HIGH OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST AND A SURFACE FRONT TO THE WEST.
THE ONLY REAL CHANGE HERE IS TO KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING BASED ON THE POSITION OF THE COLD FRONT
DEPICTED BY HPC AT 12Z WEDNESDAY.

FCSTID =   16
GSP   58  79  59  82 /  50  30  30  40
AND   59  80  59  83 /  50  30  30  40
CLT   57  81  59  82 /  40  30  30  40
HKY   58  78  58  79 /  50  20  20  40
AVL   56  75  55  78 /  50  30  30  40

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

NED/MOORE

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 6:03 AM EDT, 13 hours 9 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-301200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
603 AM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

.DAY ONE...

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY. FOR
FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER
OUTLOOK...SPSGSP...ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

EXPECT A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS BOTH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 30, 4:40 PM EDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
440 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

335 PM     7 E MOCKSVILLE            NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   DAVIE                          LETTER CARRIERS WITH THE
                                          POSTAL SERVICE REPORTED
                                          SEVERAL INSTANCES OF HAIL
                                          BETWEEN DIME AND QUARTER
                                          SIZE BETWEEN MOCKSVILLE
                                          AND FORK CHURCH.

BURRUS

Local storm report, Apr 30, 4:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
453 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

452 PM     5 NE SYLVA                NC   .75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   JACKSON                        SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          DIME SIZE HAIL.

HG

Local storm report, Apr 30, 5:59 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
559 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

433 PM     CELO                      NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   YANCEY                         THREE HAIL EVENTS WITH
                                          QUARTER SIZE TO PEA SIZE
                                          HAIL.  STRONG WINDS AND
                                          2.50 RAINFALL.

TJB

Local storm report, Apr 30, 6:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
605 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

600 PM     MT MITCHELL ST PARK       NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   YANCEY                         RELAYED BY BLUE RIDGE
                                          PKWY DISPATCH.

JAT

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 7:07 PM EDT, 5 minutes before

NCZ035>037-056-057-010000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
707 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING FOR THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND
NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 705 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS STRONG SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT
OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE THREE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN THE VICINITY
OF TAYLORSVILLE IN ALEXANDER COUNTY...NEAR CENTRAL IN NORTHWEST
IREDELL COUNTY...AND JUST SOUTH OF FARMINGTON IN DAVIE COUNTY. THE
STORMS WERE SLOWLY WEAKENING AND DRIFTING TO THE NORTH.

ANY OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL AROUND A HALF INCH IN
DIAMETER...OR WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH OR A LITTLE HIGHER. THERE WAS ONE
REPORT OF DIME SIZED HAIL FROM THE EMERGENCY MANAGER IN ALEXANDER
COUNTY. WITH LOSS OF HEATING...THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY NOT GET MUCH
STRONGER.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

BURRUS

Local storm report, Apr 30, 7:09 PM EDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
709 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

702 PM     TAYLORSVILLE              NC   .75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   ALEXANDER                      EMERGENCY MANAGER
                                          REPORTED HAIL AS LARGE AS
                                          A DIME.

BURRUS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 30, 3:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Davie	57 min
Apr 30, 3:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Madison	41 min
Apr 30, 4:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Yancey	45 min
Apr 30, 4:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Jackson	57 min
Apr 30, 4:58 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Yancey	3 hr
Apr 30, 6:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Yancey	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.