Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

February 6, 2004Avery County, Mitchell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Feb 6, 2004, 12:07 PM EST for Avery County, Mitchell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 3 hr. 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 6, 2004, 12:07 PM EST (17:07 UTC)
Expired
Feb 6, 2004, 3:00 PM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Avery County, NC, Mitchell County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:11 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 flash flood 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, 5.1 hours before the alert went out and 190 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 2004-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 2004-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 257 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
353 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
365 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 
WGUS52 KGSP 061706
FFWGSP
NCC011-121-062000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1207 PM EST FRI FEB 6 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  AVERY COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
  MITCHELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

* UNTIL 300 PM EST

* AT NOON EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING   
  TO FALL ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS.  STREAMS WERE REPORTED      
  RUNNING HIGH.
 
* SMALL STREAMS WILL CONTINUE TO QUICKLY RISE AND CAUSE FLASH        
  FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS.  AN ADDITIONAL HALF INCH TO ONE INCH OF 
  RAIN WILL FALL...AND MELTING OF THE ICE PACK WILL CONTRIBUTE TO    
  RISES ON STREAMS.

IF YOU ARE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...YOU SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND 
NOW.  AVOID DRIVING ACROSS FLOODED BRIDGES.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS 
ARE RELATED TO VEHICLES.

LAT...LON 3625 8191 3599 8179 3582 8212 3607 8236

$$
JONES
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 061836
FFSGSP
NCC011-121-062000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
136 PM EST FRI FEB 6 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 300 PM EST FOR AVERY AND
MITCHELL COUNTIES...

AT 130 PM EST...RADAR SHOWED MODERATE TO SOMETIMES HEAVY RAIN OVER 
THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS.  THE RAIN WAS BEGINNING TO TAPER OFF FROM 
THE WEST. THE MITCHELL COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER HAD RECEIVED NO 
REPORTS OF FLOODING...ALTHOUGH STREAMS WERE RUNNING QUITE HIGH.  IN 
AVERY COUNTY...THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER REPORTED THAT ONE STREAM 
HAD FLOODED EARLIER...AND THAT THE ELK RIVER WAS A FEW INCHES FROM 
FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS BRIDGES WHICH ARE UNDER WATER. ROADS AT THE ENDS
OF THE BRIDGE MAY WASH OUT OR WEAKEN...AND YOUR VEHICLE MAY FALL INTO
THE RAGING CURRENT. DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE. BACK UP AND GO ANOTHER
WAY.

$$
JONES
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 062028
FFSGSP
NCC011-121-062045-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
330 PM EST FRI FEB 6 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR AVERY AND 
MITCHELL COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN 
THE WARNED AREA WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...ENDING THE FLASH FLOOD 
THREAT. EVEN THOUGH STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE RECEDING...SOME ROADWAYS 
STILL MAY BE COVERED WITH WATER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID 
DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

$$
JONES

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Feb 6, 11:46 AM EST, 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 6, 11:46 AM EST, 21 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1146 AM EST FRI FEB 6 2004

.DISCUSSION...
QUITE A WEATHER EVENT ONGOING ACROSS THE CWFA. WILL ALLOW THE WSW
AND NPW TO EXPIRE. FFA WILL CONTINUE THRU THIS EVENING. WILL ISSUE A
WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE TN BORDER COUNTIES IN THE NC MTNS FOR
SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.

SFC OBS SHOW WEDGE HOLDING ON ACROSS THE CWFA...BUT ERODING FROM THE
EDGES. LATEST RUC AND 12Z ETA SHOW THE WEDGE WILL LINGER OVER THE
AREA WITH SOME EROSION...BEFORE COLD FRONT MOVES THRU OVERNIGHT.
THEREFORE HAVE ALTERED AFT WIND AND HIGH TEMPS TO ACCOUNT FOR LESS
WARMING AND NELY FLOW...XCPT SRN CWFA BORDER WHERE WINDS WILL SHIFT
AND WARMING WILL OCCUR DUE TO THE EROSION. HEAVY RAINFALL ONGOING
AND WITH CONTINUED MOISTURE...LIFT AND PRECIP FCST FFA WILL REMAIN
IN PLACE AS IS. ALTHOUGH FLOOD THREAT WILL SHIFT EAST THRU THE DAY.

NEXT CONCERN IS POSSIBLE SVR TSRA THIS AFT. SFC OBS SHOW VERY STRONG
TMB SETTING UP NEAR THE SRN CWFA BORDER. MIDLANDS TEMPS RISING INTO
THE 70S WITH MID 30S TO LOWER 40S OVER OUR CWFA. LATEST RUC AND 12Z
ETA SHOW TRIPLE POINT LOW MOVING NE ACROSS THIS BOUNDARY THIS
AFTERNOON. LATEST KFFC RADAR LOOP SHOWS SOME INTERESTING ECHOES
MOVING TOWARD OUR AREA. GREATEST SVR THREAT WILL BE ALONG AND JUST
NORTH OF THE TMB WHERE BEST SHEAR AND INSTABILITY LIE. IF THE MESO
LOW MOVES THRU AS FCST...THIS WILL JUST INCREASE THE SVR CHC. OF
COURSE ANY MOVEMENT IN THE BOUNDARY WILL MOVE THE SVR THREAT. WILL
UPDATE SPS TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.

EVEN WITH ALL THIS GOING ON...DECIDED TO HOIST WSW FOR THE TN BORDER
COUNTIES SAT AND SAT NITE. LOOKS LIKE A VERY GOOD SET UP FOR WARNING
LEVEL SNOWFALL OVER THIS AREA. DEEP LAYER RH...COMBINED WITH STRONG
NWLY FLOW...STRONG CAA...DEEP STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND STRONG
SHORT WAVE MOVING THRU ALL INDICATE MORE THAN THE USUAL NW FLOW
SITUATION. ADVISORY OR EVEN WARNING MAY BE NEEDED CLOSER TO THE BLUE
RIDGE AS WELL. CAN DECIDE IF EXTENSION IS NEEDED LATER...BUT WANTED
TO GET SOME LEAD TIME ON THIS EVENT.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING.
NC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING.
     WINTER STORM WATCH SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT
     NCZ033-048>052-058.
SC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING.

&&

RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 6, 6:07 AM EST, 6 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
607 AM EST FRI FEB 6 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-061306-
ABBEVILLE SC-ALEXANDER NC-ANDERSON SC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-
CABARRUS NC-CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-
CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN GA-GASTON NC-GRAHAM NC-
GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-GREATER PICKENS SC-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-GREENWOOD SC-HABERSHAM GA-HART GA-HAYWOOD NC-
HENDERSON NC-IREDELL NC-LAURENS SC-LINCOLN NC-MACON NC-MADISON NC-
MCDOWELL NC-MECKLENBURG NC-MITCHELL NC-NORTHERN JACKSON NC-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-POLK NC-RABUN GA-ROWAN NC-
RUTHERFORD NC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-SPARTANBURG SC-STEPHENS GA-
SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-UNION SC-UNION NC-YANCEY NC-YORK SC-
607 AM EST FRI FEB 6 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WITH
WIDESPREAD RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANYING IT. TEMPERATURES
REMAIN AROUND FREEZING EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS ALONG I-40 WHERE WINTER
STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT. FOR
FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WSWGSP ISSUED BY THIS
OFFICE.

WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE...AND EVEN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL MAY
OCCUR. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT...AND FOR FURTHER
DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FFAGSP ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

STRONG WIND FIELDS THROUGHOUT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL EXIST TODAY AND IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT STRONG WINDS COULD BE SEEN ACROSS HIGHER ELEVATIONS
OF THE MOUNTAINS WHERE A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. AGAIN...PLEASE
REFER TO THE LATEST NPWGSP FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL...AND STRONG WINDS COULD
BE TRANSPOSTED TO THE SURFACE BY THESE STORMS. A SEVERE WEATHER
OUTLOOK HAS BEEN ISSUED...AND REFER TO SPSGSP FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

COLD AIR WILL SPILL INTO THE REGION STARTING TONIGHT AND WITH THE
ADDITION OF NORTHWEST WINDS AND UPSLOPE MOISTURE...SNOW SHOWERS ARE
LIKELY TO OCCUR ACROSS THOSE NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES BORDERING
TENNESSEE. FOR FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER
STORM OUTLOOK...SPSGSP...ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

55

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 6, 5:02 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPUnion3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

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.