Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 271, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 8, 2008Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 8, 2008, 4:59 PM EDT for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It was in force for 61 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 8, 2008, 4:59 PM EDT (20:59 UTC)
Expired: Jul 8, 2008, 6:00 PM EDT
In force: 61 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Mecklenburg County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 130 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:02 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 8, 5:26 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Charlotte, NC	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN AND AROUND CHARLOTTE

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 27 minutes after it went out.

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, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 134 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: 2216 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 755 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 22 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KGSP 082059
SVRGSP
NCC119-082200-
/O.NEW.KGSP.SV.W.0271.080708T2059Z-080708T2200Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
459 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 600 PM EDT

* AT 458 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 12
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...OR ABOUT 4 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF CAROWINDS...AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CAROWINDS BY 505 PM EDT...
  PINEVILLE BY 515 PM EDT...
  SOUTHPARK MALL BY 530 PM EDT...
  CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE BY 535 PM EDT...
  EASTLAND MALL BY 545 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. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AWAY FROM
WINDOWS AND DOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...OR FLOODING...THROUGH OUR
AUTOMATED REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER...
1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.

LAT...LON 3521 8054 3503 8077 3503 8080 3501 8085
      3510 8093 3509 8094 3508 8103 3514 8103
      3516 8101 3522 8100 3528 8067 3526 8065
TIME...MOT...LOC 2059Z 240DEG 18KT 3513 8101

$$
MCAVOY

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 Jul 8, 2:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 2:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
253 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
THE BERMUDA HIGH WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION INTO WEDNESDAY. A
WEAK COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY AND WILL
MOVE THROUGH ON THURSDAY. THE FRONT SHOULD SETTLE SOUTH OF THE AREA
THURSDAY NIGHT WHERE IT WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN THROUGH SATURDAY.
ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE DOWN FROM THE GREAT LAKES LATE IN
THE WEEKEND AND STALL OUT OVER OR REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
WILL BANK ON NMRS SHOWERS/TSTMS DEVELOPING OUT OF THE MTNS AND INTO
THE FTHLS/PIEDMONT INTO THIS EVENING AS THE 12 UTC NAM REMAINS
RATHER BULLISH WITH THE ACCOMPANYING INCREASE IN LLVL CONVERGENCE.
JUST LIKE WHAT WAS FIGURED AFTER THIS MORNING/S ANALYSIS...ISOLATED
PULSE SVR STORMS ARE PROBABLE...WITH LOCALLY HVY RAIN THREAT WITH
THE ABOVE NORMAL VALUES OF PWAT. CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT DEEP
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL BE COMPLETELY DISSIPATED OVERNIGHT...SO
WILL HANG ONTO THE INHERITED SLIGHT CHANCE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.
AN INCREASE IN LAYER RH AHEAD OF SUBTLE FRONTAL ZONE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO PROMOTE NUMEROUS TO SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS ONCE AGAIN WEDNESDAY.
FCST SNDGS LOOKING PRETTY SIMILAR TO TODAY...MOIST THROUGHOUT THE
COLUMN WITH ONLY ABOUT 10-15 KTS OF STEERING FLOW.

&&

.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 245 PM TUESDAY...A BROAD AND FLAT UPPER TROUGH WILL PERSIST
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE SHORT RANGE. SLIGHT BACKING OF
THE LOW LEVEL FLOW IS INDICATED AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE AREA WILL ALSO INCREASINGLY COME UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OF THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE UPPER JET THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE OHIO
VALLEY EARLY IN THE PERIOD BEFORE STALLING NEAR THE NRN TIER OF THE
FORECAST AREA THU. THIS WILL ALLOW DEEPER MOISTURE TO POOL ACROSS
THE NRN HALF OF THE REGION THU AFTN...WHILE INSTABILITY WILL BE
GREATEST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER...AS THE UPPER SUPPORT ARRIVES
LATE IN THE DAY. WILL THUS FEATURE POPS IN THE HEALTHY CHANCE RANGE.

THE SURFACE PATTERN BECOMES WEAK AS THE FRONT WASHES OUT THROUGH
FRIDAY...BUT SOME DEGREE OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND MOISTURE WILL
PERSIST TO CREATE SCATTERED COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 245 PM TUESDAY...THE EASTERN TROUGH WILL REINFORCE SLIGHTLY
OVER THE WEEKEND AS A STRONG UPPER LOW MOVES EAST FROM ONTARIO
THROUGH QUEBEC AND DIGS A TROUGH AXIS SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE GREAT
LAKES. DIURNAL SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL AFFECT MAINLY THE
MOUNTAINS IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE WEEKEND.

A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA FROM THE
NORTHWEST MONDAY AND STALL ACROSS THE REGION ON TUESDAY. SOME DEGREE
OF MODERATE RECOVERY OF HEIGHTS ALOFT IS EXPECTED...BUT WITH
CONTINUED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THE LOCATION OF THE BEST CONVECTION
MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTERNOON WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON WHERE THE COLD
FRONT STALLS...BUT SOLID CHANCE POPS WILL BE NEEDED THROUGHOUT.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
DEEP CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACRS THE MTNS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL
BE EXPANDING IN CVRG ACRS THE FA THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND INTO
EARLY EVENING. EXPECTED SCATTERED NATURE OF STORMS WILL LIMIT
CONFIDENCE OF OCCURRENCE AT ANY SPECIFIC TERMINAL TO JUST A VCTS
FOR NOW. EXPECTED DIURNAL NATURE OF STORMS SHOULD ALLOW ACTIVITY TO
DIMINISH LATE IN THE EVENING. 12 UTC MOS GUIDANCE LIMITS ANY EARLY
MORNING MVFR RESTRICTIONS TO JUST KAVL AND BASED ON PERSISTENCE WILL
CONTINUE TO LEAVE OUT ANY MENTION FOR THE TIME BEING.

OUTLOOK...LITTLE OVERALL CHANGE THRU SATURDAY...AS SFC RIDGE REMAINS
OFFSHORE BRINGING MOISTURE UP OVER OUR REGION. EXPECT MAINLY DIURNAL
CONVECTION WITH ASSOC HAZARDS.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...DEO
NEAR TERM...CSH
SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM...HG
AVIATION...CSH

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 8, 3:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
332 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-091945-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-
IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-
ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-
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-CHEROKEE-YORK-
ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
332 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST ACROSS THE
WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL
CONTINUE...PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HAIL TO
THE SIZE OF NICKELS...AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. THE GREATEST RISK
OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS WILL BE OVER PIEDMONT
SECTIONS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING PENNY SIZED HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO RELAY ANY REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

HG

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 8, 3:46 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
346 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

NCZ033-501-082045-
AVERY-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
346 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL AVERY AND NORTHWESTERN
CALDWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT...

AT 344 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR NEWLAND...MOVING EAST AT 19 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  GLOBE BY 415 PM EDT.

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

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 8, 3:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
358 PM EDT TUE JUL 08 2008

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

0355 PM     HAIL             5 NNW ANDERSON          34.59N 82.68W
07/08/2008  E0.75 INCH       ANDERSON           SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PENNY HAIL REPORTED

&&

JPT

Local storm report, Jul 8, 4:07 PM EDT, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
407 PM EDT TUE JUL 08 2008

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

0352 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SHELBY                  35.29N 81.54W
07/08/2008                   CLEVELAND          NC   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOWN ON ROYSTER AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN SHELBY

&&

AKIMBALL

Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:25 PM EDT, 34 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
425 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

NCZ051-052-059-082130-
HAYWOOD-NORTHERN JACKSON-SWAIN-
425 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN SWAIN...NORTHWESTERN
JACKSON AND WESTERN HAYWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT...

AT 418 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SMOKEMONT...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF BRYSON
CITY...MOVING EAST AT 9 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MAGGIE VALLEY BY 530 PM EDT.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

KRENTZ

Local storm report, Jul 8, 4:28 PM EDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
428 PM EDT TUE JUL 08 2008

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

0400 PM     HAIL             2 N ANDERSON            34.55N 82.65W
07/08/2008  E0.75 INCH       ANDERSON           SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PENNY HAIL REPORTED

&&

JPT

Local storm report, Jul 8, 4:45 PM EDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
445 PM EDT TUE JUL 08 2008

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

0414 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 W ANDERSON            34.52N 82.70W
07/08/2008                   ANDERSON           SC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY REPORTS SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE TO A HOME AT 1011
            HIGHWAY 187 SOUTH. ROOF BLOWN OFF HOME...CAR LIFTED BY
            WIND...AND BARN BLOW 500 FEET FROM HOUSE.

0312 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 SW MARION             35.64N 82.06W
07/08/2008                   MCDOWELL           NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTS LARGE OAK TREE BLOWN DOWN BLOCKING ZION
            HILL ROAD.

&&

HG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 7, 8:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Henderson, Polk	60 min
Jul 7, 8:12 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GSP	Henderson	93 min
Jul 8, 12:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Henderson, Transylvania	59 min
Jul 8, 12:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Haywood	29 min
Jul 8, 1:43 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GSP	Henderson	92 min
Jul 8, 2:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell	49 min
Jul 8, 3:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Rutherford	49 min
Jul 8, 4:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba, Gaston, Lincoln	67 min
Jul 8, 4:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	55 min
Jul 8, 4:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg	67 min
Jul 8, 5:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Davie, Rowan	54 min
Jul 8, 5:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Union	80 min
Jul 8, 5:59 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GSP	Union	2 hr
Jul 8, 5:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Rowan	25 min
Jul 8, 6:13 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 8, 6:27 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GSP	Cabarrus	2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.