Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008
Tornado Warning 20, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 19, 2008, 8:52 PM EDT for Catawba County, North 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 outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 19, 2008, 8:52 PM EDT (00:52 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 19, 2008, 9:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
County Catawba County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 135 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:55 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 115 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
- 40 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -36 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1047 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 122 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 166 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WFUS52 KGSP 200052
TORGSP
NCC035-200130-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0020.080420T0052Z-080420T0130Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
852 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 930 PM EDT
* AT 851 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 5 MILES
NORTHEAST OF LINCOLNTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 28 MPH.
* THE TORNADO EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
RURAL SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY AT 910 PM EDT
RURAL EASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY AT 920 PM EDT
MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER.
OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME
OR PLACE OF BUSINESS. MAKE SURE THERE ARE AS MANY WALLS AND FLOORS
BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.
TO REPORT TORNADOES...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 3554 8100 3556 8132 3572 8106 3571 8105
3571 8104 3569 8100 3562 8093
TIME...MOT...LOC 0052Z 240DEG 24KT 3554 8118
$$
MOORE2 follow-up statements
000
WWUS52 KGSP 200103
SVSGSP
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
904 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008
NCC035-200130-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-080420T0130Z/
CATAWBA NC-
904 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY...
AT 900 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES EAST OF
MAIDEN...OR ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEWTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
39 MPH.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
TERRELL AND 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CATAWBA BY 910 PM EDT...
TORNADOES WHICH OCCUR AFTER DARK ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. PEOPLE IN
THE WARNED AREA SHOULD PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR THIS TORNADO. MOBILE
HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER.
OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME
OR PLACE OF BUSINESS.
LAT...LON 3554 8100 3556 8132 3572 8106 3571 8105
3571 8104 3569 8100 3562 8093
TIME...MOT...LOC 0104Z 235DEG 34KT 3560 8107
$$
MOORE000
WWUS52 KGSP 200125
SVSGSP
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
923 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008
NCC035-200130-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-080420T0130Z/
CATAWBA NC-
923 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY...
AT 921 PM EDT...ANOTHER TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR.
THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MAIDEN...OR ABOUT 5
MILES EAST OF LINCOLNTON OVER LINCOLN COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
35 MPH.
THIS STORM IS SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAKENING AS IT HEADS TOWARD
SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY. IF THE STORM RE-INTENSIFIES...ANOTHER
WARNING MAY BE ISSUED FOR SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY.
OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TERRELL
AND CATAWBA
MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER.
OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME
OR PLACE OF BUSINESS. MAKE SURE THERE ARE AS MANY WALLS AND FLOORS
BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.
LAT...LON 3554 8100 3556 8132 3572 8106 3571 8105
3571 8104 3569 8100 3562 8093
TIME...MOT...LOC 0123Z 237DEG 44KT 3551 8114
$$
MOOREWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Apr 19, 2:45 PM EDT, 6 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 2:45 PM EDT, 6 hours 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 245 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY TO THE EAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE FROM KENTUCKY TONIGHT TO THE VIRGINIA...NORTH CAROLINA COAST SUNDAY NIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH MONDAY AND REMAINS IN PLACE INTO LATE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... SCATTERED SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH DEEPER MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACRS THE EASTERN FA DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE AFTERNOON WITH PARTIAL CLEARING DEVELOPING IN IT/S WAKE JUST OUT AHEAD OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT...WHICH IS ACRS EXTREME NE GA/SW NC AS OF 18 UTC. LAPS DATA SHOWS SLOW DESTABILIZATION WHERE SUNSHINE HAS BEEN DEVELOPING...BUT CAPPED SNDGS WITH WARM AIR AROUND 600 MB. IT REMAINS DEBATABLE ON HOW MUCH CAP CAN ERODE AND HOW MUCH MORE ATMOSPHERE CAN DESTABILIZE BEFORE FROPA. AT ANY RATE...WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION SCATTERED SHOWERS AND JUST ISOLATED TSTM CHANCE AHEAD OF FRONT THRU MID-EVENING WITH JUST TOKEN LINGERING SHOWER CHANCES THEREAFTER AS UPPER LOW SAGS SE INTO WESTERN NC. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 2 PM SATURDAY MODELS STILL HANDLING FIRST SYSTEM WELL OVER THE SOUTHEAST. CLOSED LOW OVER THE OHIO VALLEY STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY OFFSHORE BY MONDAY. AFTER TONIGHT MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE TO THE WEST OF US AS WE STAY ON BACK SIDE OF THE LOW IN NORTHWEST FLOW. PREFER THE GFS IN THIS INITIAL SYSTEM BECAUSE OF SLOWER MOVEMENT ACROSS THE AREA. SECOND IMPULSE BEGINS TO AFFECT AREA ON WEDNESDAY. THE STRONGEST INSTABILITY REMAINS TO OUR WEST BEFORE THE DRIFTS OFF TO THE NORTH SO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY NEVER GETS PAST CHANCE CATEGORY. I WENT WITH HPC PREFERENCE FOR THE ECM ON THIS SYSTEM WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST CONTINUITY. NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HPC AND MOS GUIDANCE SO IT GENERALLY TOOK A BLEND...BUT THERE WE LITTLE CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY...THE ECMWF IS THE MODEL OF CHOICE AS THE GFS GETS OUT OF PHASE. A SOMEWHAT SKINNY UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BE OVER GEORGIA AND THE CAROLINAS EXTENDING UP THE EAST COAST FROM THURSDAY THROUGH THE START OF THE WEEKEND. THIS UPPER RIDGE AND WEAK SURFACE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AS A WEAK DISSIPATING COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA FROM TENNESSEE...BUT STALLS OUT. APPEARS TO BE GOOD FOR SLIGHT CHANCE TO LOW CHANCE DIRUNAL CONVECTION EACH DAY...BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SHOULD BE SOME LINGERING MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF THE FRONT THROUGH THE WEEKEND TO MAINTAIN SLIGHT DAILY POPS. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... COLD FRONT ENTERING THE WESTERN FA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WILL CONTINUE TO TRANSLATE EASTWARD ACRS THE TERMINAL LOCATIONS THRU 00 UTC. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND PERHAPS EVEN SOME DEVELOPING TSTMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRIGGERED BY THIS FEATURE. OUTSIDE OF THE NEXT TWO HOURS...WHERE RESTRICTIONS ACRS THE UPSTATE AND KAVL TAFS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE...BEST CHANCES FOR SHOWERS...POSSIBLY EVEN A CB...WILL BE AT KCLT/KHKY WHERE THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN MOIST THE LONGEST AND HAVE BEST CHANCE OF STABILIZING AHEAD OF FRONT. PROGRESSIVELY VEERING LLVL WINDS TONIGHT IN WAKE OF FRONT EXPECTED TO RESULT IN QUIET WX CONDITIONS...EXPECT POSSIBLY AT KAVL WHERE SOME MVFR CLOUDINESS COULD WORK UP THE FRENCH BROAD VALLEY. OUTLOOK...THERE REMAINS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW SHOWERS AND/OR TSTMS ACROSS WESTERN NC ON SUNDAY UNDER THE MID LEVEL COOL POOL WITH THE UPPER LOW. SHOWERS MAY ACCOMPANY THE DEPARTURE OF THE LOW AT KCLT ON MONDAY. TUESDAY COULD FEATURE SOME CLOUD COVER AS LIMITED ATLANTIC MOISTURE WRAPS AROUND THE DEPARTING LOW OFFSHORE...BUT RESTRICTIONS DO NOT APPEAR LIKELY AT THIS TIME. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL SPREAD MOISTURE INTO THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY...BUT AGAIN...LIMITED MOISTURE DOES NOT LEND MUCH SUPPORT TO RESTRICTIONS. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...CSH SHORT TERM...VAD LONG TERM...DEO AVIATION...CSH
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 19, 10:50 AM EDT, 10 hours 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1050 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510- SCZ001>014-019-201500- 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- 1050 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL BE WEAK...MODERATE WIND SHEAR AND COLD MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO THE THREAT FOR A FEW OF THE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THESE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-201500- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT- 1050 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 8:09 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 809 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 NCZ068>070-200115- CLEVELAND-GASTON-LINCOLN- 809 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CLEVELAND... NORTHWESTERN GASTON AND NORTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 915 PM EDT... AT 807 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF LAWNDALE...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF SHELBY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 28 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF VALE BY 825 PM EDT. LINCOLNTON BY 840 PM EDT. BOGER CITY BY 845 PM EDT. DENVER BY 905 PM EDT. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN CLEVELAND...NORTHWESTERN GASTON AND NORTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... LAWNDALE...LINCOLNTON...BOGER CITY AND DENVER... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. MOORE
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 8:15 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Cleveland, Lincoln | 45 min |
| Apr 19, 8:37 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Cleveland | 24 min |
| Apr 19, 8:49 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Gaston | 11 min |
| Apr 19, 8:58 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Lincoln | 47 min |
| Apr 19, 9:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Iredell | 56 min |
| Apr 19, 9:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Davie, Rowan | 59 min |
| Apr 20, 1:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cabarrus | 29 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes 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.