Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 20, 2008Cabarrus County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 2008, 1:16 PM EDT for Cabarrus County, North Carolina. It was in force for 29 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
Apr 20, 2008, 1:16 PM EDT (17:16 UTC)
Expired
Apr 20, 2008, 1:45 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Cabarrus County, NC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 159 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:17 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 20, 1:24 PM EDTHAIL 0.753 Se Mount Pleasant, NCA PUBLIC REPORT OF HAIL UP TO THREE QUARTER INCH IN DIAMETER NEARLY COVERING THE GROUND ON PICKENS ROAD NEAR THE STANLY COUNTY BORDER.

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

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, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 103 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 2008-04-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2008-04-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -75 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
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-108 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1230 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-75 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
49 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 
WUUS52 KGSP 201716
SVRGSP
NCC025-201815-
/O.NEW.KGSP.SV.W.0049.080420T1716Z-080420T1815Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
116 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN CABARRUS COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 215 PM EDT

* AT 115 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES EAST OF CONCORD...AND WAS MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MOUNT PLEASANT THROUGH 125 PM.

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 3518 8050 3519 8051 3519 8052 3524 8059
      3550 8044 3549 8031
TIME...MOT...LOC 1716Z 221DEG 13KT 3536 8042

$$
MCAVOY
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KGSP 201745
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
145 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

NCC025-201755-
/O.CAN.KGSP.SV.W.0049.000000T0000Z-080420T1815Z/
CABARRUS NC-
145 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN CABARRUS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

SEVERE STORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3518 8050 3519 8051 3519 8052 3524 8059
      3550 8044 3549 8031
TIME...MOT...LOC 1745Z 221DEG 13KT 3544 8034

$$
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 Apr 20, 12:47 PM EDT, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 12:47 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1247 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST AWAY FROM THE AREA TODAY. AN UPPER
LEVEL AND SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
TODAY...THEN SOUTHEAST INTO THE ATLANTIC BY MONDAY NIGHT. HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH ON TUESDAY AND
REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO WOBBLE SE INTO NC TODAY...THE COMBINATION
OF IMPULSES ROTATING AROUND LOW AND STEEPER LAPSE RATES THANKS TO
HEATING AND COOLING MID-LVL TEMPS...WILL PROMOTE ADDITIONAL SHOWER
DEVELOPMENT. ISOLATED TSTMS COULD ALSO BE SEEN ACRS THE NORTHERN
THIRD OF THE CWFA WHERE THE COOLEST MID-LVL TEMPS WILL ROTATE ACRS.
VERY LOW WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS COULD AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HAIL
PRODUCING TSTMS AS WELL. OTHERWISE...JUST TWEAKS EXPECTED TO MADE TO
GOING SKY AND TEMP GRIDS FOR THIS AFTERNOON.  TEMPERATURES WILL BE
NEAR NORMAL TONIGHT WITHOUT CLOUD COVER TO HOLD THEM UP...AND WEAK
COLD ADVECTION OFFSET BY WEAK DOWNSLOPE FLOW.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 2 AM SUNDAY...MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE TRACK
OF THE UPPER LOW. THE LOW MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL NC
MONDAY...THEN INTO THE ATLANTIC MONDAY NIGHT. THE NAM IS A LITTLE
SLOWER THAN THE GFS THOUGH. BOTH MODELS MOVE THE ASSOCIATED SFC LOW
TO NEAR THE COASTAL NC/SC BORDER BY LATE MONDAY...THEN INTO THE
ATLANTIC MONDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE WRAPS AROUND THE THE LOW INTO THE
NORTHERN AND EASTERN CWFA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THIS LEADS TO
INCREASING PRECIP CHANCES MONDAY. CHANCE DECREASES AFTER MIDNIGHT
MONDAY NIGHT. BEST PRECIP CHC WILL BE MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF A
MORGANTON...HICKORY...STATESVILLE TO CONCORD LINE. SLIGHT CHC POP
ALMOST MAKES IT TO I-26 MONDAY EVENING. TEMPS LOOK TO BE COOLER THAN
PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH THE CLOUDS...PRECIP AND NORTHEASTERLY FLOW.
STILL...LAPSE RATES WILL BE STEEP ENUF FOR SOME MINIMAL
INSTABILITY...SO WILL ADD THUNDER WORDING FOR THE AFT/EVE. LOWS
MONDAY NIGHT AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.

AS LOW PULLS AWAY FROM THE AREA TUESDAY...MOISTURE CONTINUES TO WRAP
INTO THE AREA ON NORTHEASTERLY FLOW. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING INTO THE
AREA FROM THE NORTH STRENGTHENS AS WELL. MODELS CANNOT QUITE AGREE
ON TIMING FOR LIFT AND PRECIP...SO USED MODEL BLEND. THIS PRODUCES
SLIGHT CHC POP ACROSS THE I-40 AND I-77 CORRIDORS...WITH SOME
UPSLOPE PRECIP DEVELOPING ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE TO THE NC/SC BORDER.
WILL KEEP THUNDER OUT FOR NOW...ALTHOUGH FCST SOUNDINGS DO SHOW SOME
STEEP LAPSE RATES REMAINING. HIGHS COOL FROM MONDAY OVER THE NC
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AND EASTERN UPSTATE. RIGHT NOW...HAVE HIGHS
RISING SLIGHTLY OVER THE WESTERN UPSTATE...NE GA AND NC MTNS.

MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT BUT DECREASES AS THE
LOW CONTINUES TO PULL AWAY AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT WEAKENS. MOISTURE
ALONG THE FRONT TO THE WEST IS SLOWER THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST IN
ARRIVING. WILL REMOVE POP. LOWS REMAIN QUITE MILD ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 330 AM SUNDAY...MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST STARTS OUT WITH A FLAT
UPPER RIDGE OVER THE AREA AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO SLOWLY MOVE
EAST AWAY FROM THE AREA. SHORT WAVE PASSES NORTH OF THE AREA
WEDNESDAY...THEN UPPER RIDGE STRENGTHENS THROUGH THURSDAY AS THE
RIDGE AXIS MOVES OVER THE AREA. THEN SHORT WAVES MOVE INTO THE AREA
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS THE RIDGE AXIS SLOWLY MOVES EAST. AT THE
SURFACE...A WEAK COLD FRONT PASSES TO OUR NORTH WEDNESDAY THEN SFC
HIGH BUILDS BACK INTO THE AREA FOR THURSDAY. THE HIGH SLOWLY MOVES
EASTWARD FRIDAY WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE AREA SATURDAY.
ECMWF IS A LITTLE STRONGER WITH THE RIDGING...KEEPING MOISTURE AND
INSTABILITY TO OUR WEST WHILE THE GFS ALLOWS MORE MOISTURE AND
INSTABILITY INTO THE AREA. HAVE TRENDED TOWARD THE GFS ENSEMBLE FOR
POPS. THIS MEANS DIURNAL SLIGHT CHC POP FOR THE NC MTNS WED AND THU.
THEN CHC MTN POP FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH SLIGHT CHC ELSEWHERE.
HIGHS AND LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH
THE PERIOD.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
DEEP CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL LINGER AROUND KCLT THROUGH MID OR LATE
AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...VFR LVL CU WILL BE SEEN ELSEWHERE ACRS THE
TERMINAL LOCATIONS. DRIER LLVL AIR SPREADING INTO THE NC PIEDMONT
WILL CAUSE SHOWERS/TSTMS TO DIMINISH BEFORE EARLY EVENING AND
ELSEWHERE...DIMINISHING HTG TOWARD SUNSET WILL CAUSE SHALLOW
CONVECTIVE CLOUDS TO DIMINISH AS WELL. VFR CONDITIONS ARE THEN
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO MONDAY MORNING.

OUTLOOK...SHOWER CHANCES WILL LINGER ACRS WESTERN NC MONDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH DRY CONDS ACRS THE FA ON TUESDAY. A CHANCE OF
AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND TSTMS...MAINLY ACRS THE NC MTNS...WILL
BE SEEN BOTH WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...RWH
NEAR TERM...CSH/JAT
SHORT TERM...RWH
LONG TERM...RWH
AVIATION...CSH
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 20, 12:04 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1204 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508-510-SCZ008-009-211615-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-
MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-CHEROKEE-YORK-
1204 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEEN THIS AFTERNOON.
SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AND
FOOTHILLS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS
FROM 30 TO 40 MPH ARE THE MAIN THREATS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-
505-507-509-SCZ001>007-010>014-019-211615-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
POLK MOUNTAINS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-
CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
1204 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

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, Apr 20, 1:05 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
105 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

NCZ071-072-082-201800-
CABARRUS-MECKLENBURG-UNION-
105 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN MECKLENBURG...NORTHERN
UNION AND SOUTHERN CABARRUS COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EDT...

AT 102 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST NORTH OF MINT HILL...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF UNC CHARLOTTE...MOVING EAST AT 6 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MIDLAND BY 135 PM EDT.

MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 19, 8:15 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCleveland, Lincoln45 min
Apr 19, 8:37 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCleveland24 min
Apr 19, 8:49 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPGaston11 min
Apr 19, 8:52 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCatawba38 min
Apr 19, 8:58 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPLincoln47 min
Apr 19, 9:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPIredell56 min
Apr 19, 9:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie, Rowan59 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2008Every 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.