Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 19, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 11, 2005Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Jul 11, 2005, 10:16 AM EDT for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 31 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
Jul 11, 2005, 10:16 AM EDT (14:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 2005, 10:47 AM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Pickens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:16 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 230 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 2005-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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 2005-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 146 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1016 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
147 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KGSP 111417
TORGSP
SCC077-111500-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0019.050711T1416Z-050711T1500Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1016 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1100 AM EDT

* AT 1012 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR NINE
  TIMES...OR ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF PICKENS...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  ROCKY BOTTOM AROUND 1035 AM 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 3483 8289 3485 8274 3507 8276 3502 8291

$$

NED
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS52 KGSP 111432
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1031 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

SCC077-111500-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-050711T1500Z/
PICKENS SC-
1031 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1100 AM EDT FOR NORTHWESTERN
PICKENS COUNTY...

AT 1029 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ROCKY BOTTOM...OR
ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF PICKENS...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3497 8288 3498 8277 3508 8277 3505 8288

$$

NED
000 
WWUS52 KGSP 111447
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1047 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

SCC077-111452-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-050711T1500Z/
PICKENS SC-
1047 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN PICKENS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM ASSOCIATED WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO HAS WEAKENED 
AND HAS MOVED OUT OF THE COUNTY. THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR 
NORTHWESTERN PICKENS COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3497 8288 3498 8277 3508 8277 3505 8288

$$

NED

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 Jul 11, 3:29 AM EDT, 6 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 3:29 AM EDT, 6 hours 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
329 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)...
CIRCULATION AROUND DENNIS DOMINATES THE ENTIRE SOUTHEASTERN QUARTER
OF THE U.S...BUT WITH MID LEVEL DRY AIR OVER THE MID ATLANTIC...
SHIELD OF LIGHT RAIN SEEN ON KGSP RADAR WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AS
IT ADVANCES SLOWLY NORTHEAST THIS MORNING. EXPECT THERE TO BE ENOUGH
LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE TO FORCE TROPICAL SHOWERS ACROSS THE WESTERN
HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...ESPECIALLY OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND BLUE
RIDGE ESCARPMENT AS UPSLOPE FLOW STRENGTHENS THIS MORNING. ALL IN
ALL...SEE LITTLE IN THE NEW GUIDANCE THAT SUGGESTS ANYTHING MORE
THAN MINOR CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE THROUGH TONIGHT...OTHER THAN TO
EXTEND TONGUE OF HIGHEST POP ALONG THE ESCARPMENT ACROSS THE NC
FOOTHILLS. BEST CHANCE FOR FLOODING RAINS STILL LOOKS LIKE IT WILL
BE TODAY OVER THE SRN MTNS/NE GA/WRN UPSTATE...UNLESS A PERSISTENT
BAND SETS UP ELSEWHERE THAT CANNOT BE FORESEEN AT THIS TIME. AS FOR
THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER...NAMELY AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO...
THIS WILL BE LARGELY DEPENDENT ON WHETHER OR NOT WRAP-AROUND MID
LEVEL DRY SLOT ALONG AL/GA BORDER CAN MAKE IT THIS FAR EAST TO AID
IN CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY...SINCE SHEAR WILL NOT BE LACKING. PRESENT
INDICATION IS THAT IT WILL NOT.

FOR THE REST OF THE SHORT RANGE...THE GFS WAS THE MODEL OF CHOICE AS
IT CONTINUES TO SHOW THE BEST AGREEMENT WITH THE OFFICIAL TRACK OF
THE REMNANTS OF DENNIS. THE WRN CAROLINAS WILL REMAIN IN THE RICH
TROPICAL MOISTURE...AT LEAST AT LOW LEVELS...THROUGH MID WEEK. THIS
SHOULD FUEL SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL BECOME A BIT MORE
DIURNAL IN NATURE BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FLOODING WILL REMAIN A
CONCERN. AGAIN...FEW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE FROM THE PREVIOUS
FORECAST...AND THE MAV GUIDANCE WAS GENERALLY FOLLOWED FOR THE TEMPS.

&&

.LONG TERM (THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...
THE REMNANTS OF DENNIS ARE STILL EXPECT TO MEANDER AROUND THE
LOWER OH VALLEY REGION THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...SO SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS LOOK LIKE A GOOD BET GIVEN THE AVAILABILITY OF LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE. FEW CHANGES WILL BE MADE AT THIS TIME.

&&

.AVIATION...
EXPANSIVE SHOWER CVRG EXPECTED TODAY ACRS KGSP/KAND/KAVL...SO HAVE
GONE WITH CATEGORICAL CHANCES WITH TEMPO GROUPS FOR IFR CIG AND
MVFR VSBYS IN HEAVIER SHOWERS...A CB WILL BE INCLUDED WITH ALL
GROUPS TO INDICATE EMBEDDED TSTM CHANCE. VERY TRICKY TO PIN DOWN
PREDOMINATE CIGS IN THE IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM...CURRENTLY VARYING
BETWEEN VFR AND IFR...BUT AS THE MOIST UPSLOPE CONTINUES...WE SHOULD
SETTLE INTO AT LEAST MVFR CIGS LATER THIS MORNING...BEFORE MIXING
BACK OUT TO VFR BY AFTERNOON. KCLT SEEMS TO BE NE OF THE SHARPER
CUTOFF OF CATEGORICAL SHOWER CVRG TODAY SO WILL PLAY JUST VCSH
LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON TO EXPRESS TIMING UNCERTAINTY.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR GAZ010-017-018-026-028 UNTIL 6 AM
     TUESDAY.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ062>064 UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY.
SC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR SCZ001-002-004-005-010 UNTIL 6 AM
     TUESDAY.
&&

SHORT TERM...MOORE
LONG TERM...PM
AVIATION...CSH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 6:04 AM EDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
604 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-121015-
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 MON JUL 11 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE CIRCULATION
ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF DENNIS WILL FUEL NUMEROUS TO
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS...AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...TODAY. THE MAIN
CONCERN IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING OVER PARTS OF
NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA...AND THE SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE FLOOD
WATCH ISSUED AT 446 AM. IF A BAND OF SHOWERS PERSISTS OVER ANY
OTHER LOCATION...FLOODING RAINS COULD ACCUMULATE. FOR MORE
INFORMATION...SEE THE HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK ISSUED AT 500 AM. THERE
IS A REMOTE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISOLATED TORNADO TODAY...MAINLY OVER
THE AREA WEST OF ASHEVILLE...GREENVILLE...AND LAURENS. IF
CONDITIONS BECOME MORE FAVORABLE...A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
WILL BE ISSUED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EVERY DAY THROUGH AT
LEAST SATURDAY. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN PLENTIFUL THROUGH
THE PERIOD...SO FLOODING RAIN WILL BE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM FOR ANY
PERSISTENT THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND THIS EVENING...MAINLY
OVER THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS...AND THE WESTERN UPSTATE.

MOORE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:49 AM EDT, 5 hours 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
449 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

GAZ017-110920-
HABERSHAM-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...CLARKESVILLE
449 AM EDT MON JUL 11 2005

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO EFFECT HABERSHAM COUNTY...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH WILL MOVE ACROSS
SOUTHWEST HABERSHAM COUNTY THROUGH 5 AM...EFFECTING AREAS WEST OF
DEMOREST AND CORNELIA. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE...
AND COMBINED WITH THE WET GROUND...MAY TOPPLE A FEW TREES.

CSH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 6:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAnderson63 min
Jul 11, 6:47 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPOconee49 min
Jul 11, 7:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPPickens55 min
Jul 11, 7:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenville63 min
Jul 11, 7:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPOconee37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2005Every tornado warning in 2005Tornadoes 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.