Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 95, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2008, 6:49 PM EDT for Greenwood County, South Carolina. It was in force for 56 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 20, 2008, 6:49 PM EDT (22:49 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 2008, 7:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
County Greenwood County, SC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:51 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 20, 2:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 236 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
- 572 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -199 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 979 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 225 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 251 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.3
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 20, 2:19 PM EDT, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:19 PM EDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
219 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION BY LATE EVENING. THE
FRONT WILL STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA FOR MID TO LATE WEEK. DRY
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH OVER THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH
MONDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE SE ACROSS FCST AREA THRU THIS EVE. SFC
BASED CAPE OF 1000 TO 1500 J/KG EXPECTED ALONG AND SE OF MTNS WITH
GOOD SHEAR TO SUPPORT STRONG TSTMS LATE THIS AFTN INTO THIS EVE.
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE GREATEST THREAT. LAKE WIND
ADVISORY ALSO CONTINUES THIS AFTN WITH ISOLD GUSTS TO 35 MPH
EXPECTED. FRONTAL ZONE SHOULD CLEAR THE S ZONES AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH
DRYING SWEEPING ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. A WEAK
VORT LOBE WILL CROSS THE NC MTNS LATE TONIGHT AND LINGERING MOISTURE
IN NW FLOW SHOULD KEEP ISOLATED TO SCT SHOWERS GOING NEAR THE TN
BORDER INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. LOOK FOR CLEARING SKIES DURG
DAY WED WITH WINDS INCREASING TO 10-15 MPH FROM THE NW BY LATE
MORNING. HIGHS WILL WARM TO NEAR 80 ACROSS THE S WITH MID 70S N.
TEMPS WILL BE ABOUT 5 TO 10 DEG COOLER IN THE MTNS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 200 PM TUE...BLOCKING PATTERN SETTING UP DURING THIS TIME
FRAME WITH DEEP UPPER LOWS OVER THE WESTERN AND EASTERN U.S.
SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE MODELS ARE CONSISTENT IN DEVELOPING A HIGH
AMPLITUDE RIDGE OVER THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY. THIS UPPER AIR
CONFIGURATION WILL KEEP THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND THE CAROLINAS
IN NW FLOW. NORMALLY YOU WOULD EXPECT NO MAJOR COMPLICATIONS IN A NW
FLOW REGIME OTHER THEN PERHAPS SOME PASSING CONVECTION...BUT COMPLICATIONS
ARISE TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK AS SPOKES OF VORTICITY FROM LARGE
UPPER LOW AND WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT ENTER THE PICTURE. WED NIGHT
SHOULD BEGIN UNEVENTFUL ENOUGH AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER
THE REGION KEEPING SKIES GENERALLY CLEAR WITH SEASONABLY COOL
TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER...BOTH THE NAM AND GFS DEVELOP A MCS TO THE W
OVER MO ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE UPPER RIDGE WHICH MOVES SE.
CLOUDS SHOULD INCREASE LATE WED NIGHT OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH
CLOUDS INCREASING OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA ON THU.
HOWEVER...ANY SHOWERS THAT MAKE IT THIS FAR ARE EXPECTED TO BE
CONFINED TO THE SW MOUNTAINS ON THU. WILL ALLOW FOR THAT WITH LOW
CHANCE POPS FOR NOW. THU NIGHT CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE PLENTIFUL
AND CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT SOME LIGHT SHOWERS OVER THE WESTERN
HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA IN AREA OF WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE OLD
FRONTAL BOUNDARY. IN FACT NAM IS RATHER BULLISH AT DEVELOPING
SHOWERS...BUT WILL USE A COMPROMISE WITH THE GFS WHICH MAINTAINS
THE LOW CHANCE POPS OVER WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA.
MODELS HINT AT A WEAK WAVE ON THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING BY ON
FRI SO WILL CONTINUE POPS ON FRI WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OVER
WESTERN AREAS. CHANCES FOR PRECIP EXPECTED TO DIMINISH FRI NIGHT
AS WAVE MOVES OFF TO THE EAST AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO
RIDGE OVER THE AREA FROM THE N. USED A BLEND OF MOS GUIDANCE FOR
MAX/MIN TEMPS/WINDS/DEWPOINTS AND A MODEL BLEND OF GFS/NAM FOR
CLOUD FIELD.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 130 PM TUESDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD SOUTH
OVER THE SE UNITED STATES ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND REMAIN THE
DOMINANT SYNOPTIC FEATURE THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. I
PRETTY MUCH LEFT THE POPS AND TEMPS UNCHANGED THROUGH THE PERIOD AS
THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN REMAINS CONSISTENT. THE 12Z GFS DOES DEPICT
SOME PRECIP OVER THE CWA ON SAT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK LOW
LEVEL SHORT WAVE...BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE TOO OPTIMISTIC BASED ON
THE LACK OF OVERALL FORCING. THE REST OF THE MEDIUM RANGE STILL
APPEARS DRY WITH TEMPS NEAR SEASONAL VALUES AND WINDS LIGHT AND
VARIABLE.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AS FRONT MOVES ACROSS CWA THIS AFTN-EVE EXPECT STRONGER CONVECTION
WITH SOME STORMS BECOMING QUITE STRONG...ESP SE OF MTNS. HAVE VCTS
IN THE TAFS FOR NOW...BUT TEMPO TO CATEGORICAL THUNDER WILL LIKELY
BE NEEDED AS CONVECTION TAKES SHAPE ALONG THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON.
GUSTY SW WINDS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 01-02Z. CIG/VSBY SHOULD STAY VFR
OUTSIDE OF HEAVIER SHOWERS. WINDS WILL SWING NW BEHIND FRONT WITH
DRYING EXPECTED THIS EVE...EXCEPT AT KAVL WHERE MOIST LOW LEVEL NW
FLOW WILL LIKELY PRODUCE MVFR CEILINGS DURING OVERNIGHT HOURS. WINDS
WILL INCREASE FROM THE NW AT 10-12KTS AFTER MID-MORNING MIXING WED.
OUTLOOK...THE COLD FRONT WILL STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA
FROM MID TO LATE WEEK. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BE FAIRLY MINIMAL
THROUGH THE PERIOD...BUT WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF AFTERNOON OR
EVENING THUNDERSTORMS FROM KAVL TO KAND. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD IN OVER THE WEEKEND FOR SOLID VFR CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR GAZ010-
017-018-026-028-029.
NC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR NCZ033-
035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510.
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
SCZ001>014-019.
&&
SYNOPSIS...RB
NEAR TERM...RB
SHORT TERM...LG
LONG TERM...JPT
AVIATION...RBHazardous weather outlook, May 20, 6:22 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 622 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008 NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-063>065-501>506-212230- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD- BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON- TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- 622 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ062-507>510-SCZ001>014-019-212230- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MACON- 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- 622 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 328 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY 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. NCZ068>072-082-212230- CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- 622 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 327 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY 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.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 20, 5:52 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
552 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM TSTM WND DMG LAKE TOXAWAY 35.13N 82.93W
05/20/2008 TRANSYLVANIA NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
SCATTERED TREES DOWN INCLUDING LAKE TOXAWAY, SAPPHIRE,
AND LITTLE RIVER AREA.
&&
TBENTHALLLocal storm report, May 20, 6:21 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
621 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0602 PM HAIL 3 SE PUMPKINTOWN 34.97N 82.62W
05/20/2008 E0.88 INCH PICKENS SC TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL SIZE HAIL BETWEEN DACUSVILLE AND PUMPKINTOWN ON
FREEMAN BRIDGE AND PACE BRIDGE ROADS.
&&
TBENTHALLLocal storm report, May 20, 6:29 PM EDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
629 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0625 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 SW INMAN 34.99N 82.17W
05/20/2008 SPARTANBURG SC TRAINED SPOTTER
HIGH WINDS KNOCKED TREE LIMBS AND LINES DOWN ON MOUNT
LEBONON CHURCH RD.
&&
LGLocal storm report, May 20, 6:34 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
634 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0634 PM HAIL BOILING SPRINGS SC 35.04N 81.98W
05/20/2008 E0.75 INCH SPARTANBURG SC TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
LGLocal storm report, May 20, 6:41 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 20, 6:48 PM EDT, 1 minute before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2:54 AM EDT | Lake Wind Advisory | GSP | Alexander, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell and 22 more | 15 hr |
| May 20, 3:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg | 54 min |
| May 20, 3:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Rowan | 75 min |
| May 20, 3:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Madison | 51 min |
| May 20, 3:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Swain | 61 min |
| May 20, 4:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Graham, Swain | 65 min |
| May 20, 4:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Jackson, Macon | 59 min |
| May 20, 4:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg | 61 min |
| May 20, 5:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cabarrus, Rowan | 75 min |
| May 20, 5:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Transylvania | 59 min |
| May 20, 5:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Jackson, Macon | 60 min |
| May 20, 6:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cleveland, Polk, Rutherford | 55 min |
| May 20, 6:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cleveland, Gaston | 65 min |
| May 20, 6:37 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg | 38 min |
| May 20, 7:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg, Union | 50 min |
| May 20, 5:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenville, Oconee, Pickens | 57 min |
| May 20, 6:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenville, Pickens, Spartanburg | 60 min |
| May 20, 6:23 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Oconee, Pickens | 61 min |
| May 20, 6:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union | 60 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.