Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 31, 2004Swain County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2004, 3:20 AM EDT for Swain County, North Carolina. It was in force for 40 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 31, 2004, 3:20 AM EDT (07:20 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2004, 4:00 AM EDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Swain County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:24 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 31, 1:40 AM EDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 264 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 00:00Z on 2004-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1721 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 00:00Z on 2004-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1721 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1316 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 310720
SVRGSP
NCC173-310800-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
320 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN SWAIN COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 400 AM EDT

* AT 320 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF BRYSON CITY...OR ABOUT 3 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF CHEROKEE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SMOKEMONT AROUND 325 AM EDT.

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

LAT...LON 3556 8346 3570 8321 3557 8317 3546 8334
          3542 8338

$$

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 31, 2:43 AM EDT, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 2:43 AM EDT, 37 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
243 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2004

.SHORT TERM...
CONVECTIVE LINE STRETCHES FROM JUST EAST OF OHX TO NEAR JKL THIS
MORNING WITH TORNADO WATCH CURRENTLY IN PLACE ACROSS THE WESTERN
CWFA. SHEAR PROFILES STEADILY INCREASE THIS MORNING WITH 850 MB
WINDS PROGGED TO REACH 50 KT TOWARD 12Z AS FLOW GOES MORE
UNIDIRECTIONAL. SLIGHT TIMING DIFFS CONT TO EXIST WITH MCS MOVING
THROUGH REGION THIS MORNING...WITH THE GFS FEATURING FASTER TIMING.
ETA FIELDS HAVE INITIALIZED FAIRLY WELL THIS MORNING...HOWEVER...AND
SLIGHTLY SLOWER TIMING MEANS EASTERN PIEDMONT SECTIONS COULD
REALIZE IMPROVED INSTABILITY BEFORE SURFACE COLD POOL MOVES THROUGH
TODAY. WILL FEATURE HIGHEST POPS WEST EARLY TO LOWEST EAST AND THEN
REVERSE THE PATTERN FOR THIS AFTERNOON.

FAIRLY DEEP DRYING SHOULD THEN SET IN ACROSS THE WRN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA AS AREA IS CAUGHT BETWEEN DEEP ROTATING VORTEX
ACROSS THE NRN CONUS AND MOIST BOUNDARY SOUTH OF THE REGION THROUGH
TUE. MOISTURE WILL THEN STEADILY RECOVER THROUGH WED WITH ETA
FEATURING NEXT SHOT OF UPPER DYNAMICS ROTATING IN FROM GREAT LAKES
LOW BY LATE IN THE DAY.

.LONG TERM...
PATTERN REMAINS UNSETTLED THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK AS ERN TROUGH
DEEPENS THROUGH FRI. NO CHANGES ARE ANTICIPATED TO THE REMAINDER OF
THE MEDIUM RANGE AT THIS TIME.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GSP  83  62  86  63 /  60  20  10  10
AND  84  62  86  64 /  60  20  10  10
CLT  86  62  87  64 /  50  20  10  10
HKY  83  59  84  61 /  60  20  10  10
AVL  78  57  81  57 /  70  20  20  10
&&

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

HG
Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 5:21 AM EDT, 21 hours 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
521 AM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-310920-
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-
521 AM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

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

.DAY ONE...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY. COVERAGE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
GREATEST IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT
OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY LATE TODAY AND THEN SWEEP EAST ACROSS
TENNESSEE OVERNIGHT. ANY REMNANTS FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
LIKELY REACH THE APPALACHIANS AROUND DAYBREAK ON MEMORIAL DAY.
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD FORM EASTWARD ACROSS THE PIEDMONT
DURING THE DAY MONDAY ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS DISTURBANCE.
ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS...COULD BE POSSIBLE MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS UNLIKELY TODAY...BUT MAY BE REQUIRED ON
MEMORIAL DAY.

HG

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 30, 11:01 PM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1101 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-311000-
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-
1101 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR WIDESPREAD SEVERE
WEATHER ACROSS THE PLAINS AND OHIO VALLEY REGIONS THIS WEEKEND WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST OVERNIGHT. ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...A LINE
OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NORTHERN INDIANA
TO EAST TEXAS LATE SUNDAY EVENING. TORNADO WATCHES EXTENDED AS FAR
EAST AS EASTERN TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO TRACK EAST OVERNIGHT...REACHING THE MOUNTAINS OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AROUND SUNRISE.

AS THE LINE OF STORMS MOVES FURTHER EAST...IT IS EXPECTED TO
ENCOUNTER INCREASINGLY STABLE AIR. THIS MAY RESULT IN SOME GRADUAL
WEAKENING WITH TIME. NEVERTHELESS...THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
MAINTAIN ENOUGH INTENSITY TO POSE A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT AS THEY
MOVE OVER THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY MORNING. THE MOST LIKELY FORM OF
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. HOWEVER...AN
ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE BLUE RIDGE BY LATE MORNING...
SHIFTING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT
DURING THE AFTERNOON.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS MONDAY MORNING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS
THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT FROM LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON.
DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE
AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

LANE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 2:55 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood50 min
May 31, 3:11 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPHaywood34 min
May 31, 3:45 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood45 min
May 31, 4:37 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGraham38 min
May 31, 4:46 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPSwain59 min
May 31, 5:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMacon45 min
May 31, 5:08 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMitchell, Yancey52 min
May 31, 5:26 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe49 min
May 31, 7:43 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGaston, Mecklenburg47 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.