Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 2, 2003Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2003, 3:21 PM EDT for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 54 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: May 2, 2003, 3:21 PM EDT (19:21 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 2003, 4:15 PM EDT
In force: 54 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), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:23 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 2, 2:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 239 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: 181 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -255 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1158 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 102 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 021921
SVRGSP
SCC077-022015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
320 PM EDT FRI MAY 2 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 415 PM EDT

* AT 320 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES NORTH OF PICKENS...OR ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF
  PUMPKINTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  PUMPKINTOWN AT 325 PM EDT.
  LIBERTY AT 330 PM EDT.
  DACUSVILLE AT 335 PM EDT.
  EASLEY AT 355 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 3508 8279 3485 8290 3471 8275 3482 8249
          3503 8257

$$

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 May 2, 2:49 PM EDT, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 2:49 PM EDT, 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
249 PM EDT FRI MAY 2 2003

UPDATING FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ENTIRE AREA UNTIL 8 PM.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   82  58  77  51 /  70  40  20  20
AND   83  58  79  52 /  70  40  20  20
CLT   82  58  78  50 /  70  40  20  20
HKY   81  56  74  48 /  80  40  20  20
AVL   78  54  73  47 /  80  50  20  20

.GSP...
GA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.
NC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.
SC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.

O7

Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 5:20 AM EDT, 10 hours 1 minute before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-021115-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
520 AM EDT FRI MAY 2 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.
SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE SEVERE. PLEASE SEE CAESPSGSP
SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND/OR EVENING.

LANE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 9:47 AM EDT, 5 hours 34 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-022000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
947 AM EDT FRI MAY 2 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST
GEORGIA FROM THE NORTH THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...A WARM
AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WIND.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

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

07

Local storm report, May 2, 11:20 AM EDT, 4 hours 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1120 AM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

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

530 PM     TALLULAH FALLS            GA   .88 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   HABERSHAM                      BETWEEN DIME AND QUARTER
                                          SIZE HAIL AT STATE PARK
                                          AND POST OFFICE AREA.

645 PM     7 SW CLAYTON              GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   RABUN                          HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
                                          ON BRIDGE CREEK ROAD NEAR
                                          LAKE BURTON REPORTED BY
                                          911 CENTER.

630 PM     6 N TOCCOA                GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   STEPHENS                       HAIL DIME TO QUARTER
                                          COVERED THE GROUND  3
                                          INCHES DEEP ON BLACK MTN
                                          ROAD AT EOC DIRECTORS
                                          HOME.  DESTROYED GARDEN.

630 PM     TALLULAH FALLS            GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   HABERSHAM                      HAIL FROM DIME TO QUARTER
                                          SIZE COVERED THE GROUND
                                          REPORTED BY STORE
                                          EMPLOYEE.

TJB

Local storm report, May 2, 2:41 PM EDT, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
241 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

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

231 PM     CORNELIA                  GA   1.50 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   HABERSHAM                      EOC REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, May 2, 2:56 PM EDT, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
256 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

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

352 PM     BRYSON BRANCH             NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   SWAIN                          2 TO 3 TREES DOWN AT
                                          NEEDMORE ROAD.

354 PM     FRANKLIN                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   MACON                          1 TREE ON HOUSE.  SEVERAL
                                          TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROAD
                                          IN THE NORTHERN PART OF
                                          COUNTY.

KRENTZ

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 2, 2:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Oconee	54 min
May 2, 3:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville	55 min
May 2, 3:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Anderson	80 min
May 2, 3:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Spartanburg	54 min
May 2, 4:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Laurens	63 min
May 2, 4:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cherokee, Union	79 min
May 2, 4:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Spartanburg	33 min
May 2, 4:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	York	73 min
May 2, 5:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Chester	75 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South 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.