Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 147, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 13, 2004Greenville County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 13, 2004, 7:15 PM EDT for Greenville County, South Carolina. It was in force for 45 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
Jul 13, 2004, 7:15 PM EDT (23:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 2004, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Greenville County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:14 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 246 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2004-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 274 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2004-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -20 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
274 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-108 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1078 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-16 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 132315
SVRGSP
SCC045-140000-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
712 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 712 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FORK SHOALS...OR ABOUT 15
  MILES WEST OF LAURENS...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

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.

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE THERE IS A
GOOD CHANCE OF BRIEF DAMAGING WINDS OVER SMALL AREAS...AND PERHAPS
LARGE HAIL. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO CAUSING AN UNUSUAL
AMOUNT OF CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING.

LAT...LON 3469 8229 3456 8242 3448 8232 3453 8223
      3458 8223 3465 8220

$$

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 Jul 13, 2:56 PM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 2:56 PM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
256 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)...
CU POPULATION EAST OF THE BEGINNING TO INCREASE AS TRIGGER TEMPS ARE
BEING REACHED...RADAR SHOWING A CLUSTER OF SH/TS BEGINNING OVER THE
I-40 CORRIDOR E OF THE MTNS ATTM. WILL EXPECT CONVECTION OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN TO INCREASE AS WELL THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING
AS TEMPERATURES INCREASE. WILL CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE CHC POPS WILL
GREATEST CHC GIVEN TO THE MTNS. WILL EXPECT DEEP CONVECTION TO BEGIN
TO DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET AND WILL REDUCE POPS. AREAS ALONG THE
WESTERN UPSLOPE MAY BE THE EXCEPTION AND WILL CONTINUE SCHC MENTION
OVERNIGHT.

H5 LOW WILL SWING OUT OF THE CANADIAN PLAINS TONIGHT AND WILL BECOME
NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE GREAT LAKES BY WED NIGHT. ASSOCIATED SFC
FRONT WILL ADVANCE EAST AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE WESTERN SLOPES
OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BY 18Z WED. EVIDENCE IS POINTING TO
SH/TS TO REMAIN AHEAD AND ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT MOVES
INTO THE FA. IN FACT...THE GFS DEPICTS AN MCS DEVELOPING OVER THE
OHIO RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT AND HOLDING TOGETHER AS THE COMPLEX
ENCOUNTERS THE MTNS BETWEEN 15-18Z. ETA AND GFS SHOW THAT THE FRONT
SHOULD BE EAST OF THE CWA BY 0Z THU. WITH THE FRONT SCHEDULED TO
PASS THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON...TEMPERATURES SHOULD
CLIMB FREELY INTO THE LOW TO MID 90S EAST OF THE MTNS. DWPTS SHOULD
ALSO REMAIN IN THE UPPER 60S WHICH WILL YIELD CAPES 2-3K J/KG.
FORECAST SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOWING OTHER CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS BUILDING
INTO THE FAVORABLE RANGE FOR SEVERE STORMS 0-3 KM  100M2/S2, TT
50, SWEAT >300, AND K-INDEX >30. SPC HIGHLIGHTS REGION IN THE DY2
SLIGHT RISK. IN ADDITION TO THE CONVECTION THREAT...GRADIENT WINDS
WILL BE QUITE BREEZY IN THE MTNS WED WITH MIXING HEIGHT POSSIBLY
REACHING AS HIGH AS H7.

AFTER FROPA...FA WILL REMAIN UNDER DRY NW FLOW WITH SFC HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NW. WILL FORECAST DRY WEATHER FROM WED
NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. WILL KEEP TEMPS NEAR MOS CONSENSUS.
&&

.LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)...
MEAN UPPER TROUGH LOOKS TO BE FIRMLY IN PLACE ACRS THE EASTERN U.S.
AT THE START OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. TIMING OF SOME INITIAL S/WV
ENERGY MOVING INTO BASE OF TROUGH LOOKS SLATED FOR SAT/SAT NITE.
ATTENDANT SFC FRONT AND DEEP RH MAX ROTATES ACRS 18Z SAT-06Z SUN
AS PER 12Z GFS. FOR NOW...WITH PROGGED WESTERLY LLVL FLOW...WILL
LIMIT JUST SLT CHC POPS TO THE NC MTNS. COULD BE LOOKING AT A
STRONGER PIECE OF ENERGY MOVING THROUGH SUNDAY AND WILL MOVE UP
GOING TIMING OF CHC POPS ONE DAY BECAUSE OF THIS...WITH A NOW DRY
MONDAY PERIOD WHICH SHOULD CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...
WILL COUNT ON DEEP CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY REMAINING ISOLATED AT BEST
THIS AFTERNOON THANKS TO DOWNSLOPE AND WARMING MID-LVLS TO FORGO ANY
MENTION AT THE TAF SITES. ESSENTIALLY HAVE GONE WITH SCT DIURNAL CU
GIVING WAY TO AN INCREASING HIGH DEBRIS CLOUD THREAT AS THE NIGHT
WEARS ON. STILL LOOKING AT A RELATIVELY DRY BLYR OVERNIGHT AND BASED
HOW LIMITED FOG WAS THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY AFTER RECENT
RAINFALL...HAVE NOT MENTIONED ANY VSBY RESTRICTIONS FOR NOW.
&&

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

SHORT TERM...NED
LONG TERM/AVIATION...CSH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 5:13 AM EDT, 14 hours 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
513 AM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-140912-
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-
513 AM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

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

.DAY ONE...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY...MAINLY LATE MORNING TO
EARLY EVENING. SMALL HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND PERIODS OF HEAVY
RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM IS
ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY...SOME OF WHICH MAY
BECOME SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

RB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 13, 5:22 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
522 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

SCZ001>006-010-132200-
ANDERSON SC-GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-
GREATER PICKENS SC-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-
PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-
522 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER WESTERN PARTS OF THE
UPSTATE...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE
UPSTATE...BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS AND INTERSTATE 85. THE STORMS SHOULD
MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THROUGH 6 PM...MOST OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OVER PICKENS COUNTY AND THE EASTERN PART OF
OCONEE COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO ANDERSON
COUNTY AND GREENVILLE COUNTY BY 6 PM.

THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH THAT
COULD KNOCK DOWN TREE LIMBS...AND VERY FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING. RESIDENTS ACROSS THE AREA FROM WESTMINSTER AND WALHALLA TO
CLEMSON...EASLEY...AND TRAVELERS REST SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THESE STORMS AND TAKE SHELTER AS THEY APPROACH.

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

MOORE
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 6:03 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
603 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

GAZ028-SCZ004>006-010-132300-
ANDERSON SC-GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-
GREATER PICKENS SC-HART GA-
603 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2004

...A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS
WESTERN PARTS OF THE UPSTATE...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE UPSTATE...
MAINLY BETWEEN HIGHWAY 123 AND INTERSTATE 85 WEST OF GREENVILLE
THROUGH 630 PM. THE STORMS SHOULD MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THE STORMS WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 85 BY 630 PM AND
SHOULD BE MOST NUMEROUS OVER ANDERSON COUNTY THROUGH 7 PM.

THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH THAT
COULD KNOCK DOWN TREE LIMBS...AND VERY FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING. BOATERS ON LAKE HARTWELL SHOULD MOVE OFF THE LAKE UNTIL
THE STORMS PASS. RESIDENTS ACROSS NORTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY SHOULD BE
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE STORMS AND TAKE SHELTER AS THEY APPROACH.

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

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 13, 7:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLaurens66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2004Every 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.