Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 8, 2004Transylvania County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 2004, 8:50 PM EDT for Transylvania 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 8, 2004, 8:50 PM EDT (00:50 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 2004, 9:30 PM EDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Transylvania County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:50 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 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 265 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 2004-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 229 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 2004-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -8 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
229 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2488 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-23 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 090050
SVRGSP
NCC175-090130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
849 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 930 PM EDT

* AT 848 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF BREVARD...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT THE CRADLE OF FORESTRY IN

  NORTHERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY

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 3530 8285 3541 8275 3529 8260 3527 8270
          3523 8283 3524 8287 3529 8288

$$
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 8, 2:05 PM EDT, 6 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 2:05 PM EDT, 6 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
205 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

.SHORT TERM...
UPPER RIDGE REMAINS STRONG OVER SE US NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
HOWEVER...BACKDOOR FRONT EGDING DOWN INTO CWA FROM THE NE...POSSIBLY
INITIATING CONVECTION. GFS APPEARS OVERDONE WITH QPF WHILE ETA AND
GFS DEVELOP CAPE VALUES OVER 3000 THIS AFTN. RUC IS NOT AS
HIGH...WITH CLT AND HKY CAPE COMING IN AT ABOUT 2300. LAPS SOUNDINGS
SHOW BULLSEYE OVER GSP DUE TO HIGHER DPS. IN ANY CASE THERE IS A
CHANCE OF LATE DAY TSTMS...ESPECIALLY VCNTY OF WEAK SFC BOUNDARY
THAT IS CURRENTLY DIPPING S OF VA-NC BORDER. RUC ALSO BRINGS WEAK
PVA INTO CWA FROM THE SW THIS EVE...SO WITH SFC HEATING AND DP VALS
EXPECTED IN THE LOW-MID 60S...SCATTERED TSTMS LOOK REASONABLE.
PATTERN DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THROUGH TUE AND ALTHOUGH UPPER
RIDGE REMAINS OVER REGION...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED LATE DAY TSTMS
REMAIN A POSSIBILITY...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS WHERE WEAK UPSLOPE IS
EXPECTED TO BE A FACTOR. TEMPS WILL COOL SLOWLY NEXT FEW DAYS AS
THKNS IS FCST TO DECREASE.

.LONG TERM...
LOW PRESSURE SHOULD BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE OVER THE FOUR CORNERS EARLY
WED AS L/W TROUGH SWEEPS EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN ROCKIES. LOW WILL
DEEPEN OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND WILL QUICKLY MOVE
TO THE GREAT LAKES BY FRI AM. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW
WILL MOVE EAST...REACHING THE LOWER APPALACHIANS BY SAT. IN THE
MEANTIME...SOUTH FLOW IN BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BERMUDA HIGH WILL
MAINTAIN A WARM AND MOIST FLOW OVER THE SE US. GFS LIS CONTINUE TO
SHOW UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER THE REGION...WITH QUESTIONABLE FEATURES
ALOFT I CONTINUED TO SHOW FAVOR TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN FOR POPS/WX.
WILL INTRODUCE POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA SAT A FRONT PASSES THROUGH
THE REGION. COOLED DAYTIME TEMPS A FEW DEGREES TO ACCOUNT FOR
INCREASE IN CLOUDS...IN LINE WITH HPC/MEX GUIDANCE.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GSP  63  87  62  85 /  30  10  10  10
AND  61  89  61  85 /  20  10  10  10
CLT  62  87  62  86 /  30  10  10  10
HKY  63  86  61  85 /  30  20  10  10
AVL  56  83  55  81 /  30  30  10  20
&&

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

RB/NED
Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 5:52 AM EDT, 14 hours 58 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
552 AM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-081200-
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-
552 AM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ALONG A COLD FRONT. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...MAINLY OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE SPECIAL
WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED AT 358 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
LATE TODAY.

MOORE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 8, 2:52 PM EDT, 5 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
252 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

GAZ010-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>010-012>014-090200-
ALEXANDER NC-ANDERSON SC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-CABARRUS NC-
CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-
GASTON NC-GRAHAM NC-GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-
GREATER PICKENS SC-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-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-SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-UNION SC-
UNION NC-YANCEY NC-YORK SC-
252 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL STALL OUT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE HEATING AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
INTERACT TO PRODUCE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...FOR MUCH OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST
GEORGIA. ONE OR TWO STORMS COULD APPROACH SEVERE LEVELS.

THE MOST LIKELY AND EARLIEST LOCATIONS TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING INCLUDE THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND
PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF THE
STALLED FRONT. THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER DROPS OFF RAPIDLY TO THE
SOUTH...ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND THE FOOTHILLS AND
PIEDMONT OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

ONE OTHER CONCERN REGARDING AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP
ARE EXPECTED TO BE SLOW MOVING...MEANING THEY COULD PRODUCE
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AT ANY ONE LOCATION. IF CAUGHT IN THUNDERSTORMS
LATER TODAY...KEEP IN MIND THAT WATER LEVELS COULD RISE RAPIDLY IN
POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

KRENTZ
Local storm report, May 8, 5:17 PM EDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0440 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 E WAYNESVILLE         35.48N 82.96W
05/08/2004  60 MPH           HAYWOOD            NC   PUBLIC

            EDGE OF WAYNESVILLE TOWARD HOSPITAL

0435 PM     HAIL             CLYDE                   35.53N 82.91W
05/08/2004  0.88 INCH        HAYWOOD            NC   PUBLIC

            FOLLOWED BY PENNY HAIL 10 MINUTES LATER

&&

JONES
Local storm report, May 8, 5:41 PM EDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
541 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0537 PM     HAIL             CANTON                  35.55N 82.84W
05/08/2004  1.00 INCH        HAYWOOD            NC   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORT VIA CELL PHONE OF LOTS OF PENNY TO QUARTER
            SIZE HAIL BEATING UP CARS. ALSO LOCAL FLOODING OF ROADS
            AND TERRIBLE LIGHTNING.

&&

JONES
Local storm report, May 8, 7:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
700 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0520 PM     HAIL             TUCKASEGEE              35.27N 83.12W
05/08/2004  1.75 INCH        JACKSON            NC   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED THROUGH 911

&&

JONES
Local storm report, May 8, 7:54 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
754 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0730 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 SE CULLOWHEE          35.28N 83.14W
05/08/2004                   JACKSON            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            CULLOWHEE CREEK IS OUT OF ITS BANKS. CULLOWHEE MOUNTAIN
            ROAD IS CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER. WATER AND MUD HAS ALSO
            BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE COVERED ROADS IN THE TUCKASEGEE
            AERA.

&&

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 11:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMitchell40 min
May 8, 11:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMcDowell48 min
May 9, 12:44 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford46 min
May 9, 1:01 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBurke44 min
May 9, 1:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Haywood38 min
May 9, 4:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAlexander54 min
May 9, 4:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPIredell46 min
May 9, 4:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPIredell43 min
May 9, 5:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford44 min
May 9, 5:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRowan51 min
May 9, 6:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLincoln54 min
May 9, 6:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCatawba55 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.