Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 178, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

November 24, 2004Spartanburg County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 24, 2004, 1:36 PM EST for Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 69 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
Nov 24, 2004, 1:36 PM EST (18:36 UTC)
Expired
Nov 24, 2004, 2:45 PM EST
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Spartanburg County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:36 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Nov 24, 10:40 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 230 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 2004-11-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2004-11-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 172 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
513 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
172 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
233 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 241836
SVRGSP
SCC083-241945-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
135 PM EST WED NOV 24 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 245 PM EST

* AT 132 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN
  EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
  FROM 7 MILES WEST OF REIDVILLE TO 8 MILES WEST OF WOODRUFF TO 13
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF ENOREE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES
  EAST OF GREENVILLE TO 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GREENVILLE TO 8 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF LAURENS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  DUNCAN AND REIDVILLE AROUND 140 PM EST
  LYMAN AND WOODRUFF AROUND 145 PM EST
  ENOREE AROUND 150 PM EST
  ROEBUCK AROUND 155 PM EST
  BOILING SPRINGS SC AND SPARTANBURG AROUND 200 PM EST
  MAYO AND PACOLET AROUND 215 PM EST

ALTHOUGH TORNADOES HAVE NOT BEEN DETECTED WITH THIS LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP
WITHOUT WARNING FROM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE 
ALERT FOR BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...THAT WILL OCCUR EVEN THOUGH 
THUNDER MIGHT NOT BE HEARD. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY 
THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 3513 8184 3493 8175 3490 8171 3483 8178
      3470 8181 3459 8186 3459 8187 3460 8192
      3465 8196 3468 8203 3485 8222 3495 8222

$$

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 Nov 24, 11:04 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 24, 11:04 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1104 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)...
UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY TO COVER TORNADO WATCH 901 UNTIL 22Z.
NORTHERN SECTION OF THE SQUALL LINE SHOULD MOVE INTO NE GA AND THE
UPSTATE BY 1130AM. CAPES OVER NE GA AND THE UPSTATE REMAIN RATHER
WEAK WITH LAPS ESTIMATING VALUES OF 50-150 J/KG. HOWEVER...WIND
FIELDS ARE BECOMING MORE FAVORABLE AS HELICITY VALUES HAVE GRADUALLY
IMPROVED THIS MORNING...LATEST VAD WIND PROFILE HELICITIES ARE
AROUND 100 M2/S2 0-3 KM. WILL EXPECT CONDITIONS TO DESTABILIZE THIS
AFTERNOON OVER THE UPSTATE AS RICHER DWPTS AND TEMPS DEVELOP...CAPES
MAY REACH 500 J/KG. WILL EXPECT THE SEVERE THREAT TO REMAIN IN THE
CURRENT WATCH ARE TODAY...POSSIBLY EXPANDING INTO THE NC PIEDMONT
THIS AFTERNOON.

TEMPS OFF TO A SLOW START AND WILL UPDATE TEMPS CLOSER TO FLP
GUIDANCE. WILL UPDATE MAINLY TO CLEAN UP WORDING AND SUPPORT THE
WATCH.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 635 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)...
BAND OF WAA RNFL HAS REALLY OVERTURNED THE LOWER LAYERS ACRS THE
NC FTHLS/PIEDMONT WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY 11Z MTR WELL ABOVE 1/4SM...
MOSTLY IN THE 2-3SM RANGE...SO WILL CANCEL DENSE FOG ADVISORY.

ALSO HAVE REFINED HEAVY CONVECTIVE RAIN THREAT IN GRIDS TODAY...
WITH HEAVY PCPN AXIS ACRS THE SW NC/NE GA MTNS EARLY THIS MORNING
SHIFTING GRADUALLY SE INTO THE UPSTATE/GA PIEDMONT AS THE MORNING
WEARS ON AND INTO THE AFTERNOON.

THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 245 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...
SFC BNDRY TOOK A DIP TO THE SOUTHWEST YESTERDAY EVENING WITH WEAK
IN-SITU WEDGE IN PLACE...MAINLY THE RESULT OF FALLING PRESSURES TO
THE SW OF THE FRONT. AS OF 07Z...FRONT LOOKS TO BE BETWEEN GSP-AND
AND SHOULD GRADUALLY LIFT NORTH LATER THIS MORNING. INCREASE IN
WAA FLOW ABOVE THIS SFC FRONT HAS RESULTED IN AREAS OF DENSE FOG.
EVEN THOUGH DENSE FOG EXTENDS LOCALLY TO AROUND GSP METRO...WILL
LEAVE ADVISORY FOR NC FTHLS/PIEDMONT AS IS FOR NOW.

THROUGHOUT THE MORNING...MAIN SOURCE OF LIFT WILL BE FROM
AFOREMENTIONED WAA...SO WOULD EXPECT A CONTINUED INCREASE IN WAA
SHOWER CVRG. SLUG OF DEEP OMEGA AND MOISTURE STILL PROGGED TO
DRAMATICALLY INCREASE ACRS THE CWFA THIS AFTERNOON ALL WITHIN BROAD
DIFFLUENT FLOW ESE OF STRONG 130+ KT UPPER JET AXIS. ETA MODEL
TIMEHEIGHTS INDICATE STRONG ADVECTION OF MID-LVL LOW-THETA-E AIR
INTO THE CWFA THIS AFTERNOON... INDICATIVE OF COLD FRONT ALOFT. SO
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF A STRONGLY FORCED SQUALL
LINE EVOLVING EASTWARD WITHIN A STRONGLY SHEARED WIND FIELD. 60+ DEG
F SFC DWPTS SHOULD SURGE NORTH ACRS THE PIEDMONT BY THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVEN THOUGH THIS WOULD EQUATE TO BEST INSTABILITY DEVELOPING
ACRS THE SOUTHEASTERN 1/2 OF THE CWFA...STRONG GRADIENT WINDS AND
HEAVY RAIN THREAT COULD TOPPLE SOME TREES IN THE MTNS. AXIS OF HIGH
PWATS AND SFC MOISTURE CONVERGENCE DOES BEND NNE TOWARD THE CWFA
TODAY...AND EVEN THOUGH PROBABILITY OF HVY RAIN SEEMS HIGH...OUTSIDE
OF THE EXTREME SW...ANTECEDENT CONDS NOT TERRIBLY THREATENING AT
THIS POINT TO CONCLUSIVE SAY A FFA WOULD BE NEEDED.

FOR TONIGHT AND THANKSGIVING DAY...WILL TAPER POPS FROM CATEGORICAL
TO CHC WEST TO EAST DURING THE EVENING HOURS AS SFC COLD FRONT
SWEEPS ACRS. LEAVING LOW CHC POPS IN THE TENNESSEE BORDER COUNTIES
WITH A PERIOD OF DEEPER RH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. GENERALLY
FOLLOWED MAGNITUDE OF GFS WITH RESPECT TO CAA AND PARTIAL THICKNESS
VALUES TUMBLING TO CRITICAL VALUES THURSDAY MORNING. NW FLOW
MOISTURE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY SHALLOW BY AFTERNOON ALLOWING POPS
TO FALL TO NEAR ZERO BY SUNSET.

LONG TERM (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)...
INHERITED DRY FCST CWFA WIDE THURSDAY NIGHT STILL ON TRACK AS
MIXING RAPIDLY DIMINISHES BY 12Z FRIDAY WITH SFC RIDGE AXIS
BUILDING IN. NO CHANGES MADE PAST FRIDAY MORNING.

AVIATION...
IN SITU WEDGE HAS RESULTED IN SOLID LIFR CIGS AND VSBYS BASICALLY
ALONG AND N OF I85 THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS ARE A LITTLE MORE
VARIABLE SOUTH OF THE BNDRY. RIGHT NOW KAND IS 6SM W/A 200 FOOT CIG
FOR EXAMPLE WHILE KGSP IS 1/4SM. WL PLAY CONDITIONS TO SLOWLY
IMPROVE AS THE WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH...THOUGH MOIST LLVLS AND
WEAK UPGLIDE THROUGH THE DAY WL LIKELY KEEP AT LEAST MVFR CIGS IN
PLACE. FAIRLY STRONG SIGN ON THE ETA THAT COLD FRONT ALOFT WILL
SWEEP ACROSS THE CWFA BETWEEN 1800 AND 0000 UTC. CONSIDERING THE
STRONG FORCING...WL GO WITH A TEMPO GROUP FOR TSRA ALL TAF SITES FOR
THE AFTN AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. CONDITIONS WL IMPROVE BEHIND THE
CONVECTION...BUT WIND SHIFT W/SFC COLD FRONT WL LIKELY NOT AFFECT
TAF SITES UNTIL AFTER 0600 UTC THU...SAVE FOR KAVL. &&
&&

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

SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...NED
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 24, 6:45 AM EST, 6 hours 51 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
645 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-251145-
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-
645 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

HEAVY SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL THREATEN THE REGION
INTO THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON MAY CONTAIN DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS. FOR FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST SPECIAL
WEATHER STATEMENT...SPSGSP...ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

LINGERING SHOWERS...POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SNOW AT THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS...MAY BE SEEN ACROSS THE TENNESSEE BORDER COUNTIES
THANKSGIVING MORNING...OTHERWISE A PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY HOLIDAY
IS ON TAP.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TODAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 24, 11:01 AM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1101 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001-002-004-005-010-241800-
ANDERSON SC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN GA-GREATER OCONEE SC-
GREATER PICKENS SC-HABERSHAM GA-HART GA-OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-
PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-RABUN GA-STEPHENS GA-
1101 AM EST WED NOV 24 2004

...STRONG WIND GUSTS POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS
NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. IF THE LINE
OF STORMS HOLDS TOGETHER...THE LEADING EDGE WILL REACH HABERSHAM AND
RABUN COUNTIES BY 1130...AND THE AREA FROM HARTWELL TO CLEMSON BY
NOON AT THE LATEST. STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE LINE OF
STORMS EVEN THOUGH VERY LITTLE THUNDER IS EXPECTED.

THIS AREA REMAINS IN A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 5 PM.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

MOORE
Local storm report, Nov 24, 12:26 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1226 PM EST WED NOV 24 2004

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

1210 PM     TSTM WND DMG     TOCCOA                  34.58N 83.32W
11/24/2004                   STEPHENS           GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            NUMEROUS TREES IN TOCCOA AND ACROSS THE COUNTY

1140 AM     TSTM WND DMG     CORNELIA                34.51N 83.53W
11/24/2004                   HABERSHAM          GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            SINGLE TREE REPORTED DOWN ON CHERRY CIRCLE.

&&

TJB
Local storm report, Nov 24, 1:18 PM EST, 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
118 PM EST WED NOV 24 2004

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

1200 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 N CARNESVILLE         34.38N 83.23W
11/24/2004                   FRANKLIN           GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 145 NORTH OF CITY AND ON HWY 17 ALONG
            HART COUNTY LINE.

1225 PM     TSTM WND DMG     7 SW HARTWELL           34.28N 83.02W
11/24/2004                   HART               GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN ACROSS COUNTY BUT MAINLY IN SOUTH PART.

1227 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BOWMAN                  34.20N 83.03W
11/24/2004                   ELBERT             GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 17 AND ON SYCAMORE ROAD IN BOWMAN AREA.

&&

JTJB
Local storm report, Nov 24, 1:34 PM EST, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
134 PM EST WED NOV 24 2004

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

0127 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ABBEVILLE               34.18N 82.38W
11/24/2004                   ABBEVILLE          SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            COUNTY COMMS REPORTED ONE LARGE TREE DOWN...BLOCKING PART
            OF CARTWHEEL ROAD.

&&

LAMB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 24, 11:51 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPOconee69 min
Nov 24, 12:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAnderson, Pickens67 min
Nov 24, 12:39 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville66 min
Nov 24, 1:06 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenville54 min
Nov 24, 1:18 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenwood, Laurens72 min
Nov 24, 1:57 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPUnion63 min
Nov 24, 2:35 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPChester, York70 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.