Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 19, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 9, 2004Anderson County, Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 2004, 5:23 PM EDT for Anderson County, Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 52 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, 5:23 PM EDT (21:23 UTC)
Expired
May 9, 2004, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Anderson County, SC, Pickens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:24 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, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 218 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 2004-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 131 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 2004-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 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
131 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-160 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1830 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 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 092123
SVRGSP
SCC007-077-092215-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 523 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CLEMSON...OR ABOUT OVER
  PENDLETON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CLEMSON AROUND 530 PM EDT.
  CENTRAL AROUND 545 PM EDT.
  NORRIS AROUND 600 PM EDT.
  SIX MILE AROUND 610 PM EDT.
  LIBERTY AROUND 615 PM 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.  LARGE HAIL HAS ALREADY BEEN 
REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.

LAT...LON 3460 8291 3453 8270 3483 8251 3492 8278

$$
JONES

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 9, 2:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 2:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
255 PM EDT SUN MAY 9 2004

.SHORT TERM...

RADAR SHOWING NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS ATTM. W/V DISPLAYING VORT MAX OVER THE SAVANNAH
RIVER...AND WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE NE THIS AFTERNOON. CIRRUS AND
CONTRAILS AHEAD OF THE VORT HAVE LIMITED HEATING OVER THE UPSTATE
AND THE NC FTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWING THE CU
FIELD ENHANCING OVER THE CLT METRO...WITH LAPS ESTIMATING CIN/CAPE
OF -15/1900 J/KG AT 18Z. AS VORT PASSES OVER THE FA WILL EXPECT MTN
ACTIVITY TO REMAIN ACTIVE AND CONVECTION TO THE EAST TO INITIATE.
WILL CONTINUE LIKELY TO CATE OVER THE MTNS AND CHC TO THE EAST.
PROLONGED PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...GUSTY WINDS WILL BE THE
PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. WILL EXPECT CONVECTION TO ASHES
OUT LATE THIS EVENING...HOLDING ON THE MTN POPS THROUGH MIDNIGHT.
WILL CONTINUE THE ISSUANCE OF THE SPS TO HIGHLIGHT.

MON...PATTERN REMAINS SIMILAR TO TODAY...HOWEVER...A SLIGHT WARM
NOSE DEVELOPS AROUND 600MB. MESOETA CAPES REMAIN LESS THAN 500 AND
CIN 20-50. WITH LITTLE TRIGGER EXPECTED WILL LIMIT POPS TO MTN CHCS.
TUE...H5 RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS TO THE ATLANTIC AND S/W RIDES UP FROM THE
DEEP SOUTH. INSTABILITY INCREASES A BIT FOR TUES...AT LEAST THE
NEGATIVE AREA DECREASES. TIMING OF THE ETA VORT WILL BRING IT OVER
THE CWA AROUND PEAK HEATING. MOS GUIDANCE FROM THE MAV/FWC/MET
INCREASE POPS TO CHC AND WILL AT LEAST MATCH. RECENT HISTORY SHOWS
THAT MOS POPS HAVE BEEN TOO LOW OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND WILL
MAXIMIZE POPS AT HIGH CHC OVER THE BALSAMS.

.LONG TERM...
PATTERN IS VERY SLOW TO CHANGE FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS. MEDIUM RANGE
MODELS SHOWING FA ON THE EDGE OF THE BERMUDA HIGH...WITH DEEP
MOISTURE SLOWLY INCREASING AHEAD OF L/W TROUGH. WILL CONTINUE HIGH
TERRAIN POPS AND WILL SPREAD CHC ACROSS THE ENTIRE FA SAT AND SUN.
TEMPS INCREASED A FEW DEGREES IN AGREEMENT WITH CURRENT GUIDANCE.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GSP  61  84  61  81 /  30  10  10  30
AND  60  83  61  81 /  30  10  10  30
CLT  60  87  62  84 /  30  10  10  30
HKY  60  85  60  81 /  30  10  10  30
AVL  55  79  56  76 /  50  30  20  40
&&

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

NED/RAB
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 6:33 AM EDT, 10 hours 50 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
633 AM EDT SUN MAY 9 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-091232-
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-
633 AM EDT SUN MAY 9 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN TODAY. THERE IS A CHANCE
THAT A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND
LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR A BRIEF TIME ACROSS PARTS OF
THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MOORE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 9, 3:11 PM EDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
311 PM EDT SUN MAY 9 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-100400-
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-
311 PM EDT SUN MAY 9 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHEAST GEORGIA...AND THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH
CAROLINA.

A WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE CAROLINAS
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...WHICH WILL AIDE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
STRONG SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THE MAJORITY OF THESE STORMS WILL
OCCUR ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...BUT SCATTERED STORM FORMATION IS
EXPECTED OVER THE FOOTHILL AND PIEDMONT REGIONS OF THE CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA BY LATE AFTERNOON.

THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS INCLUDE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG
WINDS. HOWEVER...DUE TO THE SLOW MOVING AND ALMOST STATIONARY NATURE
OF THESE STORMS...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG ISOLATED
AREAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THESE STORMS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

KRENTZ
Local storm report, May 9, 4:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
401 PM EDT SUN MAY 09 2004

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

0352 PM     HAIL             2 S DREXEL              35.73N 81.61W
05/09/2004  0.75 INCH        BURKE              NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

NED
Local storm report, May 9, 5:12 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
512 PM EDT SUN MAY 09 2004

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

0505 PM     HAIL             STONY POINT             35.87N 81.05W
05/09/2004  1.25 INCH        ALEXANDER          NC   PUBLIC

&&

SBK
Local storm report, May 9, 5:23 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
523 PM EDT SUN MAY 09 2004

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

0508 PM     HAIL             1 E STONY POINT         35.87N 81.03W
05/09/2004  0.50 INCH        IREDELL            NC   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

SBK

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.