Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 25, 2010Macon County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 25, 2010, 3:08 AM EDT for Macon County, North Carolina. It was in force for 27 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 25, 2010, 3:08 AM EDT (07:08 UTC)
Expired
Apr 25, 2010, 3:35 AM EDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Macon County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:09 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 25, 3:25 AM EDTTSTM WND DMGFranklin, NCTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN FRANKLIN AND ONE TREE FELL ONTO A HOUSE. HAIL OF UNKNOWN SIZE FELL.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 25, 1:17 AM EDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 7.1 hours before the alert went out and 225 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 2010-04-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 92 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 2010-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 604 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
92 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-92 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
587 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
604 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
815 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

934 
WFUS52 KGSP 250708
TORGSP
NCC113-250745-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0020.100425T0708Z-100425T0745Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
308 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  MACON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FRANKLIN...

* UNTIL 345 AM EDT

* AT 304 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR NANTAHALA
  LAKE...OR 10 MILES EAST OF HAYESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  RAINBOW SPRINGS AND OTTO

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3530 8332 3522 8328 3523 8325 3520 8322
      3516 8322 3512 8318 3507 8315 3502 8354
      3514 8366 3514 8372 3517 8374
TIME...MOT...LOC 0708Z 252DEG 48KT 3512 8360

$$
LANE
2 follow-up statements
517 
WWUS52 KGSP 250722
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
322 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

NCC113-250745-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-100425T0745Z/
MACON NC-
322 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN
MACON COUNTY...

AT 318 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS 
STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF FRANKLIN...MOVING EAST AT 55 
MPH. THIS STORM PRODUCED A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN CLAY COUNTY EARLIER. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...

FRANKLIN. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3530 8332 3527 8331 3526 8331 3522 8328
      3523 8325 3520 8322 3516 8322 3512 8318
      3507 8315 3508 8354 3517 8358
TIME...MOT...LOC 0719Z 252DEG 48KT 3517 8343

$$
LANE
548 
WWUS52 KGSP 250735
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
335 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

NCC113-250744-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-100425T0745Z/
MACON NC-
335 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN MACON COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE ROTATION IN THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED. 

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL SOUTH
CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3530 8332 3527 8331 3526 8331 3522 8328
      3523 8325 3520 8322 3516 8322 3512 8318
      3507 8315 3508 8354 3517 8358
TIME...MOT...LOC 0734Z 252DEG 48KT 3523 8320

$$
LANE

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 Apr 25, 1:56 AM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 1:56 AM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
156 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PROMOTE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...BEFORE A COLD FRONT
MOVES OVER THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL THEN BUILD BACK OVER THE SOUTHEAST BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/...
ATMOSPHERE HAS BEEN SLOW TO DESTABILIZE ACROSS THE WRN CAROLINAS
THIS EVENING...AS FCST BY PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS. AS OF 02Z...WE STILL
LACK SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY/BUOYANCY...SO CONVECTIVE CELLS MOVING
IN FROM N GA QUICKLY GIVE UP THEIR LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE NE INTO
OUR AREA. RADAR TRENDS ALSO SHOW THE LEADING EDGE OF THE MID LEVEL
DRY AIR AS THE BACK EDGE OF THE MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND STORMS
OVER NW GA. PROSPECTS FOR INCREASED INSTABILITY STILL REMAIN GRIM...
BUT NOT READY TO COMPLETELY GIVE UP ON SVR POTENTIAL...OWING TO
STRONG SHEAR THAT WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT. THE BEST COMBINATION OF
SHEAR AND INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR FROM 06Z TO 12Z OR SO...
JUST NOT SURE GOING FORWARD IF IT WILL AMOUNT TO ENOUGH OF A THREAT
TO LEAD TO ANYTHING MORE THAN ISOLATED SEVERE. IN FACT...SPC HAS CUT
BACK ON THE EASTWARD EXTENT OF THE SLIGHT RISK. SO...SOME
ADJUSTMENTS ARE IN ORDER. AFTER 03Z...THE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF
CONVECTIVE STORMS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE AREA E OF THE MTNS....
WITH THE GRADIENT GRADUALLY SHIFTING EAST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS. THINK A LIKELY TO CHANCE POP WILL HANDLE THE COVERAGE OVER
THE MTNS. TEMPS SHOULD STAY NEARLY STEADY OVERNIGHT...SO ADJUSTMENTS
WERE MADE BASED ON RECENT OBS.

STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BE ONGOING ON SUNDAY MORNING. WITH THE FLOW
TURNING MORE WESTERLY...THEY SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE FA FAIRLY
QUICKLY. HOWEVER...THE NAM MAINTAINS QUITE A BIT OF INSTABILITY OVER
THE REGION DURING THE DAY. IN FACT...THE STEEPEST LAPSE RATES OF
THIS WHOLE EVENT ARE TOMORROW AFTN. THE GFS DRIES THINGS OUT MUCH
MORE QUICKLY. HOWEVER...IT/S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SCOUR OUT MOISTURE E
OF THE MTNS...AND I/VE MAINTAINED CHANCE POPS THROUGH THE DAY. WHILE
THE COVERAGE SHOULD BE SCT AT BEST...THE POTENTIAL CERTAINLY EXISTS
FOR MORE DISCRETE MULTICELL OR SUPERCELL STORMS TO DEVELOP.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY...THE FA WILL BE UNDER A BROAD L/WV ERN CONUS
TROF THRU THE SHORT TERM...WITH TWO PRIMARY S/WVS TRACKING ACRS THE
AREA...ONE SUNDAY NIGHT AND A SECOND ONE TUESDAY.

MODELS IN MUCH DISAGREEMENT ON TIMING AND AMPLITUDE OF BOTH
FEATURES...ESPECIALLY THE SECOND ONE...WHICH DIVES SE ACRS THE NRN
PLAINS STATES. UNDER THE FIRST TROF...A SFC LOW WILL CONTINUE TO
WEAKEN OVER THE UPPER OH VALLEY...AS A COASTAL LOW BECOMES THE
DOMINANT LOW. THE FA WILL BE UNDER A GENERALLY Q-VECTOR DIVERGENT
REGION...WITH LLVL CAA AND DRY AMS WORKING IN FROM THE WEST.
HOWEVER...WRAPAROUND MOISTURE WILL LINGER ALONG THE WESTERN SLOPES
OF THE APPALACHIANS THRU MONDAY. FCST SNDGS SHOW ENUF MOISTURE AND
LLVL CAPE FOR SHWRS...BUT MID LVL CAP TO PRECLUDE A MENTION OF
TSTMS. IN THE LEE OF THE TN BORDER COUNTIES...ISOLD SHWR ACTIVITY
LOOKS POSSIBLE AS S/WV ENHANCES LIFT. TEMPS STILL SLIGHTLY ABOVE
NORMAL SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

AS A SECOND...MORE POTENT S/WV DIVES SEWD THRU THE AREA
TUESDAY...THERE LOOKS TO BE LTL IN THE WAY OF SFC REFLECTION...WITH
JUST A LEE TROF AND UPSLOPE ALONG TN BORDER BEING THE ONLY SOURCES
OF LLVL CONVERGENCE. GUIDANCE SEEMS TO AGREE ON SLIGHTLY HIGHER CHCS
THAN MONDAY...SO INCREASED POP TO HIGH-END CHC TN BORDER AND LOW-END
CHC TO THE EAST (STILL SLGT CHC IN SRN UPSTATE AND UPPER SAVANNAH
VALLEY. AGAIN...NOT GREAT MID LVL LAPSE RATES FOR TSTMS...SO KEPT
WORDING AS JUST SHWRS. TEMPS WILL BE ABOUT A CATEGORY COOLER THAN
MONDAYS READINGS UNDER NWLY CAA FLOW.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY...THE MEDIUM RANGE FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON WED
WITH THE 12Z GFS AND OLDER 00Z ECMWF REMAINING IN FAIRLY GOOD
AGREEMENT WITH THE LINGERING L/WV TROUGH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS.
THE NEWER GFS DEVELOPS AN ANTECEDENT S/WV DURING THE DAY ON WED AND
PUSHES THE ASSOCIATED VORT MAX SOUTH OF THE CWA. THIS FEATURE IS NOT
PRESENT ON EITHER THE ECMWF OR GEM MODEL. REGARDLESS...BASED ON ITS
POSITION I DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE MUCH IMPACT ON OUR SENSIBLE WX.
HEIGHTS RISE THRU THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD AS AN H5 RIDGE BUILDS
IN FROM THE WEST AND SFC HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE SYNOPTIC
PATTERN THRU DAY 7. LINGERING NW FLOW MAY BE ABLE TO PRODUCE SOME
PRECIP OVER THE NC MOUNTAINS EARLY IN THE PERIOD...HOWEVER LATEST
GUIDANCE IS SHYING AWAY FROM THIS. I KEPT A CHANCE POP FOR THE FIRST
6 HRS OF THE MEDIUM RANGE AND THEN TAPERED OFF TO A DRY FCST AFTER
12Z WED. PATTERN IS PROGGED TO AMPLIFY FURTHER ON DAYS 6 AND 7 WITH
LIGHT WINDS AND CLIMBING TEMPS. BY DAY 7...MAX VALUES IN THE LOW TO
MID 80S ARE FCST.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
DYNAMIC SITUATION REMAINS EARLY THIS MORNING AS AREA OF SH/TSRA MOVE
OUT OF THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...WITH ANOTHER LINE OF SH/TSRA TO
MOVE INTO THE MTNS AND WRN CWFA. THIS LINE WILL MOVE ACROSS AND OUT
OF THE AREA NEAR DAYBREAK. ALTHOUGH STORMS ARE EMBEDDED IN THIS
LINE...THERE IS STILL ENUF UNCERTAINTY...DUE TO STABLE ATMOS OVER
OUR AREA AND TIMING CONCERNS...TO KEEP ONLY CB MENTIONED IN TAFS.
LOW CLOUDS WILL CLEAR BEHIND THIS LINE...BUT MAY LINGER THRU NOON.
SLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE LINE BECOME SWLY AND GUSTY DURING THE
MORNING...WITH SPEEDS AND GUSTS INCREASING FOR THE AFTERNOON. WINDS
DIMINISH THIS EVENING WITH CLEARING SKIES.

AT KCLT...EXPECT PREVAILING MVFR WITH TEMPO IFR IN SHRA THRU
DAYBREAK. MVFR CIGS WITH GUSTY SSW WINDS DURING THE MORNING AND VFR
WITH STRONGER SW WINDS AND GUSTS FOR THE AFTERNOON. LIGHT SW WINDS
WITH CLEARING SKIES THIS EVENING.

ELSEWHERE...EXPECT PREVAILING MVFR WITH TEMPO IFR IN SHRA THRU
DAYBREAK. MVFR CIGS WITH GUSTY SW WINDS DURING THE MORNING AND VFR
WITH STRONGER SW WINDS AND GUSTS FOR THE AFTERNOON. LIGHT SW WINDS
WITH CLEARING SKIES THIS EVENING. KAVL WILL SEE WINDS BECOMING LIGHT
NWLY DURING THE EVENING.

OUTLOOK...SCT SHRA AND A FEW TSTMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE MON AND
TUE...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS...BUT RESTRICTIONS WILL BE MORE SPOTTY.
FAIR WEATHER IS THEN EXPECTED WED-FRI.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...JPT
NEAR TERM...MCAVOY/PM
SHORT TERM...ARK
LONG TERM...JPT
AVIATION...RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 25, 1:38 AM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
138 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ048-051>053-058-059-062>065-SCZ001>006-
010-011-260545-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MADISON-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-
BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
HENDERSON-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
138 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

...TORNADO WATCH 102 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING...

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   TORNADO WATCH.

.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.

NCZ033-035>037-049-050-056-057-068>072-082-501>510-SCZ007>009-
012>014-019-260545-
AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-YANCEY-MITCHELL-CATAWBA-ROWAN-
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-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-
YORK-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
138 AM EDT SUN APR 25 2010

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

WIND SHEAR AND INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION EARLY
THIS MORNING...BRINGING AN INCREASED RISK OF ISOLATED SEVERE
STORMS. ALTHOUGH THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRIOR
TO DAYBREAK WILL EXIST WEST OF THE I-26 CORRIDOR...SCATTERED
STORMS WILL SPREAD INTO THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH
CAROLINA...AS WELL AS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE UPSTATE BY SUNRISE.
THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...AREAS OF
DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THIS THREAT FOR SEVERE
STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON.

.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.

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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.