Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 448
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 31, 2003, 2:05 PM EDT for 63 counties in North Carolina; Henry County, City of Danville, Virginia. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 31, 2003, 2:05 PM EDT (18:05 UTC)
- Expired
- May 31, 2003, 8:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 65 counties
Alamance County, NC, Anson County, NC, Beaufort County, NC, Bertie County, NC, Cabarrus County, NC, Camden County, NC, Carteret County, NC, Caswell County, NC, Chatham County, NC, Chowan County, NC, Craven County, NC, Cumberland County, NC, Currituck County, NC, Dare County, NC, Davidson County, NC, Davie County, NC, Duplin County, NC, Durham County, NC, Edgecombe County, NC, Forsyth County, NC, Franklin County, NC, Gates County, NC, Granville County, NC, Greene County, NC, Guilford County, NC, Halifax County, NC, Harnett County, NC, Hertford County, NC, Hoke County, NC, Hyde County, NC, Johnston County, NC, Jones County, NC, Lee County, NC, Lenoir County, NC, Martin County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC, Montgomery County, NC, Moore County, NC, Nash County, NC, Northampton County, NC, Orange County, NC, Pamlico County, NC, Pasquotank County, NC, Perquimans County, NC, Person County, NC, Pitt County, NC, Randolph County, NC, Richmond County, NC, Rockingham County, NC, Rowan County, NC, Sampson County, NC, Stanly County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC, Tyrrell County, NC, Union County, NC, Vance County, NC, Wake County, NC, Warren County, NC, Washington County, NC, Wayne County, NC, Wilson County, NC, Yadkin County, NC, City of Danville, VA, Henry County, VA
The radar
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:08 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.
Warnings issued inside it
16 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Harnett | 34 min |
| May 31, 3:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Lincoln, Mecklenburg | 49 min |
| May 31, 3:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cabarrus | 46 min |
| May 31, 4:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Union | 48 min |
| May 31, 4:22 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Anson | 53 min |
| May 31, 4:29 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Union | 31 min |
| May 31, 4:32 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Anson | 43 min |
| May 31, 5:03 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Guilford | 27 min |
| May 31, 5:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Alamance, Chatham | 41 min |
| May 31, 5:51 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Chatham | 39 min |
| May 31, 5:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Northampton | 43 min |
| May 31, 5:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Northampton | 37 min |
| May 31, 6:17 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | AKQ | Northampton | 28 min |
| May 31, 6:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Northampton | 39 min |
| May 31, 7:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Hertford | 31 min |
| May 31, 7:22 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Gates | 38 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 107 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1484 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 157 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 166 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 311803
SEL8
SPC WW 311805
NCZ000-CWZ000-010000-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 448
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
205 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTH CAROLINA
COASTAL WATERS
EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 205 PM UNTIL
800 PM EDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF GREENSBORO NORTH
CAROLINA TO 30 MILES NORTH OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 447...
DISCUSSION...WITH APPROACH OF VIGOROUS MID LEVEL WIND MAX SHEAR
PROFILES ACROSS NC HAVE BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS WITH STRONG
VEERING AND HELICITIES ABOVE 300 M2/S2. AIRMASS CONTINUES TO
DESTABILIZE RAPIDLY NEWD WITH SEVERE STORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EWD
ACROSS NC. IN ADDITION TO TORNADOES...STRONG WIND FIELDS FAVOR
BOWING SEGMENTS ENHANCING WIND DAMAGE POTENTIAL.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26040.
...HALES
363,0804 363,0753 345,0753 345,0804
WWUS20 KWNS 311803
SEL8
SPC WW 311805
NCZ000-CWZ000-010000-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 448
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
205 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTH CAROLINA
COASTAL WATERS
EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 205 PM UNTIL
800 PM EDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF GREENSBORO NORTH
CAROLINA TO 30 MILES NORTH OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 447...
DISCUSSION...WITH APPROACH OF VIGOROUS MID LEVEL WIND MAX SHEAR
PROFILES ACROSS NC HAVE BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS WITH STRONG
VEERING AND HELICITIES ABOVE 300 M2/S2. AIRMASS CONTINUES TO
DESTABILIZE RAPIDLY NEWD WITH SEVERE STORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EWD
ACROSS NC. IN ADDITION TO TORNADOES...STRONG WIND FIELDS FAVOR
BOWING SEGMENTS ENHANCING WIND DAMAGE POTENTIAL.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26040.
...HALES
363,0804 363,0753 345,0753 345,0804SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 12:50 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland and 16 more | 115 min |
| May 31, 1:25 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Craven, Edgecombe and 16 more | 2 hr |
| May 31, 2:41 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Columbus, Robeson | 2 hr |
| May 31, 2:55 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson and 1 more | 5 hr |
| May 31, 4:37 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alamance, Anson, Bladen, Chatham, Craven, Cumberland and 36 more | 113 min |
| May 31, 6:12 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bladen, Brunswick, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland and 29 more | 93 min |
| May 31, 6:37 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Halifax and 6 more | 83 min |
| May 31, 1:06 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Albemarle, Amelia, Appomattox, Arlington, Buckingham, Campbell and 36 more | 114 min |
| May 31, 1:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Accomack, Albemarle, Arlington, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper and 31 more | 5 hr |
| May 31, 2:30 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell and 40 more | 6 hr |
| May 31, 3:58 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Accomack, Albemarle, Amelia, Appomattox, Arlington, Brunswick and 57 more | 2 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in North Carolina, 2003Tornado Watches in Virginia, 2003Every tornado watch 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.