Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

January 13, 2005Catawba County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Jan 13, 2005, 9:07 PM EST for Catawba County, North Carolina. It was in force for 38 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Jan 13, 2005, 9:07 PM EST (02:07 UTC)
Expired: Jan 13, 2005, 9:45 PM EST
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County Catawba County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:08 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jan 13, 5:40 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 127 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 196 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 495 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 165 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 164 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KGSP 140207
TORGSP
NCC035-140245-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
906 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CATAWBA COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 945 PM EST

* AT 903 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 12 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF NEWTON...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF LINCOLNTON...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  CONOVER...HICKORY AND NEWTON AROUND 920 PM EST
  ST. STEPHENS AND CLAREMONT AROUND 925 PM EST

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 3557 8152 3556 8123 3576 8108 3583 8118
      3578 8135

$$

BPM/VAD

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 Jan 13, 3:42 PM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 13, 3:42 PM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
342 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED...VALID AT 340 PM
EST. A QUICK UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED TO REMOVE HEADLINES FROM THE
ZONE FORECAST.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 207 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...
SW FLOW INCREASING AS H5 TROF DIGS OVER MS VALLEY INTO GULF AND
TRACKS E TOWARD AREA. DEEP MOISTURE APPROACHING FROM SW WILL BRING
RAIN...POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES. STRONG S WINDS WILL ENHANCE RAINFALL
OVER FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE S FACING MTN
ESCARPMENT. QPF LESS THAN 2 INCHES HOWEVER AND 6HR FFG IS 3-4IN SO
WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY WATCH. MODEL CAPE GETS UP TO 1100 AND HELICITY
NEAR 300 SW CWA BRIEFLY THIS EVE BUT FIZZLES QUICKLY AS UPPER SUPPORT
MOVES NE. VERY LITTLE THUNDER WITH THIS SYS AND CLOUD TOPS WARMING.
WILL KEEP CHANCE TSTMS UNTIL MIDNIGHT. WITH 50-60KT WINDS FORECAST AT
85H WILL KEEP WIND ADVISORY THROUGH MIDNIGHT FOR THE MOUNTAINS WITH A
LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE REST OF THE CWA. SYSTEM EXPECTED THROUGH
BY MID DAY FRI. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON COLD ADVECTION BEHIND FRONT
BUT TEMPS CONTINUE TO COOL WITH HIGHS 15-20 DEG COLDER SAT-SUN...LOWS
DIPPING INTO THE 20S BY SUN MORNING.

LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THAT MID-LEVEL TROF WILL
CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY AFTER THE WEEKEND. LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS SHOW
THAT REINFORCING SHOTS OF COLD AIR WILL ARRIVE MON MORNING AND
ANOTHER SHOT WED NIGHT. H85 TEMPS BEHIND THESE FRONTS DROP INTO THE
TEENS BELOW ZERO CELSIUS. ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN THE MAIN
FEATURE THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED PERIOD AND WILL ADVERTISE TEMPS
CLOSE TO THE BELOW NORMAL MEX AND HPC GUIDANCE. MOISTURE SUPPLY
LOOKS WEAK AHEAD OF THESE FRONTS AND WILL LIMIT PRECIP TO SCHC MTN
SN...WITH FLURRIES MENTIONED WED NIGHT ACROSS THE NC MTNS.

AVIATION...
SQUALL LINE AHEAD OF A STRONG FRONT WILL IMPACT THE TERMINALS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. BASED ON RUC AND MESOETA AND LATEST
SATELLITE TRENDS...WILL EXPECT THE DEEPER CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS TO
ARRIVE OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS BETWEEN 00-4Z FRI. UNTIL THEN A
STIFF AND GUSTY SW WINDS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. AS THE SHRA AND TS
MOVE ACROSS THE TERMINALS THERE IS A CHANCE THAT MOMENTUM FROM THE
LLVL JET COULD TRANSLATE TO THE SFC. OTHERWISE...MODERATE TO HEAVY
RAINFALL ALONG WITH LOW CEILINGS SHOULD RESULT IN MVFR AND IFR
CONDITIONS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH THE FRONT EXPECTED FROM 3-10Z.
NW WINDS WILL BUILD BEHIND THE FRONT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MTNS
TOMORROW...AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES. WILL ADVERTISE WINDY
CONDITIONS FOR KAVL FROM 12Z ON.

THE CONCERN FOR LLWS REMAINS UNTIL THE FRONT PASSES. WILL LEAVE OUT
OF THE TAFS FOR NOW AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. SUSPECT THAT THE
PEAK PERIOD FOR LLWS WILL ARRIVE AT 0Z WEST AND SPREAD TO KCLT BY
6-10Z.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES GAZ010-017 UNTIL 12 AM EST.
  ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES GAZ018-026-028-029 UNTIL 12 AM EST.
NC...WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065 UNTIL 12
     AM EST.
  ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES NCZ034-035-037-038-054>057-
     066>072-082 UNTIL 12 AM EST.
SC...WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES SCZ001>003 UNTIL 12 AM EST.
  ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES SCZ004>014-019 UNTIL 12 AM EST.
&&

SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...RB

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 13, 5:46 AM EST, 15 hours 21 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
546 AM EST THU JAN 13 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-141110-
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-
546 AM EST THU JAN 13 2005

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

.DAY ONE...

WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING IN ADVANCE OF AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT. IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR SUSTAINED WINDS
OF 25 TO 35 MPH. GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. REFER TO THE LATEST
NPWGSP FOR MORE INFORMATION. OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS...A LAKE WIND
ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15-25
MPH...AND POSSIBLE GUSTS TO 35 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...EXTREME
NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW STORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS TO 60 MPH.
REFER TO THE LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE
FOR DETAILS (CAESPSGSP).

A HEAVY RAIN THREAT ALSO EXISTS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...MUCH OF THE
SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE
LIKELY...WITH THE SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS RECEIVING
LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 3 INCHES. REFER TO THE SPS FOR DETAILS ON THIS
THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

LAMB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 13, 7:18 PM EST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
718 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

NCZ035>037-056-057-069-140200-
ALEXANDER NC-CATAWBA NC-DAVIE NC-IREDELL NC-LINCOLN NC-ROWAN NC-
718 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT...

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 40
MPH ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART OF THE
EVENING. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL REACH LINCOLNTON AND TAYLORSVILLE BY
730 PM...AND THEN THE AREA FROM LAKE NORMAN TO STATESVILLE AND UNION
GROVE BETWEEN 815 PM AND 845 PM. IF THE LINE HOLDS TOGETHER...IT WILL
EVENTUALLY REACH ROWAN AND DAVIE COUNTIES AFTER 9 PM.

THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAIN THAT WILL FALL AT
THE RATE OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH PER HOUR. THIS COULD CAUSE SOME
MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO
50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER CELLS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

MOORE

Special weather statement, Jan 13, 8:03 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
803 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

SCZ008-013-140130-
CHEROKEE SC-UNION SC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GAFFNEY...UNION
803 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

...SEVERE WEATHER THREAT INCREASING ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE
UPSTATE...

AT 8 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED TWO POTENTIALLY
TORNADIC THUNDERSTORMS...ONE OVER SPARTANBURG COUNTY NEAR PAULINE...
AND THE OTHER OVER THE NEWBERRY AND ABBEVILLE COUNTY LINE NEAR
JOANNA. THE FIRST STORM...WHICH PRODUCED A TORNADO EARLIER THIS
EVENING OVER LAURENS COUNTY...WILL MOVE INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY NEAR
COWPENS BY 715 PM...THEN TRACK ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE
COUNTY. THE SECOND STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY NEAR
WHITMIRE AT AROUND 715 PM...THEN TRACK ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PORTION
OF THE COUNTY.

PERSONS IN SOUTHEAST UNION AND NORTHWEST CHEROKEE COUNTIES SHOULD
MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS CLOSELY AND BE
PREPARED TO REACT IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED.

LANE

Local storm report, Jan 13, 8:05 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
805 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

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

0745 PM     TORNADO          5 N CROSS HILL          34.38N 81.98W
01/13/2005                   LAURENS            SC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            STRUCTUAL DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND GHOST
            CREEK RD...MEKOM BEACH RD...AND NEELY FERRY RD.

&&

KRENTZ

Local storm report, Jan 13, 8:14 PM EST, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
814 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

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

0755 PM     TORNADO          LAURENS                 34.50N 82.03W
01/13/2005                   LAURENS            SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            PART OF ROOF FROM LAURENS HIGH SCHOOL BLOWN OFF AND ONTO
            RAIDER ROAD.

&&

KRENTZ

Local storm report, Jan 13, 8:22 PM EST, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
822 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

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

0727 PM     TORNADO          1 NW LAURENS            34.51N 82.04W
01/13/2005                   LAURENS            SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            MOBILE HOME DESTROYED ON WELCOME CHURCH RD. TREES
            CRUSHING CARS.

&&

KRENTZ

Special weather statement, Jan 13, 8:31 PM EST, 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
831 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

SCZ009-014-140215-
CHESTER-YORK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHESTER...ROCK HILL
831 PM EST THU JAN 13 2005

...DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING THE EASTERN PIEDMONT...

AT 825 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POTENTIALLY
TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM ACROSS SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTH
CAROLINA. THIS DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
NORTHWEST TIP OF CHESTER COUNTY NEAR LOCKHART AT AROUND 835 PM. IT
WILL THEN MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST YORK COUNTY AT AROUND 840 PM...AND
AFFECT PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL YORK COUNTIES THROUGH ABOUT
915 PM.

SEVERAL TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED ACROSS THE UPSTATE THIS EVENING.
PERSONS IN LOCKHART...SHARON...YORK...CLOVER...AND SURROUNDING AREAS
SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS CLOSELY OVER
THE NEXT HOUR...AND BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY IF A TORNADO WARNING
IS ISSUED.

LANE

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 13, 8:27 PM EST	Tornado Warning	GSP	Cleveland	48 min
Jan 13, 9:00 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Lincoln	30 min
Jan 13, 9:29 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander	46 min
Jan 14, 12:46 AM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	44 min
Jan 14, 1:09 AM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Rowan	51 min

Nearby

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