Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 5, 2012Cherokee County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 5, 2012, 4:26 PM EDT for Cherokee County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 38 min. 7 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: Apr 5, 2012, 4:26 PM EDT (20:26 UTC)
Expired: Apr 5, 2012, 5:04 PM EDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Cherokee County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:26 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
Apr 5, 4:32 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Ssw Cowpens, SC	TREE DOWN ALONG CHERRY HILL RD AND SCHOOL DRIVE.
Apr 5, 4:32 PM EDT	HAIL 1.5	4 E Boiling Springs Sc, SC	CHEROKEE SPRINGS FD REPORTED UP TO PING PONG BALL SIZED HAIL AND SOME TREE BRANCHES DOWN.
Apr 5, 4:35 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 W Boiling Springs Sc, SC	POWER LINES DOWN...HANGING ROCK RD AND OLD FURNACE RD.
Apr 5, 4:36 PM EDT	HAIL 1	2 Sw Mayo, SC	LAKE BLALOCK PARK RANGER OBSERVED QUARTER SIZED HAIL. TIME DETERMINED BY RADAR.
Apr 5, 4:40 PM EDT	HAIL 0.88	2 Sw Mayo, SC	OBSERVED 1 MILE EAST OF FOSTERS GROVE
Apr 5, 4:40 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	5 Ese Boiling Springs S, SC	OBSERVED AT PEACH VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
Apr 5, 5:03 PM EDT	HAIL 0.75	5 W Gaffney, SC	OBSERVED AT LOVE SPRINGS AND GREEN RIVER RD.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 5, 1:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 206 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1169 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 127 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 192 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.

109 
WFUS52 KGSP 052026
TORGSP
SCC021-083-052115-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0013.120405T2026Z-120405T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
426 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  CENTRAL SPARTANBURG COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 422 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS STORM     
  WAS LOCATED NEAR BOILING SPRINGS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
  COWPENS AND MAYO.
  THICKETTY.
  GAFFNEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO IS LIKELY DEVELOPING. SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON
THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A HOUSE OR OFFICE BUILDING. PLACE AS MANY FLOORS
AND WALLS BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.

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 3518 8171 3503 8159 3492 8196 3504 8205
TIME...MOT...LOC 2025Z 246DEG 22KT 3501 8189

$$

NED

3 follow-up statements

294 
WWUS52 KGSP 052049
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
449 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

SCC021-083-052115-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120405T2115Z/
CHEROKEE SC-SPARTANBURG SC-
449 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL SPARTANBURG AND
NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM EDT...

AT 447 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR COWPENS...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF SPARTANBURG...MOVING
EAST AT 20 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
  THICKETTY.
  GAFFNEY.

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 3518 8171 3503 8159 3492 8196 3504 8205
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 250DEG 18KT 3502 8179

$$

NED

517 
WWUS52 KGSP 052058
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

SCC083-052108-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120405T2115Z/
SPARTANBURG SC-
458 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL SPARTANBURG COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THIS AREA.

LAT...LON 3503 8179 3504 8180 3512 8184 3513 8184
      3518 8171 3503 8159 3498 8175 3498 8177
TIME...MOT...LOC 2058Z 250DEG 18KT 3501 8171

$$

SCC021-052115-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120405T2115Z/
CHEROKEE SC-
458 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE
COUNTY UNTIL 515 PM EDT...

AT 455 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR THICKETTY...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GAFFNEY...MOVING
EAST AT 20 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
  GAFFNEY.

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 3503 8179 3504 8180 3512 8184 3513 8184
      3518 8171 3503 8159 3498 8175 3498 8177
TIME...MOT...LOC 2058Z 250DEG 18KT 3501 8171

$$

NED

615 
WWUS52 KGSP 052104
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
504 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

SCC021-052114-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120405T2115Z/
CHEROKEE SC-
504 PM EDT THU APR 5 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LEVELS.  HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 3503 8179 3504 8180 3512 8184 3513 8184
      3518 8171 3503 8159 3498 8175 3498 8177
TIME...MOT...LOC 2104Z 250DEG 18KT 3502 8168

$$

NED

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 5, 2:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Pickens	62 min
Apr 5, 3:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Laurens, Spartanburg	59 min
Apr 5, 3:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Oconee, Pickens	54 min
Apr 5, 3:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Spartanburg	63 min
Apr 5, 3:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Spartanburg	58 min
Apr 5, 3:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union	65 min
Apr 5, 4:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cherokee, Greenville, Spartanburg	60 min
Apr 5, 4:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Chester, Union, York	76 min
Apr 5, 4:45 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GSP	Spartanburg	105 min
Apr 5, 4:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Spartanburg	49 min
Apr 5, 5:49 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Spartanburg	41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes 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.