Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 12, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 9, 2004Rutherford County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 2004, 12:44 AM EDT for Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 46 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 9, 2004, 12:44 AM EDT (04:44 UTC)
Expired: May 9, 2004, 1:30 AM EDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:44 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 00:00Z, 4.7 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-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: 1276 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 873 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 84 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 119 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 090444
SVRGSP
NCC161-090530-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1245 AM EDT SUN MAY 9 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 130 AM EDT

* AT 1245 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  RUTHERFORDTON AROUND 100 AM EDT.
  SPINDALE AROUND 105 AM EDT.
  FOREST CITY AROUND 110 AM EDT.
  SUNSHINE AROUND 130 AM 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 3552 8191 3553 8185 3557 8180 3549 8170
          3536 8170 3524 8195 3541 8205

$$
07

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 8, 9:18 PM EDT, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 9:18 PM EDT, 3 hours 26 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
918 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

.UPDATE...
WL INCREASE THE POPS TO LIKELY ACROSS THE WRN NC FOOTHILLS INTO THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS AND INCREASE THE POPS ACROSS THE REST OF THE
ESCARPMENT AS WELL. CURRENTLY CONVECTION IS CONTINUING ACROSS THE NRN
NC FOOTHILLS AS WELL PARTS OF THE SRN MTNS. SOME INDICATION FROM
THE 88D RETURNS IN THE STRATIFORM RAIN OVER THE SRN MTNS THAT AN
MCV HAS FORMED. THIS WILL ENHANCE LIFT OVER THE WRN FOOTHILLS AS IT
DRIFTS TO THE NE.

THE ETA AND RUC BOTH INCREASE CONVECTIVE COVERAGE ACROSS THE
ESCARPMENT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THEY BOTH HAVE INCREASING
LLVL UPSLOPE FLOW AND GOOD OMEGA. THAT/S WHY I/M RAISING POPS.
SINCE THE LLVL FLOW IS ACTUALLY STRONGER THAN THE UPPER LEVEL
FLOW...THINK CELLS WL REMAIN LOCKED IN PRETTY CLOSE TO THE LEE OF
THE MTNS. CELLS TDA HAVE ALREADY EXHIBITED A TENDENCY TO STAND IN
ONE PLACE WITH SOME ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING EARLIER IN THE MTNS...
AND WOULDN/T BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME FLASH FLOODING PROBLEMS
DEVELOP IN THE FOOTHILLS. NOT QUITE CERTAIN ENUF TO ISSUE AN FFA...
AT LEAST NOT YET.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.
&&

MCAVOY

Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 5:52 AM EDT, 18 hours 52 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
552 AM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-081200-
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-
552 AM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ALONG A COLD FRONT. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...MAINLY OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE SPECIAL
WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED AT 358 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
LATE TODAY.

MOORE

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 8, 7:00 PM EDT, 5 hours 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
700 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0520 PM     HAIL             TUCKASEGEE              35.27N 83.12W
05/08/2004  1.75 INCH        JACKSON            NC   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED THROUGH 911

&&

JONES

Local storm report, May 8, 7:54 PM EDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
754 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0730 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 SE CULLOWHEE          35.28N 83.14W
05/08/2004                   JACKSON            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            CULLOWHEE CREEK IS OUT OF ITS BANKS. CULLOWHEE MOUNTAIN
            ROAD IS CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER. WATER AND MUD HAS ALSO
            BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE COVERED ROADS IN THE TUCKASEGEE
            AERA.

&&

MCAVOY

Local storm report, May 9, 12:13 AM EDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1213 AM EDT SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1205 AM     HAIL             SPRUCE PINE             35.92N 82.07W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        MITCHELL           NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TWO DEPUTIES REPORTED PENNY TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL FROM
            AROUND 1155 PM TO 1205 AM IN THE SPRUCE PINE AREA.

&&

JONES

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 8, 8:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Transylvania	40 min
May 8, 11:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mitchell	40 min
May 8, 11:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell	48 min
May 9, 1:01 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke	44 min
May 9, 1:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Haywood	38 min
May 9, 4:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander	54 min
May 9, 4:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Iredell	46 min
May 9, 4:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Iredell	43 min
May 9, 5:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	44 min
May 9, 5:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rowan	51 min
May 9, 6:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Lincoln	54 min
May 9, 6:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba	55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2004 Every severe thunderstorm 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.