Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 184, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 22, 20114 counties in North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 22, 2011, 8:20 PM EDT for 4 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 55 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 22, 2011, 8:20 PM EDT (00:20 UTC)
Expired: May 22, 2011, 9:15 PM EDT
In force: 55 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Alexander County, NC, Burke County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Catawba County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:22 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 22, 5:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 139 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1111 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1533 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 56 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 65 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 22, 7:58 PM EDT, 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 7:58 PM EDT, 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
758 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF
THE WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES STAYING WELL ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL THEN BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE REGION
THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/...
WW333 HAS BEEN CLEARED BEHIND BKN LINE OF COOL POOL DRIVEN SVR DEEP
CONVECTION AND LIKELY WILL BE ABLE TO CLEAR ADDITIONAL COUNTIES
BEFORE WATCH EXPIRATION AS NC MTN ACTIVITY DIMINISHES.

DEEP CONVECTION WILL TAPER OFF LATE THIS EVE BUT EXPECT AT LEAST
SLIGHT CHC POPS OVER MTNS THRU THE NIGHT AS WEAK H5 VORTICES
CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE AREA. TEMPS WILL COOL INTO THE M60S ACROSS
THE PIEDMONT AND 50S IN THE MTNS. WX PATTERN MON LOOKS SIMILAR TO
TODAY BUT WITH A LITTLE LESS FORCING ALOFT. IN ANY CASE TEMPS WILL
WARM INTO THE 90S...80S MTNS AGAIN AND EXPECT CHC TSTMS MTNS INTO N
NC PIEDMONT...SLIGHT CHC AGAIN ACROSS S CWA.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 2 PM SUNDAY...THE SHORT TERM FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON TUESDAY
WITH THE LONGWAVE H5 RIDGE AXIS WELL OFFSHORE TO OUR EAST AND THE
UPPER TROF AXIS FAR TO OUR NORTH OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION. NOT
MUCH CHANGE IS EXPECTED WRT THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN THRU THE PERIOD.
WEAK RIDGING AT THE SFC AND ALOFT WILL KEEP THE AREA IN A VERY WARM
SUMMER-LIKE PATTERN WITH SWLY LOW LVL FLOW EACH DAY/EVENING. ALL OF
THE OP MODELS GENERATE SOME DEGREE OF PVA EMBEDDED WITHIN NUMEROUS
WEAK SHORTWAVES THAT PROPAGATE TO OUR NORTH DURING THE FIRST 24HRS
OR SO OF THE PERIOD. THE LATEST 12Z GFS APPEARS TO BE THE MOST
BULLISH WRT SHORTWAVE AMPLIFICATION ON TUES...WITH THE NAM AND ECMWF
DOWNPLAYING THEIR AMPLITUDE AND PROXIMITY TO THE CWFA. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO GENERATE MARGINAL TO MODERATE INSTABILITY
ACROSS THE MTNS AND LOWER CAPE VALUES OVER THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS.
OVERALL...BEST CHANCES FOR SH AND TS ARE STILL LOOKING LIKE THE MTS
WITH ANY ORGANIZED CONVECTIVE THREAT STAYING TO OUR NORTH. TEMPS
WILL CHANGED VERY LITTLE FROM THE PREVIOUS FCST WITH HIGHS IN THE
LOWER 90S FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS AND MID 80S FOR THE MTS.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AS OF NOON SUNDAY...THE GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A
RATHER ABRUPT AND DRAMATIC PATTERN CHANGE IS IN STORE FOR THE
SOUTHEAST LATE IN THE WEEK...AS HEIGHT FALLS OVERSPREAD MUCH OF THE
EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY...RESULTING IN MEAN TROUGHING THAT IS
EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. IN FACT...THE GFS
AND ECMWF ESTABLISH A RATHER DEEP UPPER LOW IN THE VICINITY OF THE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BY DAY 7. THE UPSHOT WOULD BE A TRANSITION
FROM VERY WARM/DRY MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS DURING MID-WEEK...TO A
WETTER AND COOLER PATTERN BY FRIDAY...CONTINUING THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.

WITH THIS IN MIND...HIGHER-THAN-CLIMO POPS (I.E. SOLID CHANCES) WILL
BE FEATURED IN THE FORECAST SUITE FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THE END OF THE PERIOD. IT APPEARS THERE COULD BE AN ORGANIZED SEVERE
WX THREAT AS THE TROUGH APPROACHES THE REGION ON THURSDAY...WITH
PERHAPS A TRANSITION TO MORE OF A HEAVY RAIN THREAT NEXT WEEKEND AS
THE MATURING SYNOPTIC PATTERN FAVORS A CONTINUOUS FEED OF ABUNDANT
MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. THIS SHOULD ALSO RESULT IN OCCURRENCE OF
CONVECTION BEING LESS STRONGLY TIED TO THE DIURNAL HEATING CYCLE...
SO SOLID POPS WILL BE MAINTAINED DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

TEMPS ON THURSDAY WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...AS THE
COOLER/WETTER PATTERN ESTABLISHES ITSELF LATE IN THE WEEK...TEMPS
WILL BE AROUND...IF NOT A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL BY DAY 7.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AT KCLT...CHANCES FOR A TSTM OCCURRING NEAR THE TERMINAL REMAIN
SMALL THIS EVENING AS IT IS FAR LESS THAN CERTAIN HOW MTN TSTM
LINE WILL DEVELOP INTO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...GIVING THE FCST OF
INCREASE CONVECTIVE INHIBITION. OTHERWISE...JUST A SMALL POSSIBILITY
OF MVFR BR TOWARD DAYBREAK. SW WINDS COULD BECOME GUSTY MONDAY
AFTERNOON...AND AT THIS POINT...TSTM CHANCES REMAIN SMALL ENUF TO
NOT INCLUDE ANY CB MENTION.

ELSEWHERE...EVENING TSTM POSSIBILITIES WILL BE SEEN FROM
KAVL-KHKY...OTHERWISE FAIR TONIGHT...WITH AREAS OF MVFR BR
DEVELOPING. THE NW PORTION OF THE FA REMAINS UNDER THE BETTER
TSTM CHANCES MONDAY AFTERNOON.

OUTLOOK...MOSTLY VFR THRU THU AS A WEAK RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE
REGION. RESTRICTIONS WILL BE DUE TO LOWER CIG/VIS IN AND AROUND SCT
AFTN-EVE TSTMS EACH DAY...AND EARLY MRNG FOG. A COLD FRONT MOVES IN
FROM THE W FRI.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...JPT
NEAR TERM...CSH/RB
SHORT TERM...JPT
LONG TERM...JDL
AVIATION...CSH/RB

Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 7:47 PM EDT, 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
747 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

NCZ033-035-048>050-052-053-059-063>065-501>510-240000-
AVERY-ALEXANDER-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-
NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-
CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-
MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-
747 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 333 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...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...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.

NCZ036-037-056-057-068>072-082-240000-
IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-
CABARRUS-UNION NC-
747 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING.
GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE
MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS. HOWEVER...A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE
BRIEF PERIODS OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.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.

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ051-058-062-SCZ001>014-019-240000-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-SWAIN-GRAHAM-MACON-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
747 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

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

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 22, 6:29 PM EDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
629 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

NCZ053-222315-
BUNCOMBE-
629 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BUNCOMBE COUNTY THROUGH 715 PM
EDT...

AT 624 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF CANDLER...OR 12 MILES WEST OF
DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  I-26 AT I-40...
  BILTMORE FOREST...
  WOODFIN...
  WEAVERVILLE...

DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

LAT...LON 3561 8233 3560 8232 3544 8277 3544 8279
      3547 8280 3553 8278 3554 8276 3556 8278
      3557 8277 3563 8282 3562 8283 3580 8250
      3580 8246

KRENTZ

Local storm report, May 22, 6:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
656 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

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

0630 PM     HAIL             MARSHALL                35.80N 82.68W
05/22/2011  E1.00 INCH       MADISON            NC   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

KRENTZ

Special weather statement, May 22, 7:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

NCZ052-064-230000-
HAYWOOD-TRANSYLVANIA-
710 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN TRANSYLVANIA AND
SOUTHEASTERN HAYWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 800 PM EDT...

AT 702 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF SUNBURST...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF
WAYNESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CRUSO...

PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

LAT...LON 3547 8280 3544 8278 3540 8272 3528 8261
      3527 8262 3523 8293 3529 8292 3532 8297
      3533 8297 3540 8302 3549 8279

MCAVOY

Special weather statement, May 22, 7:24 PM EDT, 56 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
724 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

NCZ048-230130-
MADISON-
724 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN MADISON COUNTY
THROUGH 930 PM EDT...

AT 719 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MARS HILL...OR 6 MILES EAST OF MARSHALL.

HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER
LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK
HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.

LAT...LON 3586 8242 3582 8241 3581 8246 3580 8247
      3580 8251 3573 8268 3573 8271 3572 8271
      3570 8276 3583 8276 3584 8275 3590 8245

KRENTZ

Special weather statement, May 22, 7:31 PM EDT, 49 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
731 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

NCZ053-505-230015-
BUNCOMBE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
731 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN BUNCOMBE AND WESTERN
MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 815 PM EDT...

AT 723 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM WEAVERVILLE TO 5
MILES EAST OF CRUSO...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  ASHEVILLE MALL...
  AVERY CREEK...
  SWANNANOA...
  FAIRVIEW...

PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.

LAT...LON 3570 8227 3570 8225 3549 8223 3549 8230
      3550 8233 3548 8237 3545 8264 3546 8269
      3570 8252 3572 8228

Local storm report, May 22, 7:34 PM EDT, 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
734 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011

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

0702 PM     HAIL             MARS HILL               35.83N 82.55W
05/22/2011  E1.75 INCH       MADISON            NC   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HAIL RANGING FROM QUARTER TO GOLFBALL SIZE.

&&

KRENTZ

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 22, 8:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell	66 min
May 22, 9:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Davie, Iredell, Rowan	83 min
May 23, 3:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Rutherford	43 min
May 23, 3:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell, Rutherford	27 min
May 23, 4:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Cleveland	45 min
May 23, 4:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Lincoln, Rutherford	20 min
May 23, 4:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Davie, Iredell	64 min
May 23, 5:47 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Davie	28 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2011 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

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.