Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2005

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 13, 2005Madison County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2005, 3:23 PM EDT for Madison County, North Carolina. It was in force for 35 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 13, 2005, 3:23 PM EDT (19:23 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2005, 3:58 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Madison County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:26 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 256 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 2005-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2005-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
515 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
145 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 131923
SVRGSP
NCC115-132030-
/O.NEW.KGSP.SV.W.0059.050513T1923Z-050513T2030Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
323 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  MADISON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 430 PM EDT

* AT 321 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  MARSHALL...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MARSHALL BY 350 PM EDT
  MARS HILL BY 425 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 3580 8288 3588 8263 3593 8251 3580 8246
      3580 8250 3569 8279 3570 8284 3569 8286
      3577 8290

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KGSP 131958
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
357 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2005

NCC115-132007-
/O.CAN.KGSP.SV.W.0059.000000T0000Z-050513T2030Z/
MADISON NC-
357 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2005

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR MADISON COUNTY IS 
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE 
LIMITS OVER FAR SOUTHWEST MADISON COUNTY. NO REPORTS OF SEVERE 
WEATHER WERE RECEIVED.

LAT...LON 3580 8288 3588 8263 3593 8251 3580 8246
      3580 8250 3569 8279 3570 8284 3569 8286
      3577 8290

$$

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 13, 3:04 PM EDT, 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 3:04 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
304 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2005

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)...
FADING WEDGE CURRENTLY OVER THE NC FTHILLS AND PIEDMONT WITH SCT CU
OVER THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY...TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
REMAINS NEARLY 10 DEGREES FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. SH/TS DEVELOPING
ALONG THE SPINE OF THE APPALACHIANS THIS AFTERNOON. DEVELOPMENT OF
FUTURE STORMS SHOULD SPREAD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHERN AND
CENTRAL MTNS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN POCKETS OF HEAVY RAIN AS ENVIRONMENT WILL YIELD PW OF 1.2
WITH STORM MOTIONS OF ONLY 5-10 KTS. BY LATE AFTERNOON...TCU FROM
CAE TO GVL SHOULD GROW INTO SCT SH/TS. CORFIDI VECTORS INDICATES
THAT THESE STORMS WILL SLOWLY TRACK NE TOWARD THE UPPER SAVANNAH
VALLEY. SREF SHOWS THAT THIS PORTION OF OUR CWA WILL REMAIN THE MOST
UNSTABLE WITH CAPES BUILDING TO 1500-2500 J/KG. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF
INSTABILITY...A FEW SVR EVENTS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL NC AND SC MTNS EAST ALONG THE
SAVANNAH VALLEY. CONVECTION SHOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE AROUND MIDNIGHT.

NEW ENGLAND HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLIDE SE TONIGHT OVER THE
ATLANTIC...RESULTING IN A WEDGE DECAYING RETURN FLOW SAT. MORNING
CLOUDINESS SHOULD RAPIDLY MIX OUT AND WILL GRID A PARTLY SUNNY DAY.
H5 HEIGHTS BEGIN TO FALL FROM THE WEST AND WITH TEMPS/DWPTS RUNNING
IN THE 80/60 RANGE. INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE ENOUGH FOR DEEP
AFTERNOON CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY IN AFTERNOON LEE SFC TROF. WILL
TIME CHC POPS IN THE MTNS EARLY WITH CHCS SPREADING INTO THE WESTERN
PIEDMONT BY LATE SAT AFTERNOON.

WILL FOLLOW NAM FRONTAL TIMING FOR DETAILS...ALTHOUGH THE GFS IS
FAIRLY SIMILAR. NAM BRINGS THE FRONT INTO WESTERN NC SAT
NIGHT...REACHING THE ESCARPMENT BY SUNRISE SUNDAY. BOTH THE NAM AND
GFS INDICATE THE A LINE OF SH/TS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT...EXITING
THE CWA BY SUN EVENING. NEW PACKAGE POPS WERE RAISED TO CATE ALONG
THE TN BORDER TO LIKELY EAST. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO
CONTROL SUNDAY NIGHT AND MON.

&&

.LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...
MDLS SHOWING RUN TO RUN INCONSISTENCY WITH UPPER TROF OVER EAST
COAST...SHORT WAVES DIVING INTO IT AND ASSOCIATED SFC WARM FRONT AND
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS. LATEST GFS HAS TRENDED TOWARD A MORE SRN WARM
FRONT AND LOW PRESSURE TRACK FOR WED AND THU...IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS
ECMWF AND HPC GUIDANCE. LOOKS LIKE PRECIP SHOULD HOLD OFF OVER OUR
CWFA UNTIL TUE WHEN BEST MOISTURE AND LIFT MOVE INTO THE AREA. BEST
MOISTURE AND LIFT REMAIN ACROSS THE NORTH CLOSER TO WARM FRONT AND
LOW TRACK. TRAILING COLD FRONT DOES MOVE THRU THE AREA LATE FRIDAY.
HOWEVER...GENERAL WLY FLOW PREVAILS PROVIDING LITTLE IF ANY GULF
INFLOW. THEREFORE...HAVE POP GRADIENT OF CHC NORTH TO SLIGHT CHC IN
LINE WITH GUIDANCE.

TEMPS START OUT BELOW NORMAL TUE RISING TO NEAR NORMAL WED THRU FRI.
TEMP GUIDANCE A LITTLE SUSPECT ACROSS THE NORTH WED/THU. NUMBERS
WERE WELL BELOW NORMAL...WHICH LOOKS TOO LOW EVEN WITH CLOUDS AND
PRECIP. WENT NEAR NORMAL FOR THESE AREAS.

&&

.AVIATION...
WEDGE BOUNDARY EVIDENT IN MSAS/LAPS DATA AND SAT PIX. COOL STABLE
AIR OVER NC FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT BECOMING WARM AND UNSTABLE OVER MNTS
AND UPSTATE INTO NE GA. HAVE KEPT A SHORT PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS/VIS
XCPT AT KHKY/KCLT WHICH ARE MORE FIRMLY ENSCONCED IN THE WEDGE. SRN
AND WRN SITES ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR TSRA AS ATMOS UNSTABLE AND
CONVECTION ALREADY FIRING OVER THE NC MTNS. KEPT KHKY/KCLT WITH MVFR
CIGS INTO THE EVENING AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS HIGH AND UPGLIDE
DEVELOPS.

WENT CLOSER TO THE NAM SOLN OVERNIGHT SINCE IT USUALLY DOES BETTER
IN WEDGE SITUATIONS. BRING ALL AFTERNOON VFR SITES BACK TO MVFR
ABOUT 02Z WITH VCSH AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES AND ISENTROPIC
UPGLIDE DEVELOPS. CIGS LOWER TO IFR FIRST AT KHKY...THEN KCLT
OVERNIGHT WHERE MOISTURE DEEPER AND ISENTROPIC LIFT BETTER. WENT
MVFR VSBY ALL LOCATIONS OVERNIGHT...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED
IFR. NAM SCOURS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BY 14Z AS SWLY FLOW DEVELOPS AND
DRIER AIR MASS MOVES IN. ALL SITES VFR AT THAT TIME.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...NED
LONG TERM...RWH
AVIATION...RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, May 13, 6:04 AM EDT, 9 hours 19 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
604 AM EDT FRI MAY 13 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-141015-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-CALDWELL-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-
BUNCOMBE-MCDOWELL-BURKE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-
MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-POLK-RUTHERFORD-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
604 AM EDT FRI MAY 13 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS
MUCH OF OUR FORECAST AREA...ALTHOUGH THE HIGHEST CHANCES OF RAIN
WILL EXIST ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA AS
WELL AS ALL OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE ADJACENT WESTERN AREAS OF
SOUTH CAROLINA...OR ROUGHLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM CHEROKEE
AND FRANKLIN...TO WALHALLA...ANDERSON AND GREENWOOD. CHANCES OF
THUNDERSTORMS DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY TODAY AS ONE HEADS NORTH INTO
THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA.
WITH DAYTIME HEATING...ONE OR TWO STORMS IN THE FAR WESTERN FORECAST
AREA COULD BECOME STRONG AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT PERHAPS STORMS
MAY APPROACH SEVERE STATUS IN THE FAR WEST. WIDESPREAD SEVERE
WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY...HOWEVER.

WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...ANY SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO WEAKEN QUICKLY THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...SCATTERED
SHOWERS COULD AFFECT THE FAR WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA
AND PERHAPS THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA OVERNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A MAJOR COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO CROSS THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT.
THIS WEATHER FEATURE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...ALTHOUGH SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING LONG BEFORE
THE FRONT ITSELF CROSSES THE AREA. WIND SHEAR AND FORCING FOR STRONG
CONVECTION WILL BE A BIT GREATER...SO WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE
NEXT FEW RUNS OF DATA CLOSELY TO DETERMINE THE STRENGTH OF ANY
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO
OUR AREA SUNDAY MORNING TO PROVIDE SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR AREAS
ALONG AND ADJACENT TO INTERSTATE 77...WITH DRYING TREND FORECAST
FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON. FAIR WEATHER IS THEN EXPECTED TO DOMINATE
THE FORECAST UNTIL ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES WITH
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE WEST THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS COULD BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON IN THE FAR WESTERN
MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA AS WELL AS FAR WESTERN UPSTATE SOUTH
CAROLINA AND ALL OF EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA IF STRONG STORMS DO
DEVELOP. SPOTTERS COULD ALSO BE NEEDED LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT BEGINS TO CROSS THE REGION.

44

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.