Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 2008, 11:41 PM EDT for 5 counties in South 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
- May 9, 2008, 11:41 PM EDT (03:41 UTC)
- Expired
- May 10, 2008, 12:19 AM EDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Cherokee County, SC, Chester County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC, Union County, SC, York County, SC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 8:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 4 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 199 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 530 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -27 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1660 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 34 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 55 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 123 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 1.6
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 May 9, 10:47 PM EDT, 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 9, 10:47 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1047 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 .SYNOPSIS... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL TEMPORARILY PUSH A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTH OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY...BEFORE RETURNING NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON SUNDAY. DRY NORTHWEST FLOW WILL THEN FOLLOW FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN SWIFT ZONAL FLOW ALOFT CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH THE FRONTAL ZONE ACROSS THE REGION TO PRODUCE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG LAPSE RATES AND COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT ARE SUPPORTING LARGE HAIL GROWTH AND ISOLATED DAMAGING DOWNBURSTS. THE DECENT FORCING SHOULD ALLOW THE CONVECTION TO SURVIVE EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...AND THE EXISTING SVR TSTM WATCH WILL BE MAINTAINED THROUGH 1 AM. WITH THIS UPDATE...TEMPERATURES WILL BE ADJUSTED UP FOR OVERNIGHT MINS GIVEN ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND INCREASING CLOUDS. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE SHOULD DWINDLE TO ISOLATED THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. SATURDAY...WEAK BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO QUICKLY PUSH SOUTHEAST OF THE CWA BY MID DAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON...SUPPLYING NW WINDS WITH MARGINAL GUSTS. NAM AND GFS INDICATE THAT THE FRONT WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF THE CWA THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. HOWEVER...THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO LIFT NORTHWARD LATE SAT AFTERNOON AND EVENING...POSSIBLY ALLOWING CAPE TO BUILD ACROSS ELBERT AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES. I WILL KEEP MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA DRY WITH A SCHC ACROSS THE AREA OF HIGHER CAPE. OTHERWISE...HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD THE MID 70S IN THE MTN VALLEYS AND MID TO UPPER 80S EAST OF THE MTNS. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 215 PM FRIDAY...SAT NIGHT WILL BEGIN RATHER TRANQUIL WITH HIGH PRESSURE RIDGED S OVER THE AREA AND A FRONTAL BOUNDARY STATIONARY FROM SOUTHERN SC INTO CENTRAL GA. HOWEVER...THAT WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS A SHORT WAVE APPROACHES FROM THE W AND ISENTROPIC LIFT/STRONG MOISTURE FLUX COMMENCES LATE SAT NIGHT. 12Z NAM/GFS BOTH RESPOND TO THIS FORCING BY RAPIDLY DEVELOPING PRECIP FROM W TO E OVER THE FORECAST AREA LATE SAT NIGHT INTO EARLY SUN. THIS EARLY ONSET OF PRECIP ALLOWS FOR A WEDGE TO DEVELOP EARLY ON SUN AND MODELS MAINTAIN IT ESSENTIALLY UNTIL THE COLD FRONT ARRIVES LATE IN THE DAY TO SCOUR IT OUT. THEREFORE...EXPECT A COOL/RAINY DAY ON SUN OVER MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. INSTABILITY LOOKS MEAGER ON SUN DUE TO WEDGE AND TRIPLE POINT SURFACE LOW PASSING TO THE S. WILL FORECAST RAIN...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDER IN THE AFTERNOON AS COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. MODELS INDICATE THAT PRECIP SHOULD GENERALLY MOVE E OF THE AREA BY 00Z MON. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN THE MOUINTAINS WHERE A RATHER EXTENDED PERIOD OF MOIST/UPSLOPE IS FORECAST. HENCE...WILL MAINTAIN CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE USUAL AREAS FOR UPSLOPE PRECIP. UPSLOPE SHOWERS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MON. ELSEWHERE...A COOL NW FLOW WILL AFFECT THE AREA WITH BREEZING CONDITIONS ON MON. HOWEVER...EVEN WITH DOWNSLOPE WARMING MAX TEMPS WILL BE BELOW AVERAGE. STAYED CLOSE TO THE MAV MAX/MIN TEMP GUIDANCE. GUIDANCE POPS REASONABLE AS WELL. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 250 PM FRIDAY...STAYED CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE WHICH TRENDED TOWARD A MORE ECWMF SOLUTION. EXPECT DRY WEATHER TUE INTO WED AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE REGION. ON WED...THE HIGH SHIFTS E ALLOWING FOR A RETURN FLOW OF GULF MOISTURE ON WED. UPSLOPE FLOW AND INCREASING INSTABILITY SUPPORTS A MENTION OF A CHANCE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE THREAT FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WED NIGHT AND INTO THU AS COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. A DRY PERIOD BEHIND THE FRONT IS EXPECTED THU NIGHT INTO FRI BEFORE A SECONDARY FRONT APPROACHES AND POSSIBLY SPREADS SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS LATE FRI. && .AVIATION /03Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... SHORTWAVES MOVING INTO TERMINAL FORECAST AREA ALONG EAST TO WEST ORIENTED FRONTAL ZONE HAVE GIVEN RISE TO FAIRLY WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN CONVECTION. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY AS IT COULD SPREAD EAST OF THE HIGH TERRAIN TO KGSP AND KGMU OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. GENEARLLY VFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED...BUT MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE HINTING AT SOME MVFR DEVELOPMENT TOWARD DAYBREAK. SFC TO 850 MB MOISTURE WILL REMAIN POOLED ACROSS THE REGION TOMORROW ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY DRAPED THROUGH THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THIS WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED TO BROKEN CONVECTIVE CUMULUS...BUT KEEP ANY CEILINGS AT VFR LEVELS. OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO SAT NIGHT...WITH SOME SOME MVFR CLOUDS POSSIBLY DEVELOPING EARLY SUN MORNING. ANOTHER ROUND OF SCT SHWRS/TSTMS AND CIG/VSBY RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED SUN TO SUN NIGHT. LOOK FOR DRY WEATHER AND VFR CONDITIONS TO RETURN MON TO WED. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PAT NEAR TERM...HG SHORT TERM...LG LONG TERM...LG AVIATION...HG
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 9:09 PM EDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 909 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510-SCZ002- 003-005>009-013-014-110115- 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- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-UNION SC-CHESTER- 909 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 290 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EDT SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY...BRINGING NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. SOME SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001-004-010>012-019-110115- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- GREATER OCONEE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-GREENWOOD- 909 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY...BRINGING NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. SOME SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 9, 6:17 PM EDT, 5 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 617 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 NCZ036-056-069-071-092245- CATAWBA-IREDELL-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG- 617 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN LINCOLN...NORTHERN MECKLENBURG...SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA AND SOUTHERN IREDELL COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT... AT 613 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MAIDEN...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF LINCOLNTON...MOVING EAST AT 26 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE NORMAN...TERRELL...MOORESVILLE...MAIDEN...LOWESVILLE... LINCOLNTON...HUNTERSVILLE...DENVER...DAVIDSON...CORNELIUS AND BOGER CITY. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. ARK
Local storm report, May 9, 6:48 PM EDT, 4 hours 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
648 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM HAIL DENVER 35.53N 81.03W
05/09/2008 E0.88 INCH LINCOLN NC PUBLIC
&&
BSHLocal storm report, May 9, 7:55 PM EDT, 3 hours 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
755 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0725 PM HAIL 5 SW CONCORD 35.36N 80.66W
05/09/2008 E1.00 INCH CABARRUS NC TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED ABUNDANT PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE
HAIL WITH SOME QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
&&
HGSpecial weather statement, May 9, 8:32 PM EDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 832 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 NCZ069-071-072-100100- CABARRUS-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG- 832 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CABARRUS...NORTHERN MECKLENBURG AND SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 900 PM EDT... AT 831 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF HUNTERSVILLE...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF UNC CHARLOTTE...MOVING EAST AT 31 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LOWES MOTOR SPEEDWAY...UNC CHARLOTTE...KANNAPOLIS...HUNTERSVILLE... HARRISBURG...DAVIDSON...CROFT...CORNELIUS AND CONCORD. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. ARK
Local storm report, May 9, 10:34 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1034 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1032 PM HAIL BREVARD 35.24N 82.73W
05/09/2008 E0.75 INCH TRANSYLVANIA NC TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTS 3/4 INCH HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...AND
GUSTY WINDS.
0943 PM HAIL WAYNESVILLE 35.48N 83.00W
05/09/2008 E0.50 INCH HAYWOOD NC PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS 1/2 INCH HAIL.
&&
HGLocal storm report, May 9, 11:01 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1101 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 PM HAIL 4 S BREVARD 35.18N 82.73W
05/09/2008 E1.75 INCH TRANSYLVANIA NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
SEVERAL POWER LINES DOWN AND DEBRIS IN THE ROAD.
&&
AKIMBALLThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 9:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Swain | 82 min |
| May 9, 10:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Transylvania | 62 min |
| May 10, 3:57 PM EDT | High Wind Watch | GSP | Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Graham, Haywood and 11 more | 12 hr |
| May 9, 10:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenville, Laurens, Pickens, Spartanburg | 71 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.