Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2005

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

February 21, 2005Graham County, Swain County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 21, 2005, 11:59 AM EST for Graham County, Swain County, North Carolina. It was in force for 61 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
Feb 21, 2005, 11:59 AM EST (16:59 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 2005, 1:00 PM EST
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Graham County, NC, Swain County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:02 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 12:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 246 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 12:00Z on 2005-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 88 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 12:00Z on 2005-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 187 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
88 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
553 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
187 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
177 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 211702
SVRGSP
NCC075-173-211800-
/O.NEW.KGSP.SV.W.0002.050221T1659Z-050221T1800Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1159 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 100 PM EST

* AT 1159 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
  HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE
  LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MARYVILLE TO TELLICO PLAINS IN
  EXTREME EASTERN TENNESSEE...AND MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  TAPOCO BY 1215 PM EST
  FONTANA VILLAGE BY 1220 PM EST
  ROBBINSVILLE BY 1225 PM EST
  STECOAH BY 1230 PM EST
  SMOKEMONT AND BRYSON CITY BY 1240 PM EST
  CHEROKEE AND ALARKA BY 1245 PM EST

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE
ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 3541 8402 3551 8388 3556 8376 3555 8351
      3566 8335 3569 8326 3567 8320 3554 8317
      3545 8337 3533 8336 3528 8366 3525 8373
      3523 8399 3529 8403

$$
GERAPETRITIS
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS52 KGSP 211730
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1225 PM EST MON FEB 21 2005

NCC075-173-211800-
/O.CON.KGSP.SV.W.0002.000000T0000Z-050221T1800Z/
SWAIN NC-GRAHAM NC-
1225 PM EST MON FEB 21 2005

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 100 PM EST FOR
GRAHAM AND SWAIN COUNTIES...

AT 1225 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY 
SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS 
WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ELKMONT IN EASTERN 
TENNESSEE TO SANTEETLAH TO 5 MILES WEST OF MURPHY...MOVING EAST AT 
60 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  STECOAH AND ROBBINSVILLE BY 1230 PM EST
  NEWFOUND GAP BY 1235 PM EST
  WESSER...AND ALMOND BY 1240 PM EST
  SMOKEMONT BY 1245 PM EST

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS...LARGE 
DAMAGING HAIL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A 
STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

LAT...LON 3541 8402 3551 8388 3556 8376 3555 8351
      3566 8335 3569 8326 3567 8320 3554 8317
      3545 8337 3533 8336 3528 8366 3525 8373
      3523 8399 3529 8403

$$
GERAPETRITIS
000 
WWUS52 KGSP 211800
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1259 PM EST MON FEB 21 2005

NCC075-173-211807-
/O.EXP.KGSP.SV.W.0002.000000T0000Z-050221T1800Z/
SWAIN NC-GRAHAM NC-
1259 PM EST MON FEB 21 2005

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR GRAHAM AND SWAIN COUNTIES WILL
EXPIRE AT 100 PM EST...

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS PUSHED EAST OF GRAHAM AND SWAIN 
COUNTIES...THEREFORE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 
1 PM EST. PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER 
THE AREA THROUGH 2 PM EST. MOTORIST SHOULD PREPARE TO ENCOUNTER 
STORM DEBRIS ALONG WITH PONDING WATER ON THE ROADS.

LAT...LON 3541 8402 3551 8388 3556 8376 3555 8351
      3566 8335 3569 8326 3567 8320 3554 8317
      3545 8337 3533 8336 3528 8366 3525 8373
      3523 8399 3529 8403

$$

NED

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 Feb 21, 10:35 AM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 10:35 AM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1035 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)...
MANY ELEMENTS OF THE FORECAST REMAIN CHALLENGING FOR THE REST OF
TODAY. STRONG BOW ECHO OVER CENTRAL TN WILL ENCOUNTER INCREASINGLY
STABLE AIR AS IT APPROACHES THE WRN NC MTNS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.
SEVERE TSTMS SEEM UNLIKELY AT PRESENT...BUT RESIDUAL WIND ENERGY
WITH DECAYING MCS COULD BRING GUSTY WINDS INTO THE HIGH TERRAIN.
WILL ISSUE AN SPS TO ADDRESS THIS POSSIBILITY. INSTABILITY SHOULD
ALSO BEGIN TO WRAP FROM ERN TN INTO THE SRN PIEDMONT OF THE
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY AS MID 50S TO LOWER 60S
DEWPOINTS MAKE A RUN TOWARD THE REGION FROM THE SW. HIGHER
DEWPOINTS MAY ACTUALLY POOL ALONG THE SAVANNAH RIVER TOWARD
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

FORCING WILL BE DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN...AS WARM ADVECTION LIFT ABATES
SLIGHTLY AND DPVA ASSOCIATED WITH THE POTENT VORT MAX TO THE W DIMINISHES
AS THE SYSTEM LIFTS SLIGHTLY AND SHEARS THIS AFTN. HOWEVER...UPPER JET
DIVERGENCE CONTINUES AND STRENTHENS THROUGH THE AFTN. WAVES
SLIDING EASTWARD ALONG THE FRONT SHOULD CONTRIBUTE ONLY SLIGHT
LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE...BUT BETTER FORCING DURING THE OVERNIGHT.
MID LEVELS DRY SOMEWHAT THROUGH THE PERIOD...BUT THIS COULD
ACTUALLY AIDE INSTABILITY AND CONVECTION SOMEWHAT.

DEBRIS CLOUDINESS FROM ERN TN SHOULD TRACK OVER WRN NC AND
SEVERELY LIMIT MAX TEMP RISE. WILL TRIMS TEMPS DOWN
THROUGHOUT...ALTHOUGH MUCH LESS CHANGE OVER SRN SECTIONS WITH
STRONGER DRYING AND BETTER MIXING DEVELOPING.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
(ISSUED 402 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005)

SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)...
SHOWERS...AND EVEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS REENTERING OUR CWFA ATTM.
THIS PRECIP ON THE LEADING EDGE OF BROAD AREA OF ISENTROPIC
UPGLIDE. THIS AREA WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE CWFA THIS MORNING.
WILL KEEP HIGH POP WITH THUNDER MENTION THIS MORNING. POP
GRADUALLY DECREASES THIS AFTERNOON AS UPGLIDE ENDS. HOWEVER
MOISTURE REMAINS HIGH AND INSTABILITY/LAPSE RATES ACTUALLY
INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AS SFC FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. WILL
KEEP POP THRU THE AFTERNOON.

MDLS INDICATING MCS-LIKE SYSTEM MOVING THRU THE WRN/SRN SECTIONS
OVERNIGHT AS FNT PUSHES THRU. HAVE TRENDED TOWARD THE NAM SOLN
WITH CHC POP WRN/SRN SECTIONS TAPERING OFF TO NO POP NORTH.

BASICALLY DRY FCST REST OF THE PERIOD AS ATMOS DRIES OUT AND ANY
FORCING REMAINS SOUTH OF THE CWFA. COULD BE A FEW UPSLOPE
RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS TUE NITE NRN MTNS...SO DO HAVE A SILENT 20 POP
THERE.

GUIDANCE HIGHS CLOSE TODAY. WENT TOWARD WARMER MET TONIGHT SINCE
FOLLOWING NAM SOLN. THEN TRENDED TOWARD THE COOLER MAV REST OF THE
PERIOD WITH MILD HIGH PRESSURE NOSING INTO THE AREA.

LONG TERM (THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...
STRONG BLOCKING OVER GREENLAND...AND OTHER MDLS SUPPPORT GFS
SUPPRESSING GULF SYSTEMS FARTHER SOUTH THRU THIS PERIOD. HAVE
REMOVED POP THRU THUR NITE IN LINE WITH HPC AND NEIGHBORS. NO
CHANGES TO OTHER FIELDS OR DAYS.

AVIATION...
CEILINGS SHOULD BECOME MORE STEADY IN THE IFR...OR AT LEAST MVFR
CATEGORY THIS MORNING. AS DRIER AIR WORKS IN ALOFT BEHIND
APPROACHING SW TROUGH...EXPECT TO SEE WIDESPREAD IFR VISBY UNTIL
MIXING COMMENCES AFTER SUNRISE. PRECIP SHOULD BE OF THE SCATTERED
SHOWER VARIETY THIS MORNING AT BEST. AS WESTERLY FLOW INCREASES
LATER THIS MORNING...EXPECT A GRADUAL IMPROVMENT IN CEILINGS AND
VISBY TO OCCUR DURING THE MORNING...WITH VFR EXPECTED BY AFTERNOON.
WITH PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERING...MODEST BOUNDARY LAYER
WARMING...STEEPER LAPSE RATES ADVECTING OVER THE REGION...AND SOME
CONVERGENCE IN THE VCNY OF THE LEE TROUGH/SURFACE FRONT...EXPECT SCT
CONVECTION TO DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON. FOR NOW...WILL JUST MENTION
VCSH AT ALL TERMINALS. HOWEVER...SUSPECT WE WILL SEE SOME ACTUAL
THUNDERSTORMS TOMORROW AFTERNOON...BUT DONT EXPECT COVERAGE TO BE
WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IN THE TAFS.

&&

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

&&

SHORT TERM...HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 6:00 AM EST, 5 hours 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-221100-
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-
600 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005

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

.DAY ONE...

WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS
MORNING. SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON...BUT SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

RWH

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 21, 11:16 AM EST, 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1116 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005

NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-212000-
AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-GRAHAM NC-HAYWOOD NC-HENDERSON NC-MACON NC-
MADISON NC-MITCHELL NC-NORTHERN JACKSON NC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-
SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-YANCEY NC-
1116 AM EST MON FEB 21 2005

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS
EASTERN TENNESSEE THROUGH THE MIDDAY HOURS. THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO
GRADUALLY WEAKEN AS IT APPROACHES THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH
CAROLINA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SOME LINGERING STRONG WIND
GUSTS...HOWEVER...COULD ACCOMPANY THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AS IT
REACHES THE HIGHER TERRAIN.

EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL AT THE RATE OF 1/2 TO 1
INCH PER HOUR...AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...AS THE THUNDERSTORMS REACH
THE VICINITY OF THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS BETWEEN NOON AND 1 PM. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN LIKELY SPREAD ACROSS THE REST OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THROUGH 2 PM...WITH CONTINUED OCCASIONAL WIND
GUSTS TO 35 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING COULD ALSO POSE A HAZARD WITH
THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER INDOORS AS THE THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVE EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE
MEDIA OUTLET...IN CASE ANY WARNINGS BECOME NECESSARY WITH THIS LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS.

GERAPETRITIS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 21, 12:37 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMacon55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2005Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2005

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.