Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 102, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 2009, 2:15 PM EDT for McDowell County, Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 32 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, 2009, 2:15 PM EDT (18:15 UTC)
- Expired
- May 9, 2009, 2:47 PM EDT
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties McDowell County, NC, Rutherford County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:16 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, 1:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 197 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
- 682 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -132 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1033 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 26 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 114 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 149 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.7
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, 1:41 PM EDT, 34 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 9, 1:41 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 141 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF OUR AREA TONIGHT...BECOMING STATIONARY OVER THE GULF STATES. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE FARTHER SOUTH LATE MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE REGION THROUGH MID WEEK. ANOTHER FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SHORTWAVE APPROACHING FROM THE W WITH ASSOC SFC FRONT. DEW POINTS IN M60S...GOOD INSOLATION...SOME DRY AIR IN MID LEVELS AND CAPE VALUES 1000-2000 J/KG...ALL POINT TOWARD ACTIVE CONVECTION THIS AFTN-EVE... ESP NC FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT. WINDS GENERALLY WLY ALOFT WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THE MOST LIKELY SEVERE THREAT. EXPECT CONVECTION TO TAPER OFF MID EVE WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OVERNIGHT. MRNG TEMPS WILL COOL TO NEAR 60...WITH 50S MTNS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... ZONAL UPPER LEVEL FLOW REMAINS OVER THE SOUTHEAST ON SUNDAY...BUT AMPLIFICATION OF A TROUGH BEINGS SUNDAY NIGHT OVER THE TN VALLEY. BY MONDAY NIGHT A LOW AMPLITUDE TROUGH IS ESTABLISHED ALONG THE EAST COAST. A COLD FRONT WILL BE TO OUR SOUTH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY...BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL BE NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVES THROUGH THE BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH. THE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL BE PRIMARILY OVER NE GA AND UPSTATE SC WHERE BOTH THE NAM AND GFS HAVE THE BEST MOISTURE. POPS WILL BE HIGHEST SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS A BETTER DEFINED SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL FALL FROM NEAR NORMAL ON SUNDAY TO ABOUT 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON MONDAY IN COOL NORTHEAST FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT...WHILE MINIMUM FALL MORE SLOWLY FROM JUST ABOVE NORMAL TO JUST BELOW NORMAL UNDER CLOUD COVER. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AT 12Z TUESDAY BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE AN EAST COAST UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. BY 12Z WEDNESDAY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THESE MODELS IS GONE...AS THE GFS BECOMES UNCHARACTERISTICALLY SLOWER MOVING THE TROUGH OFFSHORE. BY THURSDAY BOTH MODELS HAVE AN EAST COAST RIDGE...BUT BY FRIDAY THE GFS HAS ZONAL FLOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST... WHILE THE ECMWF HAS A RIDGE JUST OFFSHORE AND A TROUGH IN THE TN VALLEY. THE HPC SOLUTION FROM YESTERDAY LEANED TOWARD THE ECMWF EARLY IN THE PACKAGE...THEN TRENDED TOWARD THE EUROPEAN ENSEMBLE MEAN. THE LATEST GFS SURFACE SOLUTION RESEMBLES THE HPC SOLUTION ON TUE...WITH A DRY SURFACE RIDGE OVER MI...AND A COLD FRONT ALONG THE GULF COAST. ON WED THE A COLD FRONT IS IN THE PLAINS...WITH THE DRY EAST COAST RIDGE REAMING EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE GFS IS SLOWER TO MOVE A WARM FRONT NORTH AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...BUT THIS SHOULD HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON OUR AREA...AND THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN DRY BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE HPC COLD FRONT IS NOTABLY SLOWER ON THU...WHEN IT IS STILL IN THE OH VALLEY...WHILE THE GFS FRONT IS ALMOST TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. THIS WILL RESULT IN A LATER ONSET OF PRECIPITATION THAN THE GFS WOULD SUGGEST. BY FRIDAY THE GFS COLD FRONT IS AT THE COAST...WHILE THE HPC POSITION IS OVER OUR AREA JUST EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS...AND POPS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST INTO FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER IN NORTHEAST FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRY RIDGE...THEN WILL WARM IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT LATE IN THE WEEK. FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BE TOO LATE TO REALIZE MUCH COOLING BY THE END OF THE PACKAGE. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...PREDOMINATE VFR. AT LEAST SCT TSTMS INTO THIS EVE WITH ASSOC CIG/VSBY RESTRICTIONS IN HEAVIER SHWRS AS SHORTWAVE AND ASSOC FRONT APPROACH FROM THE W. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LARGE HAIL MOST LIKELY CONCERN WITH ANY STORM TODAY. S-SW WINDS TAPERING OFF THIS EVE...TURNING N-NE SUN MRNG. WITH FRONT STALLED ALONG S CWA EXPECT LOW VFR TO MVFR CIGS FOR SC TERMINALS SUN MRNG WITH INCRSNG CHANCE CONVECTION TOWARD AFTN. OUTLOOK...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LESS LIKELY SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH THE FRONT TO THE SOUTH. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FROM SUNDAY MORNING ON. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...RB SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...JAT AVIATION...RB
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 1:19 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 119 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062-063-SCZ001>014- 019-101730- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY- MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE- LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 119 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST SUNDAY FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AS WELL AS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. NCZ035>037-056-057-064-065-068>072-082-501>510-101730- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-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- 119 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 281 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST SUNDAY FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AS WELL AS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 9, 9:38 AM EDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
938 AM EDT SAT MAY 09 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0618 PM HAIL 2 W FONTANA VILLAGE 35.44N 83.85W
05/08/2009 E1.00 INCH GRAHAM NC PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORT OF NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL BETWEEN
FONTANA VILLAGE AND TAPOCO ALONG MEADOW BRANCH ROAD.
&&
OUTLAWSpecial weather statement, May 9, 1:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 110 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 NCZ052-091745- HAYWOOD- 110 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTY THROUGH 145 PM EDT... AT 108 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTH OF WATERVILLE...OR 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF WAYNESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTY...INCLUDING THE COVE CREEK...FINES CREEK...AND CRABTREE COMMUNITIES... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. LANE
Special weather statement, May 9, 1:30 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 130 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 NCZ035-056-068>070-501>510-SCZ003-006>008-091930- ALEXANDER-CATAWBA-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS- GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD- POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HICKORY...SHELBY...LINCOLNTON... GASTONIA...LENOIR...MORGANTON...MARION...LAKE LURE...RUTHERFORD... COLUMBUS...GREENVILLE...SPARTANBURG...GAFFNEY 130 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT LATER THIS AFTERNOON... AT EARLY AFTERNOON...AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS ORGANIZING OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST TOWARD THE BLUE RIDGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FOOTHILLS BETWEEN 3 AND 4 PM. DAYTIME HEATING HAS ALLOWED THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME QUITE UNSTABLE IN AREAS FROM THE BLUE RIDGE EAST. ALTHOUGH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP AT ANY TIME THIS AFTERNOON...THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE AREA OF ORGANIZED STORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. ONCE THIS ACTIVITY REACHES THE BLUE RIDGE...RAPID INTENSIFICATION TO SEVERE LEVELS IS ANTICIPATED. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE FROM DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WIND DAMAGE COULD BECOME RATHER WIDESPREAD OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT THIS AFTERNOON. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA UNTIL 9 PM. INTERESTS ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION THIS AFTERNOON. BE PREPARED TO REACT QUICKLY IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. LANE
Special weather statement, May 9, 1:34 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 134 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 NCZ051-052-059-062-063-091800- HAYWOOD-MACON-NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-SWAIN- 134 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN SWAIN...NORTHERN JACKSON...NORTHERN MACON AND SOUTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EDT... AT 132 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF SMOKEMONT TO 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ALARKA...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. PEOPLE IN EASTERN SWAIN...NORTHERN JACKSON...NORTHERN MACON AND SOUTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... CHEROKEE...SYLVA...CULLOWHEE...MAGGIE VALLEY...WAYNESVILLE AND CANTON... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. LANE
Special weather statement, May 9, 1:51 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 151 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 NCZ048-049-053-091830- BUNCOMBE-MADISON-YANCEY- 151 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN BUNCOMBE...SOUTHERN MADISON AND WESTERN YANCEY COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT... AT 150 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF LEICESTER...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MARSHALL...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN BUNCOMBE...SOUTHERN MADISON AND WESTERN YANCEY COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... LEICESTER...WEAVERVILLE AND BARNARDSVILLE... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. LANE
Local storm report, May 9, 2:13 PM EDT, 2 minutes 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 9, 1:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Rutherford | 49 min |
| May 9, 1:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson | 35 min |
| May 9, 2:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Burke | 44 min |
| May 9, 2:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell | 29 min |
| May 9, 3:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cleveland, Polk, Rutherford | 48 min |
| May 9, 3:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln | 74 min |
| May 9, 3:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba | 22 min |
| May 9, 4:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Alexander, Catawba, Davie, Iredell, Rowan | 55 min |
| May 9, 4:22 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan | 68 min |
| May 9, 6:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Anderson | 55 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2009Every severe thunderstorm 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.