Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2004

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 25, 2004Cherokee County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Jun 25, 2004, 2:04 PM EDT for Cherokee County, South 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
Jun 25, 2004, 2:04 PM EDT (18:04 UTC)
Expired
Jun 25, 2004, 2:45 PM EDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cherokee County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:07 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 tornado 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, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 194 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 2004-06-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 326 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 2004-06-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 22 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
326 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
978 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
107 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.

789 
WFUS52 KGSP 251804
TORGSP
SCC021-251845-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
204 PM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 245 PM EDT

* AT 203 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  THICKETTY...OR ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GAFFNEY...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  GAFFNEY AROUND 215 PM EDT
  BLACKSBURG AROUND 235 PM EDT

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A HOME OR
BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. STAY AWAY
FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3511 8183 3487 8175 3487 8148 3502 8149
      3516 8136 3519 8166

$$

RWH

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Jun 25, 11:07 AM EDT, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 25, 11:07 AM EDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1107 AM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

.UPDATE...
MAIN BAND OF PRECIP NOT MAKING MUCH PROGRESS TO THE EAST THIS
MORNING...AND MAY NOT UNTIL IT STARTS TO FEEL THE EASTWARD PUSH OF
THE VORT CENTER SEEN ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY OVER MS/AL/WRN TN. THIS
WILL HAVE MULTIPLE EFFECTS ON THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. THE AREA EAST
OF INTERSTATE 85...AND ESPECIALLY METRO CLT...WILL SEE A BIT MORE
SUN AND WILL PROBABLY WARM A BIT MORE THAN EXPECTED. TEMPS WILL BE
RAISED AS MUCH AS A CATEGORY...PARTICULARLY OVER WRN SC WHERE RAIN
COVERAGE HAD BEEN EXPECTED TO HOLD TEMPS DOWN. INSTABILITY SHOULD
NOT BE A PROBLEM OVER THE PIEDMONT...SO THINK THAT GRADIENT OF
CATEGORICAL/LIKELY POP STILL LOOKS REASONABLE BY THE END OF THE DAY.
EVEN THOUGH AXIS OF HEAVIER PRECIP WILL PROBABLY REMAIN W OF THE
MTNS FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY...FLOOD WATCH WILL BE CONTINUED.
CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS ARE PERHAPS A BIT MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE NC
MOUNTAINS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A BETTER CHANCE OF FLASH FLOOD
PRODUCING RAINFALL RATES.

&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
ISSUED AT 405 AM.
SHORT TERM...
COLD FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY NORTH OF THE FA TODAY AS FRONTAL
WAVE APPROACHES FROM THE SW. REGIONAL RADAR ALREADY SHOWS THE
COMMA-HEAD PRECIP TRACKING NE THIS MORNING. ETA AND GFS BRING THE
HEAD OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN FROM 15Z-00Z...WITH GOOD UPSLOPE TAKING
PLACE FROM 15-21Z. HPC HIGHLIGHTS THE AREA WITH AN ISOLD EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL...WITH WIDESPREAD QPF >1. PWS APPROACH 2 THIS AFTERNOON
AND WILL EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM TO MAKE EFFICIENT USE OF
THE MOISTURE...SOME STORMS LIKELY PRODUCING AROUND 2/HR. SUCH A
RATE WILL EXCEED FFG...HAVE POSTED A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE MTNS AND
ADJACENT FOOTHILLS OF THE CAROLINAS AND NE GA UNTIL MIDNIGHT. IF THE
ETA IS CORRECT PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN WOULD LINGER OVER THE REGION
UNTIL 6Z...WILL LET DAYSHIFT DECIDE IF AFTER MIDNIGHT FOR THE WATCH
IS WARRANTED.

IN ADDITION TO THE RAINFALL...SVR TS MAY ALSO BE ON THE DOCKET FOR
TODAY. REASONABLE T/TD ON THE MESOETA FORECAST SOUNDINGS YIELD CAPES
>2K J/KG WITH WINDS 30KT AT H85 AND HIGHER. HOWEVER...HIGH FZ
LEVELS AND MOIST AIR WILL LIMIT HAIL PRODUCTION. PRIMARY SVR THREAT
WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG DOWNBURSTS. SPC SHOWS THE ENTIRE FA
IN A SLGT RISK TODAY...WILL ISSUE A SPS TO HIGHLIGHT.

ETA AND GFS DIFFER FOR THE WEEKEND IF THE FRONT WILL BE ABLE TO PUSH
SOUTH OF THE REGION. ALTHOUGH THE GFS IS PREFERRED WILL ADOPT A
COMPROMISE AND WILL FORECAST THE FRONTAL POSITION TO REMAIN
IN BETWEEN THE TWO SOLUTIONS. THIS WILL RESULT IN KEEPING A CHC FOR
SH/TS INTO THE EARLY WEEK...BECOMING MORE DIURNAL. OMEGA BLOCK TO
THE WEST WILL BE SLOW TO UNRAVEL...HOWEVER MEDIUM RANGE MODELS BRING
A RETURN OF MOISTURE FOR THE EARLY WEEK PERIOD...WILL MODIFY CURRENT
FORECAST.

LONG TERM...

LITTLE CHANGE BEYOND MONDAY.

NED/RAB
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT GAZ010-017.

NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT
NCZ033>034-048>055-058>059-062>067.

SC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT SCZ001>003.
&&

MOORE
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 25, 5:41 AM EDT, 8 hours 23 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
541 AM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-260939-
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-
541 AM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY
RAINFALL TO NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. RAINFALL
TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 1 INCH OVER THE PIEDMONT TO
LOCATION OF 3 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS.
PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH (CAEFFAGSP) FOR ADDITIONAL
DETAILS. IN ADDITION...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
(CAESPSGSP) FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER THROUGH THE REST OF
THE FORECAST PERIOD...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

NED

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 25, 12:06 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1206 PM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-252200-
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-
1206 PM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND EXTREME
NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TOWARD NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. A WAVE
OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING ON THE FRONT...SOUTHWEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS...WILL MOVE NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE FRONT THIS
AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS.

RECENT HEAVY RAIN HAS LEFT THE GROUND SATURATED ACROSS THE REGION.
WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN A VERY MOIST AIR MASS WILL
PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN THAT MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FLOOD WATCH BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND FAR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...INCLUDING THE
WESTERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA...THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE
WATCH MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED WHEN IT BECOMES MORE CLEAR WHERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST CONCENTRATED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

MOORE
Local storm report, Jun 25, 1:20 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
120 PM EDT FRI JUN 25 2004

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

0100 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 SE ANDERSON           34.49N 82.61W
06/25/2004                   ANDERSON           SC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            UNKNOWN VEHICLE AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ON SAMUEL CAMP ROAD
            AND MIDDLETON ROAD.

&&

SBK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 25, 3:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Spartanburg67 min
Jun 25, 3:39 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPSpartanburg51 min
Jun 25, 3:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPYork63 min
Jun 25, 4:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee46 min
Jun 25, 6:05 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPAnderson40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2004Every tornado warning in 2004Tornadoes 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.