Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 298, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 3, 2012, 1:16 PM EDT for Buncombe County, McDowell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 59 min. 2 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
- Jul 3, 2012, 1:16 PM EDT (17:16 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 3, 2012, 2:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 59 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Buncombe County, NC, McDowell County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:19 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 2:00 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 6 Nnw Lake Lure, NC | MULTIPLE TREES BLOWN IN HALF. HAIL OF UNKNOWN SIZE. |
| Jul 3, 2:00 PM EDT | HAIL 1 | 8 Se Black Mountain, NC |
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 44 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 nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 216 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
- 642 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -127 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1732 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 16 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -21 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -7 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
824
WUUS52 KGSP 031716
SVRGSP
NCC021-111-031815-
/O.NEW.KGSP.SV.W.0298.120703T1716Z-120703T1815Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
116 PM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
EAST CENTRAL BUNCOMBE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
SOUTHWESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
* UNTIL 215 PM EDT
* AT 112 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR OLD
FORT...OR 14 MILES WEST OF MARION...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH.
* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
OLD FORT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...OR FLOODING THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED
REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL TOLL FREE...1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.
&&
LAT...LON 3553 8210 3552 8217 3552 8222 3551 8224
3550 8233 3566 8232 3569 8216
TIME...MOT...LOC 1716Z 352DEG 5KT 3564 8225
$$
KRENTZ1 follow-up statement
573
WWUS52 KGSP 031726
SVSGSP
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
126 PM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
NCC021-111-031815-
/O.CON.KGSP.SV.W.0298.000000T0000Z-120703T1815Z/
BUNCOMBE NC-MCDOWELL NC-
126 PM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN
MCDOWELL AND EAST CENTRAL BUNCOMBE COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM EDT...
AT 118 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR OLD
FORT...OR 14 MILES WEST OF MARION...MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF EAST
CENTRAL BUNCOMBE AND SOUTHWESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...OR FLOODING THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED
REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL TOLL FREE...1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.
&&
LAT...LON 3567 8219 3553 8210 3552 8216 3553 8217
3552 8219 3552 8222 3551 8224 3550 8233
3566 8231
TIME...MOT...LOC 1726Z 352DEG 5KT 3563 8225
$$
KRENTZWhat 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 Jul 3, 10:57 AM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 10:57 AM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1057 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROF BUILDS SOUTH ACROSS THE EAST COAST BY MID WEEK AND SWINGS EAST BY FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL INTO THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1045 AM...MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES ARE RESULTING IN MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA IN COMPARISON WITH YESTERDAYS READINGS...BY AS MUCH AS 15 DEGREES. THEREFORE...AFTER YESTERDAYS BRIEF RESPITE FROM THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT...MAX TEMPS WILL APPROACH (BUT PROBABLY NOT QUITE REACH) THE CENTURY MARK ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE PIEDMONT. DEWPOINTS ARE A LITTLE HIGHER AS WELL...AND THESE FACTORS...COMBINED WITH FAIRLY STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES PER THE GSO/FFC RAOBS...ARE ALREADY RESULTING IN HEALTHY CAPE VALUES ACROSS THE AREA. WITH THE AIR MASS EXPECTED TO BECOME STRONGLY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON IN AN UNCAPPED ENVIRONMENT...SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE HIGH TERRAIN BY 18Z. WINDS ALOFT/SHEAR ARE VERY WEAK. IN FACT...MEAN 0-6 KM WINDS OFF FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE LESS THAN 5 KT. IN ADDITION...FORECAST SOUNDINGS (AND THE FFC RAOB) DEPICT SUBSTANTIAL MOISTENING HAS OCCURRED IN THE MID/UPPER LEVELS. THEREFORE...THE RISK OF INDIVIDUAL SEVERE UPDRAFTS DOESN/T APPEAR TO BE ESPECIALLY HIGH...AND THE CAPE/SHEAR SITUATION DOESN/T FAVOR ORGANIZATION ALONG OUTFLOWS. HOWEVER...I WOULD EXPECT SEVERAL PULSE SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON IN THE VERY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. WITH SUCH WEAK STEERING FLOW...STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL NOT COVER MUCH REAL ESTATE...SO POPS WILL BE MAINTAINED IN THE 30-50 PERCENT RANGE...WITH SLOW EXPANSION OF CHANCE POPS INTO THE PIEDMONT BE EVENING. INCREASING MOISTURE/PWAT VALUES AND THE WEAK FLOW SHOULD ALSO SUPPORT A LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN THREAT. TONIGHT...ANY ONGOING CONVECTION SHUD DECREASE IN COVERAGE WITH LOSS OF HEATING. CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDINESS EXPECTED WITH TEMPS NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 315 AM TUESDAY...SHORT WAVES DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA WED AND THU IN THE NLY FLOW BETWEEN A DEVELOPING NEW ENGLAND LOW AND MID CONTINENTAL RIDGE. AT THE SFC...A MTN RIDGE/PIEDMONT TROF SETS UP WED AND REMAINS IN PLACE THU. WITH COPIOUS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE...MODERATE INSTABILITY DEVELOPS EACH AFTERNOON. EXPECT SCT COVERAGE TO DEVELOP OVER THE MTNS AND ALONG THE LEE TROF AND MOVE SE ACROSS THE AREA. CONVECTION SHUD BE MAINLY DIURNAL...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT SOME LINGERING NIGHTTIME CONVECTION MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH. MODERATE DCAPE VALUES ARE EXPECTED...SO ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STRONGER STORMS. HIGHS WILL BE NEARLY STEADY EACH DAY...LOW TO MID 90S OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS AND UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 MTN VALLEYS. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL BE AROUND 100 ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-85 CORRIDOR. UPPER RIDGING BEGINS TO BUILD EAST ACROSS THE OH VALLEY FRI BUT SFC PATTER REMAINS SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS. ATMOS REMAINS UNSTABLE BUT LESS IN THE WAY OF SHORT WAVE ENERGY MOVES OVER FOR FORCING. EXPECT A LITTLE LESS CONVECTIVE COVERAGE...BUT SCT COVERAGE STILL EXPECTED. SVR CHC WILL ALSO BE LESS. HIGHS STEADY OR A DEGREE WARMER...WITH HEAT INDEX ABOVE 100 MANY LOCATIONS BUT LESS THAN 105. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 325 AM TUESDAY...LITTLE CHANGE TO THE GOING FCST. 00Z MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS QUITE SIMILAR WITH MAINLY MINOR DETAIL DIFFERENCE. THE DOMINANT UPPER MIDWEST HIGH CENTER WILL STRETCH ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND...BUT WITH THE RIDGE SLOWLY FLATTENING FROM THE NORTH. LINGERING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE AND THE INCREASING PROXIMITY TO NW FLOW MCS TRACKS WILL REQUIRE CHC MTN TO ISOLD PIEDMONT POPS EACH DAY. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY WITH ANY MCS TIMING... POPS FOCUS MAINLY ON THE DIURNALLY FAVORED AFTN/EVENING PERIODS. MAX TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOUT 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...BUT WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLDS. THE GFS REMAINS MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH HEIGHT FALLS OVER THE EAST THROUGH MONDAY...BUT THE ECMWF HAS TRENDED TOWARD THE GFS. A CONSENSUS SOLUTION CALLS FOR CHC POPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA FOR MON AFTN/EVENING. ANY BACKDOOR COLD FRONT MAKING A RUN SOUTHWARD LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY SHOULD STALL N OF THE AREA...BUT WITH A LEE TROUGH EXTENDING SW THROUGH THE CAROLINA PIEDMONT TO PROVIDE SOME FOCUS. MAX TEMPS SHOULD COOL TO WITHIN 5 DEGREES OF NORMAL BY MONDAY AFTN. && .AVIATION /15Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR...EXCEPT IF DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY TSRA. CIRRUS IS THINNING OUT THIS MORNING. LIGHT WINDS THIS MORNING MAY START OUT NELY...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SW BY EARLY AFTN. ISOLD TO SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED ACRS THE AREA TODAY. SO PROB30 WILL BE KEPT FOR MAINLY THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. ELSEWHERE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES TODAY. LIGHT WINDS WILL BECOME SW BY EARLY AFTN...EXCEPT AT KAVL. ISOLD-SCT SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTN (FIRST ACRS THE MTNS THEN OVER THE PIEDMONT LATE AFTN IN THE EVE)...SO HAVE VCTS AT KAVL STARTING AT 17Z...THEN PROB30 GROUPS AT ALL SITES FROM LATE AFTN INTO EARLY EVE. CONVECTION SHUD WANE LATE IN THE EVENING...LEAVING DEBRIS CIRRUS ONCE AGAIN WITH LITTLE POTENTIAL FOR FOG WED MRNG. OUTLOOK...AT LEAST SCATTERED AFTN/EVE SHRA/TSRA POTENTIAL EXPECTED EACH DAY THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK...WITH AREAS OF MORNING FOG/ STRATUS POSSIBLE...ESP IN THE MTN VALLEYS. AN EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED ISSUANCE CATEGORY IS AVAILABLE AT FOLLOWING LINK (USE LOWER CASE)... WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION/TABLES.HTM && .CLIMATE... RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT WILL BE APPROACHED AND POSSIBLY EXCEEDED... AVL JULY 3RD 93 IN 1970 GSP JULY 3RD 99 IN 1931 JULY 4TH 100 IN 1993 CLT JULY 3RD 99 IN 1970 JULY 4TH 99 IN 1993 && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RWH NEAR TERM...ARK/JDL SHORT TERM...RWH LONG TERM...HG/RWH AVIATION...ARK CLIMATE...
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 3:56 AM EDT, 9 hours 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 356 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-040800- 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- 356 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. 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.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 3, 12:40 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1240 PM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
NCZ048-049-031730-
MADISON-YANCEY-
1240 PM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL YANCEY AND EASTERN
MADISON COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT...
AT 1236 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FAUST...OR 11 MILES WEST OF BURNSVILLE...
MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3602 8227 3579 8225 3579 8234 3582 8236
3581 8246 3580 8247 3580 8259 3597 8260
3596 8256 3600 8248 3603 8229
KRENTZThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 12:40 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Yancey | 50 min |
| Jul 3, 12:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Buncombe, Madison, Yancey | 56 min |
| Jul 3, 1:07 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Avery | 12 min |
| Jul 3, 1:20 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Henderson, Transylvania | 55 min |
| Jul 3, 1:41 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Avery | 34 min |
| Jul 3, 1:57 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Mitchell | 48 min |
| Jul 3, 1:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Buncombe, Rutherford | 61 min |
| Jul 3, 2:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell | 59 min |
| Jul 3, 2:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Avery, Mitchell | 35 min |
| Jul 3, 2:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Polk, Rutherford | 27 min |
| Jul 3, 3:12 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Rutherford | 48 min |
| Jul 3, 3:16 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Burke | 44 min |
| Jul 3, 3:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba | 56 min |
| Jul 3, 4:31 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Alexander | 44 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012
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.