Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 29, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 22, 2004Caldwell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 22, 2004, 2:34 PM EDT for Caldwell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 41 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 22, 2004, 2:34 PM EDT (18:34 UTC)
Expired
May 22, 2004, 3:15 PM EDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Caldwell County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:46 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 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 158 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 2004-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 535 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2004-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 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
535 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-197 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1059 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
21 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.

785 
WUUS52 KGSP 221834
SVRGSP
NCC027-221915-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
234 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 315 PM EDT

* AT 233 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES SOUTH OF BLOWING ROCK...OR ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH
  OF UPTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN IN RURAL AREAS OF

  NORTHERN CALDWELL COUNTY

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH ARE LIKELY 
WITH THIS STORM. 

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 3612 8183 3597 8171 3609 8137 3632 8155

$$

LANE

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 22, 1:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
110 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

.SHORT TERM...
RELATIVELY STRONG RIDGE SET UP OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. WITH
ZONAL FLOW TO THE NORTH OF CWA.  DURING THE NEXT WEEK WE ARE LOOKING
AT A SERIES OF SHORT WAVES MOVING OVER THE RIDGE...PROVIDING A
LITTLE EXTRA FORCING TO THE SUMMERTIME PATTERN.  BEST CHANCE OF
CONVECTION APPEARS TO BE TOMORROW.

.LONG TERM...
THE RIDGE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN A LITTLE AND GET PUSHED TO THE SOUTH.
LOOKING AT SLIGHTLY HIGHER POPS ON THURSDAY IN ADVANCE OF A WEAK
FRONT...BUT MODELS ARE TOO INCONSISTENT TO ADVERTISE AN INCREASE IN
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.  MAV IS DRY...ETA MOS IS DRIER.  SO WILL KEEP
ISOLATED WORDING APPROPRIATE FORECASTS.

GFS ADVERTISES STRONG SHORT WAVE FOR NEXT SATURDAY THAT MAY DEPRESS
RIDGE FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO TRIGGER MORE SHOWERS BY NEXT WEEKEND.
THIS TROUGH LOOKS WAY TO STRONG AND THE TIMING IN SUSPECT...SO
AGAIN WILL STICK WITH ISOLATED WORDING.

TEMPS REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME AS RIDGE DOMINATES WEATHER. GRIDS
CONTAIN ADDITIONAL MESOSCALE FEATURES LIKE CLT URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND
LOCAL MORNING COOLS SPOTS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GSP  66  89  66  90 /  20  30  20  20
AND  66  89  65  91 /  20  30  20  20
CLT  68  89  66  90 /  20  30  20  20
HKY  66  88  65  88 /  20  30  20  20
AVL  59  84  61  85 /  20  30  20  20
&&

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

DICARLO
Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 4:59 AM EDT, 9 hours 35 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
459 AM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-230900-
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-
502 AM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED LATE DAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

RB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 22, 12:11 PM EDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1211 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-222000-
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-
1211 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON.

VERY WARM AND MOIST CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMING
QUITE UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON...WHILE
ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP OVER THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

THE MAGNITUDE OF FORECAST INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT A FEW SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
THE MAIN THREATS. SINCE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IS EXPECTED TO
BE GREATEST IN THE MOUNTAINS...THIS WILL BE THE MOST LIKELY LOCATION
FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HOWEVER...A SEVERE STORM WILL BE POSSIBLE
ANYWHERE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON.

IN ADDITION...STORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY TODAY...AND THIS WILL
CREATE THE ADDITIONAL THREAT OF LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH
FLOODING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR
THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

LANE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 22, 1:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPJackson3 hr
May 22, 3:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBurke, McDowell63 min
May 22, 3:43 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCaldwell3 hr
May 22, 5:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAlexander46 min
May 22, 5:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGaston, Lincoln57 min
May 22, 7:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North 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.