Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 2, 2012Macon County, Swain County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 9:28 PM EST for Macon County, Swain County, North Carolina. It was in force for 27 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 2, 2012, 9:28 PM EST (02:28 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 9:55 PM EST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Macon County, NC, Swain County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:28 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 2, 3:19 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 229 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 2012-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 540 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2012-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 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
540 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
948 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
274 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
4.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

526 
WFUS52 KGSP 030228
TORGSP
NCC113-173-030315-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0010.120303T0228Z-120303T0315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
928 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1015 PM EST

* AT 925 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 5 MILES WEST OF
  NANTAHALA LAKE...OR 4 MILES EAST OF ANDREWS...MOVING EAST AT 45
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NANTAHALA LAKE...
  KYLE...
  FRANKLIN AND ALARKA...

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 3521 8373 3523 8370 3530 8369 3540 8335
      3537 8333 3533 8334 3531 8332 3527 8332
      3523 8328 3523 8325 3517 8322 3516 8323
      3513 8365 3515 8366 3516 8374
TIME...MOT...LOC 0228Z 259DEG 39KT 3520 8371

$$

MOORE
2 follow-up statements
823 
WWUS52 KGSP 030246
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
946 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

NCC173-030255-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120303T0315Z/
SWAIN NC-
946 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL SWAIN COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MACON COUNTY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FRIDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL SOUTH
CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3530 8348 3530 8346 3531 8345 3533 8334
      3531 8332 3527 8332 3523 8328 3523 8325
      3517 8322 3516 8323 3513 8360 3528 8363
TIME...MOT...LOC 0245Z 266DEG 44KT 3521 8345

$$

NCC113-030315-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120303T0315Z/
MACON NC-
946 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM EST FOR NORTHERN
MACON COUNTY...

AT 942 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...LOCATED 6 MILES WEST OF 
FRANKLIN...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

A BRIEF TORNADO IS STILL POSSIBLE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF FRANKLIN AS 
THE STORM MOVES PAST. THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY 
RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY.

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 8348 3530 8346 3531 8345 3533 8334
      3531 8332 3527 8332 3523 8328 3523 8325
      3517 8322 3516 8323 3513 8360 3528 8363
TIME...MOT...LOC 0245Z 266DEG 44KT 3521 8345

$$

MOORE
622 
WWUS52 KGSP 030255
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
955 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

NCC113-030305-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120303T0315Z/
MACON NC-
955 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

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

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAS WEAKENED IN EASTERN MACON COUNTY...SO 
THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FRIDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL SOUTH
CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3530 8348 3530 8346 3531 8345 3533 8334
      3531 8332 3527 8332 3523 8328 3523 8325
      3517 8322 3516 8323 3513 8360 3528 8363
TIME...MOT...LOC 0255Z 266DEG 44KT 3522 8330

$$

MOORE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 7:00 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPMadison, Swain60 min
Mar 2, 7:35 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPJackson, Macon85 min
Mar 2, 7:51 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood, Madison, Yancey54 min
Mar 2, 8:13 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPMacon62 min
Mar 2, 8:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAvery, Burke, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey50 min
Mar 2, 8:54 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPJackson, Macon, Transylvania39 min
Mar 2, 9:24 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPTransylvania24 min
Mar 2, 10:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMadison37 min
Mar 2, 11:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMadison, Mitchell, Yancey42 min
Mar 2, 11:20 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPHenderson, Transylvania25 min
Mar 2, 11:22 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAvery, Mitchell38 min
Mar 3, 12:32 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPMacon, Transylvania118 min
Mar 3, 3:25 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.