Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 35, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 22, 2004Cleveland County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 22, 2004, 7:08 PM EDT for Cleveland County, North 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 22, 2004, 7:08 PM EDT (23:08 UTC)
Expired: May 22, 2004, 8:00 PM EDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cleveland County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:11 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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 172 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: 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.

805 
WUUS52 KGSP 222308
SVRGSP
NCC045-230000-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CLEVELAND COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 708 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SHELBY...OR ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTH
  OF BOILING SPRINGS NC...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  EARL AROUND 715 PM EDT.
  PATTERSON SPRINGS AROUND 720 PM EDT.
  SHELBY AROUND 725 PM EDT.
  WACO AROUND 745 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.

LAT...LON 3519 8151 3518 8168 3527 8176 3545 8149
          3534 8138 3527 8136

$$
HG

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, 5 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:10 PM EDT, 5 hours 58 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, 14 hours 9 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

Local storm report, May 22, 3:25 PM EDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
325 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

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

0255 PM     HAIL             2 S BLOWING ROCK        36.10N 81.67W
05/22/2004  1.50 INCH        CALDWELL           NC   PUBLIC

0235 PM     HAIL             2 S BLOWING ROCK        36.10N 81.67W
05/22/2004  1.50 INCH        CALDWELL           NC   PUBLIC

&&

LAMB

Local storm report, May 22, 3:50 PM EDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
350 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

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

0345 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CASHIERS                35.11N 83.10W
05/22/2004                   JACKSON            NC   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL REPORTED WATER FLOWING ACROSS
            SEVERAL ROADS IN SOUTHERN JACKSON COUNTY. OFFICIALS HAVE
            BEGUN BARRICADING. ALSO PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS
            40-45 MPH.

0245 PM     HAIL             2 SW BLOWING ROCK       36.11N 81.70W
05/22/2004  1.00 INCH        CALDWELL           NC   AMATEUR RADIO

            REPORTED QUARTER SIZED HAIL AT ONE POINT...CONTINUING NOW
            AS PEA TO DIME SIZED. WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 50 MPH.
            HAIL ACCUMULATING ON GROUND. LIGHTNING STRUCK TREE 25
            FEET FROM SPOTTER WHILE ON PHONE.

&&

LAMB

Local storm report, May 22, 5:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
526 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

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

0300 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CASHIERS                35.11N 83.10W
05/22/2004                   JACKSON            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            4 BUSINESSES RECEIVED FLOOD DAMAGE IN CASHIERS. POWER
            CURRENTLY OUT TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. ONE TREE BROUGHT DOWN
            A POWER LINE EARLIER CAUSING PART OF THE OUTAGE.

&&

LAMB

Local storm report, May 22, 5:42 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
542 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

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

0525 PM     HAIL             4 NNE DALLAS            35.37N 81.15W
05/22/2004  0.75 INCH        GASTON             NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTS BRIEF HAIL APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF
            DIMES AND GUSTY WINDS KNOCKING DOWN SMALL BRANCHES AND
            LEAVES.

&&

HG

Local storm report, May 22, 6:54 PM EDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
654 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004

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

0625 PM     HAIL             BUFFALO                 34.72N 81.68W
05/22/2004  0.75 INCH        UNION              SC   EMERGENCY MNGR

            COUNTY EOC REPORTS DIME SIZE HAIL.

0625 PM     HAIL             1 NNE BUFFALO           34.74N 81.68W
05/22/2004  0.75 INCH        UNION              SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS 3/4 INCH HAIL.

&&

HG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 22, 1:29 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Jackson	3 hr
May 22, 2:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Caldwell	41 min
May 22, 3:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, McDowell	63 min
May 22, 3:43 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Caldwell	3 hr
May 22, 5:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander	46 min
May 22, 5:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston, Lincoln	57 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.