Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 28, 20104 counties in North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 28, 2010, 8:38 PM EDT for 4 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 52 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
Mar 28, 2010, 8:38 PM EDT (00:38 UTC)
Expired
Mar 28, 2010, 9:30 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Cabarrus County, NC, Gaston County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC, Rowan County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 143 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:38 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 28, 3:47 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 231 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2010-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2010-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 169 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
443 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
182 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 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 Mar 28, 7:52 PM EDT, 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 28, 7:52 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
752 PM EDT SUN MAR 28 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT AND LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST OF OUR AREA TONIGHT AND
OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST MONDAY NIGHT.  DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL
THEN...BUILD INTO THE REGION AND REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/...
SHOWERS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE NE ACROSS THE REGION AS A
STRONG SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE W. MODELS CONT TO SHOW CAPE OF
400-600 J/KG MOVG IN FROM THE S THIS AFTN WITH PVA...Q FORCING...
WIND SHEAR AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE ALL COMING TOGETHER OVER THE
AREA. SATELLITE LOOPS ARE SHOWING SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS MOVG IN
FROM THE SW SO IF AREA DESTABILIZES ENOUGH EXPECT AT LEAST A FEW
SEVERE STORMS TO DEVELOP. SPC HAS GA AND THE CAROLINAS IN AN AREA OF
SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS...MAINLY THIS AFTN-EVE. ANY STRONG
CONVECTION THAT DOES DEVELOP SHOULD TAPER OFF FROM THE W LATE THIS
EVE WITH COOLING BUT SHWRS WILL LINGER OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY OVER
THE MTNS AND E CWA. MIN TEMPS WILL BE MILD TONIGHT DUE TO THE CLOUD
COVER. UPPER LOW MOVES OVER AREA DURING THE DAY MON AND ENOUGH
FORCING AND LL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED FOR CHC SHWRS THRU THE DAY...ESP
OVER THE MTNS AND E ZONES. HI TEMPS WILL BE BELOW AVG.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 2 PM EDT SUNDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER NC MONDAY EVENING
WILL OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST ON TUESDAY. AN UPPER RIDGE WILL
CROSS THE MS RIVER ON TUESDAY NIGHT...AND REACH THE TN AND OH RIVER
VALLEYS ON WEDNESDAY. WEAK MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PERSIST MONDAY
NIGHT AND SUPPORT SCATTERED SHOWERS IN UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG THE TN
BORDER. FREEZING LEVELS DROP BELOW THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE NC
MOUNTAINS BY DAWN TUESDAY...BUT WITH THE TOP OF THE MOIST LAYER NOT
VERY COLD...ICE NUCLEATION IS NOT A SURE THING.

DRYING OCCURS LATE TUESDAY MORNING. ON TUESDAY THE  PRESSURE
GRADIENT GRADUALLY RELAXES. SURFACE RIDGING BUILDS IN FORM THE
SOUTHWEST ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL
TREND DOWNWARD FROM NEAR NORMAL...AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES UPWARD
FROM NEAR NORMAL...AS DRIER AIR ALLOWS FOR A GREATER DIURNAL RANGE.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AS PM 2 PM EDT SUNDAY...THE SLOWER SOLUTION OF THE ECMWF WAS
PREFERRED BY HPC OVER THE FASTER GFS. A SLOWLY PROGRESSIVE UPPER
RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY OVER THE EASTERN USA FROM THURSDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY...SUPPORTING WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE
TO 10 DEGREES OR MORE ABOVE NORMAL BY THE WEEKEND.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AT KCLT...ANOTHER LINE OF TSTMS WILL AFFECT THE TERMINAL BETWEEN
0030Z AND 0200Z. IFR RESTRICTIONS...VARIABLE GUSTY WNDS AND HAIL ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. BEFORE THE LINE HITS...STRONG SOUTH
WINDS GUSTING TO 30 KTS WITH VFR CLOUDINESS. BEHIND THE LINE...WINDS
WILL SHIFT TO NWLY...THEN BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE. LOW CONFIDENCE
ON WHAT VSBY AND CIGS WILL DO...AS BL WILL BE MOIST AND WNDS
RELATIVELY LIGHT. CONDITIONS SHUD IMPROVE MON AFTN.

ELSEWHERE...AS OF 2345Z...LINE OF STORMS FROM KHKY...TO JUST EAST OF
KGSP/KGMU AND MOVING EWD. BEHIND THIS LINE...EXPECT PERIODS OF
RESTRICTIONS IN LIGHT-MODERATE RAIN AND LOW CIGS...AND NWLY WINDS.
WINDS WILL DIMINISH AND BECOME VARIABLE...AND SHWR COVERAGE WILL
DECREASE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. HOWEVER...LINGERING MOISTURE AND
LGT WNDS MAY RESULT IN RESTRICTIONS IN BR AND LOW CIGS. THE EXACT
EXTENT OF RESTRICTIONS IS LOW CONFIDENCE AT THIS POINT. CONDITIONS
SHUD IMPROVE MON AFTN.

OUTLOOK...VFR TUE-FRI AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES WEATHER ACROSS THE
REGION.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...PAT
NEAR TERM...RB
SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...JAT
AVIATION...ARK
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 28, 6:43 AM EDT, 13 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
643 AM EDT SUN MAR 28 2010

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-291045-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-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-
643 AM EDT SUN MAR 28 2010

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A COLD FRONT AND AN ASSOCIATED AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS MORNING. BY THE TIME
THE FRONT MOVES INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND SURROUNDING
AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE WEAKLY UNSTABLE
ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT
TO ALLOW THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO INTENSIFY AS IT
MOVES EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT ISOLATED
STORMS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE LINE COULD PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER...
WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT.
HOWEVER...THERE WILL ALSO BE A THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES...
ESPECIALLY WITH ANY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP OUT
AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS.

ALTHOUGH SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ACROSS THE
AREA...THE MOST LIKELY LOCATIONS TO SEE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE ACROSS
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

LANE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:07 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:15 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:26 PM EDT, 12 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:32 PM EDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
832 PM EDT SUN MAR 28 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0810 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 SE BLACKSBURG         35.09N 81.48W
03/28/2010                   CHEROKEE           SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES KNOCKED DOWN

&&

ASTUREY
Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:33 PM EDT, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
833 PM EDT SUN MAR 28 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0826 PM     HAIL             3 W BLACKSBURG          35.12N 81.57W
03/28/2010  E1.00 INCH       CHEROKEE           SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED AT THE 96 MILE MARKER ON
            INTERSTATE 85 WHICH IS NEAR BLACKSBURG.

&&

OUTLAW
Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:34 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
834 PM EDT SUN MAR 28 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0830 PM     TORNADO          CROWDERS                35.19N 81.21W
03/28/2010                   GASTON             NC   AMATEUR RADIO

            POSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTED NEAR CROWDERS MOUNTAIN.

&&

ASTUREY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 28, 8:08 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPGaston, Mecklenburg52 min
Mar 28, 9:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg, Union65 min
Mar 28, 10:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCabarrus, Rowan39 min
Mar 28, 10:26 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPMecklenburg109 min
Mar 29, 12:39 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPMecklenburg51 min
Mar 29, 1:42 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPMecklenburg108 min
Mar 28, 8:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Chester, Spartanburg, Union, York61 min
Mar 28, 8:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLaurens, Spartanburg59 min
Mar 28, 8:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens65 min
Mar 28, 8:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, York64 min
Mar 28, 9:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville, Anderson70 min
Mar 28, 9:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Greenville, Laurens, Spartanburg, Union, York73 min
Mar 28, 10:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLaurens, Union24 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2010Every tornado warning in 2010Tornadoes in 2010

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.