Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 26, 2004Iredell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 26, 2004, 7:21 PM EDT for Iredell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 39 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 26, 2004, 7:21 PM EDT (23:21 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 2004, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Iredell County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:20 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
May 26, 6:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 91 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 2004-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 266 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 2004-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -32 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
266 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1644 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

530 
WUUS52 KGSP 262321
SVRGSP
NCC097-270000-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
721 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 721 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTH OF STATESVILLE...OR ABOUT 6 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF UNION GROVE...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  TURNERSBURG AROUND 720 PM EDT.
  HARMONY AROUND 725 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 3604 8099 3595 8100 3584 8104 3585 8071
          3604 8069

$$
LGL

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 26, 4:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 26, 4:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
453 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

.UPDATE...
MOVEMENT OF STRONG-TO-SEVERE MCS ACROSS SOUTHEAST KY HAS TAKEN ON
MORE OF A SOUTHERLY COMPONENT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS...AS
STRONGEST COLD POOL INTERACTIONS HAVE BEGUN TO OCCUR ON THE
SOUTHEAST FLANK OF THE COMPLEX...IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MOST
UNSTABLE AIR. EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF
HOURS...WITH MCS ENTERING OUR FAR NORTHWEST ZONES BETWEEN 6 AND 630
PM. WILL UPDATE THE ZFP TO INCREASE POPS TO LIKELY AND INCLUDE
SEVERE T-STORM WATCH 296 FROM MADISON COUNTY NORTH. WILL ALSO
INCREASE POPS TO HIGH CHANCE ACROSS THE CENTRAL NC MNTNS AND
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...AND MENTION SEVERE POSSIBILITIES IN THOSE
ZONES.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
ZONAL UPPER LEVEL FLOW CONTINUES BETWEEN FLAT UPPER RIDGE IN GULF OF
MEXICO AND BROAD TROUGH OVER CENTRAL CANADA. NUMEROUS IMPULSES TO
CROSS AREA IN FAST FLOW...THE MOST NOTABLE OF WHICH ARRIVE 12Z THU
AND 12Z SAT. TIME SECTIONS NOT IMPRESSIVE WITH MOISTURE OR VERTICAL
MOTION...BUT AREA MODERATELY UNSTABLE...AND WITH BACK DOOR COLD
FRONT MOVING S...WILL CARRY POPS MUCH OF TONIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT.

CONVECTION IN KY THIS AFTERNOON TAKING TURN TO SE...AND EVENING POPS
WILL FAVOR NW PORTION OF AREA. BEST POPS LATE TONIGHT AND THU
MORNING WITH PASSAGE OF AN IMPULSE...STARTING IN NC MOUNTAINS...AND
FAVORING N TIER BY MORNING. BY THU EVENING ACTIVITY SHOULD
DIMINISH...ESPECIALLY S. FRI POPS TIMED FOR A MODEST IMPULSE IN
AFTERNOON...MAINLY IN NC MOUNTAINS WHERE MOISTURE BEST. SAME FOR SAT
MORNING WITH NEXT IMPULSE...THOUGH SHALLOW MOISTURE AT THAT TIME
WILL OFFSET BETTER STRENGTH OF UPPER SYSTEM.

MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TRENDING COOLER AS CLOUD COVER INCREASES WITH
UPPER SYSTEMS AND APPROACH OF COLD FRONT. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES HELD
UP BY CLOUDS AND MOISTURE.

SUN-WED...EXTENDED PERIOD EXPECTED TO START WITH A BACK DOOR COLD
FRONT SOMEWHERE OVER THE CWFA. 12 UTC GFS IS NOT AS FAR S W/THE
FRONT AS WAS THE 00 UTC RUN. LAST NGHTS ECMWF IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN
THE TWO. HPC HAS THE SFC FRONT ROUGHLY ALONG AN AVL TO CLT LINE SUN
MORNING...WHICH SEEMS LIKE A GOOD COMPROMISE. INHERITED POPS ONLY IN
THE MTNS SUN. WOULDN/T BE SURPRISED TO SEE CONVECTION JUST ABOUT
ANYWHERE. HOWEVER...HARD TO KNOW HOW STRONG CONVERGENCE WL BE BY
AFTN...AND WL STICK TO CHANCE POPS ONLY IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN.

THE 12 UTC GFS HAS A STRONG H5 TROF EJECTING ACROSS THE MID WEST MON
MORNING. THIS WOULD BRING A FAIRLY STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS THE CWFA
IN THE AFTN. OLDER GFS AND THE ECMWF DO NOT HAVE AS SHARP A TROF AND
THEY DRIVE A WEAKER FRONT MORE SLOWLY TO THE EAST. WL FAVOR THIS
SOLUTION AND WL CARRY CHANCE POPS BOTH MON AND TUE...BUT NOTHING
HIGHER ATTM. HPC CONTINUES CHANCE POPS ON WED THOUGH THEY HAVE THE
SFC FRONT OFF THE COAST BY 12 UTC WED. WL FAVOR THE EARLIER RUNS
WHICH CUT OFF THE CENTRAL CONUS TROF AND DRIFT IT N EARLY NEXT
WEEK. THEREFORE EXPECT SFC FRONT WL HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING E OF
THE CWFA AND WL KEEP SOMEWHAT HIGHER POPS ON WED.
&&

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

LANE
Hazardous weather outlook, May 26, 6:01 AM EDT, 13 hours 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
601 AM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-270959-
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-
601 AM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. ONE OR
TWO OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HAIL
THE SIZE OF PENNIES...ESPECIALLY OVER THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY ARRIVE
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SPSGSP
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP NEARLY EVERY AFTERNOON OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS. THE BEST
COVERAGE WILL LIKELY TAKE PLACE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINAS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS
THIS AFTERNOON.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 26, 5:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
525 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

NCZ033>037-048>059-062>069-270200-
ALEXANDER NC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-
CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-GRAHAM NC-HAYWOOD NC-HENDERSON NC-IREDELL NC-
LINCOLN NC-MACON NC-MADISON NC-MCDOWELL NC-MITCHELL NC-
NORTHERN JACKSON NC-POLK NC-ROWAN NC-RUTHERFORD NC-
SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-YANCEY NC-
528 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...
REACHING THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 6 AND 7 PM.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS FROM MADISON
COUNTY NORTHWARD ALONG THE TENNESSEE BORDER. ALTHOUGH LARGE
HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE IN THE FORM OF
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

THE STORMS MAY WEAKEN LATER THIS EVENING BEFORE MOVING SOUTH AND EAST
OF THE CURRENT WATCH. HOWEVER...INTERESTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS...AND IN THE FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT...SHOULD
MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY...AS THE WATCH COULD BE EXPANDED TO
INCLUDE LOCATIONS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST LATER THIS EVENING.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY THIS EVENING.
DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE
AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

LANE
Local storm report, May 26, 6:50 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

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

0630 PM     TSTM WND DMG     9 NE LENOIR             36.00N 81.42W
05/26/2004                   CALDWELL           NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN NEAR KINGS CREEK

&&

LGL
Local storm report, May 26, 7:12 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
712 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004

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

0626 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEWLAND                 36.09N 81.93W
05/26/2004                   AVERY              NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES AND POWER LINES KNOCKED DOWN COUNTYWIDE

&&

LGL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 6:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAvery, Mitchell, Yancey43 min
May 26, 6:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCaldwell39 min
May 26, 6:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMadison27 min
May 26, 7:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMitchell, Yancey17 min
May 26, 7:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAlexander40 min
May 26, 7:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Madison40 min
May 26, 7:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie52 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.