Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 384, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 15, 2011Greenville County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina; Henderson County, Polk County, Rutherford County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 15, 2011, 6:18 PM EDT for Greenville County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina; Henderson County, Polk County, Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 27 min. 13 reports 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
Jun 15, 2011, 6:18 PM EDT (22:18 UTC)
Expired
Jun 15, 2011, 6:45 PM EDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Henderson County, NC, Polk County, NC, Rutherford County, NC, Greenville County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:21 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
Jun 15, 6:25 PM EDTHAIL 12 N Tigerville, SC1 INCH HAIL 2 MILES NORTH OF TIGERVILLE.
Jun 15, 6:35 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 N Taylors, SCTREES DOWN AT LAKE CUNNINGHAM...TREE ON HOUSE
Jun 15, 6:37 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 Nw Travelers Rest, SCTREES DOWN AT US 276 AND BATES CROSSING ROAD
Jun 15, 6:37 PM EDTHAIL 1.756 Nw Greer, SCGOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED NEAR LAKE ROBINSON
Jun 15, 6:47 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Ssw Greer, SCA LARGE TREE FELL ON A HOUSE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HAMMETT BRIDGE ROAD AND SOUTH BUNCOMBE ROAD. VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE AS THE TREE HIT THE CORNER AND WAS LYING NEXT TO THE HOUSE. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER 7 PM.
Jun 15, 6:47 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG4 Nw Lyman, SCNUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG ELLISON ROAD AND ELLISON CIRCLE. AN AREA ON ELLISON CIRCLE WHERE THE TOPS OF A FEW TREES WERE TAKEN OFF.
Jun 15, 6:48 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 60Greer, SCWIND GUST TO 60 MPH REPORTED BY ASOS AT GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AIRPORT
Jun 15, 6:48 PM EDTHAIL 1Greer, SC1 INCH HAIL REPORTED NEAR GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AIRPORT ALONG WITH FLYING DEBRIS
Jun 15, 6:48 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 592 Sse Greer, SCKGSP ASOS
Jun 15, 6:49 PM EDTHAIL 0.53 Ssw Greer, SCQUITE A HAIL SHOWER OF PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL FELL IN A PERIOD OF A HALF MINUTE OR LESS.
Jun 15, 6:50 PM EDTHAIL 1.254 Nw Lyman, SCHAIL LARGER THAN ONE INCH IN DIAMETER REPORTED ON ELLISON CIRCLE.
Jun 15, 6:52 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGGreer, SC8 INCH LIMBS DOWN ON SC 357 NEAR STEWARTS ESTATE
Jun 15, 6:53 PM EDTHAIL 1Campobello, SCONE INCH HAIL

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 7 minutes after it went out.

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
Jun 15, 12:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 221 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2011-06-15Temperature 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2011-06-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 8 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1319 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

660 
WUUS52 KGSP 152218
SVRGSP
NCC089-149-161-SCC045-083-152245-
/O.NEW.KGSP.SV.W.0384.110615T2218Z-110615T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
618 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  GREENVILLE COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SPARTANBURG COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SPARTANBURG...
  HENDERSON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE...
  POLK COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF COLUMBUS...
  RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF RUTHERFORDTON...

* UNTIL 645 PM EDT

* AT 617 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS
  IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
  EXTENDING FROM BAT CAVE TO MARIETTA...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
  FROM 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF HENDERSONVILLE TO 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  PICKENS...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  LAKE LURE BY 625 PM EDT...
  TRAVELERS REST AND TIGERVILLE BY 630 PM EDT...
  TRYON AND COLUMBUS BY 635 PM EDT...
  TAYLORS AND LANDRUM BY 640 PM EDT...
  GREER AND RUTHERFORDTON BY 645 PM EDT...

LAT...LON 3518 8181 3518 8187 3509 8182 3487 8187
      3487 8248 3493 8252 3501 8254 3501 8260
      3545 8243 3548 8228 3546 8225 3549 8222
      3554 8185 3556 8184 3558 8172
TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 284DEG 32KT 3547 8228 3499 8256

$$

SJN

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 Jun 15, 3:32 PM EDT, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 3:32 PM EDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
332 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
A FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL
LINGER NEAR THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/...
CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK SURFACE FRONT PLUS MOISTURE AND
INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH SHOULD
RESULT IN NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. MODERATE
INSTABILITY AND WEAK TO MODERATE SHEAR SHOULD RESULT IN ORGANIZED
THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND AND
HAIL. CLOUDINESS SHOULD HELP HOLD UP TEMPERATURES AND THE GUIDANCE
MAY BE A LITTLE TOO WARM.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
THE NAM AND GFS SHOW DEEPER MOISTURE SHIFTING EAST OF THE FORECAST
AREA BEHIND THE MAIN MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH THURSDAY.
HOWEVER...THE MODELS KEEP THE WEAK SURFACE TROUGH IN THE AREA WITH
RELATIVELY COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS BUT
COVERAGE SHOULD BE LIMITED BY MOISTURE. THE NAM AND GFS MOS
SUPPORT SLIGHT CHANCE OR CHANCE POPS. THE NAM INDICATES SURFACE-
BASED LI/S -4 TO -8 SO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY OCCUR.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON AN UPPER RIDGE REMAINING ANCHORED
OVER THE MID SOUTH WHILE THE FORECAST STAYS WITHIN THE
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH. IN THE LOW
LEVELS...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS SHOWN TO REMAIN STALLED OUT ACROSS
THE AREA...KEEPING THE AREA WITHIN DEEPER MOISTURE AND
CONVERGENCE. KEPT THE GOING FORECAST OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES
AND MAINLY A DIURNAL POP TREND (CHANCE MOUNTAINS AND SLIGHT CHANCE
PIEDMONT) EACH AFTERNOON.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AT KCLT...HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION WILL WEAKEN THIS AFTERNOON
AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST LATE TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY MORNING. MOISTURE FLUX WILL INCREASE OVER THE FORECAST
AREA THIS EVENING. INITIAL VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME
MVFR MAINLY BECAUSE OF CIGS 2-3 KFT AND SOME VSBYS 4-5 MILES IN
SHOWERS. BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR IN HEAVIER SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FROM 04Z-14Z THURSDAY MORNING. COLD FRONT SHOULD
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATE THURSDAY MORNING 14Z-16Z TIME FRAME.
AFTER 14Z...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED.

ELSEWHERE...HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION WILL WEAKEN THIS AFTERNOON
AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST LATE TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY MORNING. MOISTURE FLUX WILL INCREASE OVER THE FORECAST
AREA THIS EVENING. INITIAL VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME
MVFR MAINLY BECAUSE OF CIGS 2-3 KFT AND SOME VSBYS 4-5 MILES IN
SHOWERS. BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR IN HEAVIER SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FROM 04Z-14Z THURSDAY MORNING. COLD FRONT SHOULD
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATE THURSDAY MORNING 14Z-16Z TIME FRAME.
AFTER 14Z...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED.

EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...DIURNALLY CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WITH
DAYTIME HEATING AS IMPULSES MOVING ACROSS THE REGION IN THE
NORTHWEST FLOW INTO NEXT TUESDAY WILL PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF
IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

&&

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

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 15, 1:18 PM EDT, 5 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
118 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2011

GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-049-050-053-056-057-064-065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-161730-
STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-BUNCOMBE-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-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
118 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2011

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD POSSIBLY BECOME
SEVERE. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

A FRONT WILL EXTEND THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT
RISK OF SEVERE STORMS ALONG THE FRONT...MAINLY ACROSS THE
PIEDMONT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

GAZ010-017-NCZ048-051-052-058-059-062-063-161730-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-MADISON-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-
118 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2011

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 478 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA 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 HAZARD.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

A FRONT WILL EXTEND THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT
RISK OF SEVERE STORMS ALONG THE FRONT...MAINLY ACROSS THE
PIEDMONT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 15, 5:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenville, Oconee, Pickens29 min
Jun 15, 6:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenville, Laurens, Spartanburg35 min
Jun 15, 7:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville, Anderson, Oconee, Pickens54 min
Jun 15, 7:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Laurens, Spartanburg, Union67 min
Jun 15, 7:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPChester55 min
Jun 15, 3:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood30 min
Jun 15, 3:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Haywood, Madison25 min
Jun 15, 5:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGraham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain57 min
Jun 15, 5:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Yancey38 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2011Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2011Every 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.