Alert archive / Georgia / Red Flag Warnings in 2008

Red Flag Warning 15, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 6, 20086 counties in Georgia

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this red flag warning at May 6, 2008, 3:19 AM EDT for 6 counties in Georgia. It took effect at May 6, 2008, 10:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 10 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 6, 2008, 3:19 AM EDT (07:19 UTC)
In effect from
May 6, 2008, 10:00 AM EDT
Expired
May 6, 2008, 8:19 PM EDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

Counties Elbert County, GA, Franklin County, GA, Habersham County, GA, Hart County, GA, Rabun County, GA, Stephens County, GA

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:20 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 nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 172 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 00:00Z on 2008-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2008-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 13 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3078 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
29 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 
WWUS82 KGSP 060719
RFWGSP

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
319 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-061530-
/O.NEW.KGSP.FW.W.0015.080506T1400Z-080507T0000Z/
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-
319 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING
TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

A DRY AIRMASS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BEHIND A COLD FRONT TODAY.
BY THIS AFTERNOON...HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL TO
BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT OVER MUCH OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS
COMBINED WITH LOW FUEL MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN HEIGHTENED FIRE
DANGER BEGINNING LATE THIS MORNING AND LASTING UNTIL SUNSET.
ON A POSITIVE NOTE...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME NEARLY CALM
THIS AFTERNOON.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
MCAVOY
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS82 KGSP 062004
RFWGSP

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
404 PM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-070100-
/O.EXT.KGSP.FW.W.0015.000000T0000Z-080507T0100Z/
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-
404 PM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS
EVENING. 

WINDS ARE LIGHT BUT RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN BELOW 25 PERCENT OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH EARLY
EVENING. WITH FUEL MOISTURE BELOW 10 PERCENT THE HIGH FIRE DANGER
WILL CONTINUE UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
000 
WWUS82 KGSP 070019
RFWGSP

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
819 PM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-070130-
/O.CAN.KGSP.FW.W.0015.000000T0000Z-080507T0100Z/
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-
819 PM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS
CANCELLED THE RED FLAG WARNING. 

RELATIVE HUMIDITY HAS RISEN ABOVE 25 PERCENT SO THE WARNING IS
CANCELLED.

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this red flag 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 red flag warning went out at May 6, 2:20 AM EDT, 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 2:20 AM EDT, 59 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
220 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION TODAY. THE HIGH WILL MOVE
OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A VIGOROUS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK
JUST NORTH OF THE REGION ON THURSDAY NIGHT. A COLD FRONT TRAILING
THE LOW WILL BECOME STATIONARY OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS THROUGH
THE WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING WITH IT A
MUCH DRIER AIRMASS. SKIES SHOULD BE SUNNY IN THE EARLY GOING.
HOWEVER...GFS CROSS SECTIONS SHOW A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF HIGH
LEVEL MOISTURE STREAMING ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON
HOURS. I/LL STILL KEEP SKIES MOSTLY SUNNY...BUT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS
FOR QUITE A BIT MORE IN THE WAY OF HIGH LEVEL OPAQUE CLOUD COVER
THAN WHAT I NOW HAVE IN THE GRIDS.

&&

.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 130 AM TUESDAY...DESPITE RETURN FLOW INCREASING DWPTS AND
DEVELOPING INTO A WEAKLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE...WILL CONTINUE TO
BANK ON SE CONUS UPPER RIDGING TO SUPPRESS ANY DEEP CONVECTIVE
THREAT ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF DEVELOPING
UPPER DIFFLUENT FLOW DOWNSTREAM OF APPROACHING S/WV...MOISTENING
DEEP RETURN FLOW AND THEN POTENTIAL FOR VORT ENERGY TO EJECT NE
FROM SAID S/WV COULD STILL PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW
SHOWERS OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING. 06/00 UTC SHORT RANGE
MODEL MASS FIELDS IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN INCREASING LARGE SCALE
FORCING AND DEEP MOISTURE...ESPECIALLY ACRS THE MTNS THU AFTERNOON
AND INHERITED ROBUST POPS WILL REMAIN. FCST SNDGS YIELD A
POTENTIALLY MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS DEVELOPING EAST OF THE MTNS
IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FAVORABLE WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS WITHIN
A MODERATELY SHEARED ENVIRONMENT COULD SUPPORT SVR MULTICELL
DEVELOPMENT.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 130 AM TUESDAY...06/00 UTC OP NAM/GFS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT
AT F84...ADVERTISING THAT DEEP MOISTURE BAND WILL BE MOVING EAST
OF THE CWFA FRIDAY MORNING. DESPITE LIKELIHOOD THAT SFC FRONT WILL
LAY OVER NEAR OR THRU THE CWFA AS IT BECOMES PARALLEL TO UPPER
FLOW...A PERIOD OF DRYING AND DWM IS PROBABLE BEHIND WAVE WHICH
SHOULD RESULT IN RATHER QUIET WX CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY. STILL
EXPECTING FRONT TO REACTIVATE ON SATURDAY AS LLVL UPGLIDE FLOW
DEVELOPS WITH UNSETTLED CONDITIONS CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY AS SHARPER
COLD FRONT WITH MODERATE UPPER SUPPORT SWINGS ACROSS. IF FASTER
OP GFS TIMING WORKS OUT...DEEP LAYER DRYING WOULD ALREADY BE
OVERSPREADING THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT...SETTING THE STAGE FOR
A DRY MONDAY.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
A CONSIDERABLY DRIER AIRMASS WILL FILTER INTO THE REGION THIS
MORNING. PRIOR TO ABOUT 0900 UTC...HOWEVER...LLVL RH PROFILES WILL
SUPPORT A LITTLE FOG AT KCLT. I KEPT THE VSBY JUST SHY OF MVFR...BUT
THE VSBY MAY DROP TO 4 OT 5 MILES FOR A COUPLE HOURS EARLY ON.
OTHERWISE...A FAIR DAY WITH GENERALLY NORTHERLY WINDS. LATE IN THE
AFTERNOON WINDS WILL BEGIN TO TURN OUT OF THE SOUTH...BUT THEY MAY
JUST GO CALM.

OUTLOOK... HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS
THROUGH THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AS THE HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT IFR OR MVFR
CLOUDS WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND POSSIBLY SOME FOG. REDUCED CIGS
AND VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE IN THURSDAY AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF APPROACHING FRONT. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER
THE REGION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY RESULTING IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS AND MORNING RESTRICTIONS IN FOG AND POSSIBLE LOW
CLOUDS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
WHILE I STILL NEED TO FINISH COLLABORATING WITH THE ATLANTA FORECAST
OFFICE...THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT A RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE
NEEDED OVER NE GA TODAY. RH/S SHOULD FALL INTO THE LOW 20S THIS
AFTERNOON FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS...AND 10 HR FUEL MOISTURE WAS RUNNING 8
TO 10 PERCENT YDAY. RH/S WILL ALSO BE LOW ACROSS THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS. MODEL SOUNDINGS IMPLY THAT VERY DRY AIR COULD MIX DOWN
INTO THE MOUNTAINS. IF THIS HAPPENS...RH/S WOULD BE DRIVEN INTO THE
TEENS BOTH IN THE VALLEYS AND AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE NC MTNS. I
DON/T QUITE HAVE THIS IN THE GRIDS...BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL
NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY. FORTUNATELY WINDS WILL BE VERY LIGHT
THIS AFTERNOON.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...MCAVOY
NEAR TERM...MCAVOY
SHORT TERM...CSH
LONG TERM...CSH
AVIATION...MCAVOY
FIRE WEATHER...MCAVOY
Hazardous weather outlook, May 5, 9:14 PM EDT, 6 hours 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
914 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510-
SCZ001>007-010>013-019-070115-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-
GREENWOOD-
914 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ008-009-014-070115-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-
MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CHEROKEE-YORK-CHESTER-
914 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH
CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF UPSTATE
SOUTH CAROLINA...AND THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 5, 9:38 PM EDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
938 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008

SCZ014-060245-
CHESTER-
938 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY THROUGH
1045 PM EDT...

AT 936 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTH OF BLACKSTOCK...OR 6 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHESTER...MOVING SOUTH AT 17 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
 CORNWELL BY 945 PM.
 BLACKSTOCK BY 955 PM EDT.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

KRENTZ

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Georgia, 2008Every red flag warning in 2008

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.