Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009
Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
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.
- 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
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 12:05 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Henderson, Polk | 115 min |
| Sep 20, 12:40 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Henderson, Polk | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 2:14 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Transylvania | 106 min |
| Sep 20, 3:41 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Jackson | 109 min |
| Sep 20, 4:30 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania | 4 hr |
| Sep 20, 6:19 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Henderson, Polk, Rutherford | 4 hr |
| Sep 20, 7:28 AM EDT | River Flood Warning | GSP | Henderson, Transylvania | 4 days |
| Sep 20, 8:14 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania | 4 hr |
| Sep 20, 11:59 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Transylvania | 6 hr |
| Sep 20, 5:32 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Jackson, Macon | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 6:19 PM EDT | Flood Watch | GSP | Avery, Buncombe, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson and 9 more | 36 hr |
| Sep 20, 6:07 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Oconee | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 9:34 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Habersham | 56 min |
| Sep 20, 10:28 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Stephens | 62 min |
| Sep 20, 10:39 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Stephens | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 2:31 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Stephens | 3 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.