Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

September 20, 2009Henderson County, Polk County, Rutherford County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Sep 20, 2009, 3:30 AM EDT for Henderson County, Polk County, Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 20, 2009, 3:30 AM EDT (07:30 UTC)
Expired
Sep 20, 2009, 6:15 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Henderson County, NC, Polk County, NC, Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:32 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 nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 305 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2009-09-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1577 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2009-09-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 70 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1577 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
548 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
177 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Sep 20, 3:30 AM EDT, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 3:30 AM EDT, 0 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
330 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
BROAD LOW PRESSURE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY WILL CONTINUE
TO BRING DEEP MOISTURE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEAK
HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE REGION FOR MOST OF THE WORK WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUES AT 06Z ACROSS THE
WESTERN CAROLINAS IN A WARM ADVECTION UPGLIDE/SE UPSLOPE FLOW
REGIME. SOME OF THE SHOWERS HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATED/ANCHORED NEAR THE
BLUE RIDGE RESULTING IN WHAT SHOULD BE SOME IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL
TOTALS. FOR THE VERY NEAR TERM THIS WILL REQUIRE A CATEGORICAL POP
NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE AND OVER TOWARD METRO CLT...AND LIKELY
ELSEWHERE. THE INGREDIENTS FOR CONTINUED HEAVY RAIN REMAIN IN PLACE
THROUGH THIS MORNING WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE...HIGH
PW...AND ADDITIONAL FORCING ARRIVING FROM THE SW. HAVE GENERALLY
ACCEPTED THE HIGH MOSGUIDE POP WHICH KEEPS CATEGORICAL RAIN FORECAST
ON THE E SIDE OF THE HIGH TERRAIN...THEN TAPERING OFF ACROSS THE WRN
PIEDMONT. EXPECT TEMPS TO REMAIN COOL TODAY SO THE COOLER GUIDANCE
WAS FOLLOWED.

SUNDAY NIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW...WITH CONINUED UPSLOPE/UPGLIDE. IF THIS GOES DOWN IN A SIMILAR
FASHION...THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER A FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE ZONES NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE. WOULD RATHER NOT ISSUE A WATCH RIGHT
NOW FOR ZONES THAT ALREADY HAVE A WARNING...SO IT WILL BE EVALUATED
LATER IN THE MORNING. TEMPS WERE KEPT CLOSE TO THE GUIDANCE FOR
LOWS.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 240 AM SUNDAY...ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY...BOTH THE 0Z GFS AND
ECMWF AGREE THAT A MID LEVEL LOW WILL CLOSE OFF OVER THE PLAINS AS A
RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE ATLANTIC COAST. AT THE SFC...WEAK HIGH
PRESSURE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO NOSE SE ACROSS THE CWA. THIS
PATTERN SHOULD FAVOR A CONTINUATION OF MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS WITH
TEMPERATURES AT OR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN NORMAL. ON MONDAY...IT APPEARS
THAT UPSLOPE FLOW AND DIURNAL INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT LIKELY
COVERAGE OF SHRA AND POSSIBLY TSRA OVER THE MTNS...SCT COVERAGE
EAST. LI/S ON THE GFS INDICATE THAT THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE CWA IS
FAVORED FOR INCREASED INSTABILITY. ON TUESDAY...ATLANTIC RIDGE AXIS
BEGINS TO SHIFT WEST...WITH THE CENTER PIVOTING OVER THE DEEP SOUTH.
THE RIDGE SHOULD REDUCE TUESDAY/S COVERAGE FROM MONDAY...DUE TO
DECREASED AFTERNOON INSTABILITY. I WILL FORECAST CHC POPS THROUGH
EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH LIKELY COVERAGE OVER THE MTN PEAKS DURING THE
MID TO LATE AFTERNOON.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 3 AM SUNDAY...I WILL FAVOR THE ECMWF FOR ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN
THE EXTENDED PERIOD. WEAK MID LEVEL RIDGING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE
CWA FROM MID WEEK INTO THE EARLY WEEKEND. AT THE SFC...PRESSURES
SHOULD FAVOR SLIGHT HIGH PRESSURE...HOWEVER...A WEAK COLD FRONT
COULD SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION LATE IN THE WORK WEEK. TIMING AND
STRENGTH OF EXTENDED RANGE SFC FEATURES ARE TOO UNCERTAIN AT THIS
TIME. HOWEVER...THE CLOSED LOW OVER THE PLAINS WILL LIKELY MOVE
EAST...INCREASING MOISTURE AND LLVL RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE REGION.
OVERALL...DIURNAL SWINGS IN POPS ARE ANTICIPATED...PEAKING WITH CHC
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SCHC AT NIGHT. MOS GUIDANCE
AND PATTERN SUPPORT TEMPERATURES AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION /08Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AT KCLT...A LARGE AREA OF SLOW MOVING LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WILL
AFFECT THE TERMINAL FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT HOUR. THIS SHOULD KEEP A
PREVAILING MVFR VISIBILITY WITH CEILING COMING IN AND OUT OF LOW END
MVFR. WHEN THE RAIN FINALLY MOVES OUT...THERE COULD BE A BRIEF
PERIOD OF VFR...BUT THIS SHOULD FILL IN QUICKLY WITH FOG AND LOW
CLOUDS. GUIDANCE IS PESSIMISTIC WITH A TREND TOWARD IFR BY 09Z AND
WITH THE AIR MASS BEING FORCED BY MOIST UPGLIDE THIS SEEMS
REASONABLE. ONCE AGAIN...THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE
DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING. CEILING SHOULD PROGRESS UPWARD
THROUGH MVFR AND PROBABLY TO LOW END VFR IN THE AFTERNOON. IF IT
DOES BREAK OUT...EXPECT A GREATER CHANCE OF SEEING SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...BUT THIS WILL NOT BE PUT IN THE TAF FOR NOW.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AIDED BY UPSLOPE/WARM ADVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH AT LEAST MID MORNING.
WIDESPREAD FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT WITH AREAS
OF IFR LIKELY TOWARD SUNRISE. DIURNAL IMPROVEMENT IS ALSO LIKELY ON
SUNDAY...WITH CIGS/VSBY IMPROVING FROM MID-MORNING ONWARD AND
PROBABLY BECOMING UNRESTRICTED ACRS MUCH OF THE FA DURING THE
AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THIS SHOULD FILL RIGHT BACK IN DURING THE
EVENING HOURS.

OUTLOOK...A STAGNANT PATTERN WILL FAVOR PERIODS OF RAIN THROUGH MID
WEEK. EXPECT RESTRICTIONS...MAINLY MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT...WITH
IFR POSSIBLE AROUND DAWN.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...NED
NEAR TERM...PM
SHORT TERM...NED
LONG TERM...NED
AVIATION...PM
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 19, 9:57 PM EDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
957 PM EDT SAT SEP 19 2009

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510-
SCZ001>007-010-210200-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-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-ANDERSON-
957 PM EDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THE POTENTIAL FOR NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WILL REMAIN INTO
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AN ONGOING THREAT...
ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...THE NORTHWEST UPSTATE
AND THE SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ008-009-011>014-019-210200-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-
MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CHEROKEE-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-
UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
957 PM EDT SAT SEP 19 2009

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

.DAY ONE...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...

NONE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 20, 12:05 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPHenderson, Polk115 min
Sep 20, 12:40 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Polk3 hr
Sep 20, 2:14 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPTransylvania106 min
Sep 20, 3:41 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPJackson109 min
Sep 20, 4:30 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania4 hr
Sep 20, 6:19 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Polk, Rutherford4 hr
Sep 20, 7:28 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Transylvania4 days
Sep 20, 8:14 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania4 hr
Sep 20, 11:59 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Transylvania6 hr
Sep 20, 5:32 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningGSPJackson, Macon3 hr
Sep 20, 6:19 PM EDTFlood WatchGSPAvery, Buncombe, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson and 9 more36 hr
Sep 20, 6:07 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPOconee3 hr
Sep 20, 9:34 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPHabersham56 min
Sep 20, 10:28 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPStephens62 min
Sep 20, 10:39 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPStephens3 hr
Sep 20, 2:31 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningGSPStephens3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2009Every flash flood warning in 2009

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.