Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

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

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 2:29 PM EST for Graham County, Swain County, North Carolina. It was in force for 52 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, 2:29 PM EST (19:29 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 3:21 PM EST
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Graham County, NC, Swain County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:28 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 nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 260 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 12:00Z on 2012-03-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 55 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 12:00Z on 2012-03-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 206 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
55 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-255 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
788 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
206 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
268 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.

035 
WFUS52 KGSP 021929
TORGSP
NCC075-173-022030-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0004.120302T1929Z-120302T2030Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN GRAHAM COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  SWAIN COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 330 PM EST

* AT 224 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 4 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF FONTANA VILLAGE...OR 11 MILES NORTH OF ROBBINSVILLE...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NEWFOUND GAP...
  SMOKEMONT...

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.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF 
GOLF BALLS WILL PRECEDE THE TORNADO. WIND DRIVEN HAIL OF THIS SIZE 
POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INJURY AND DAMAGE. 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.

TO REPORT TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...OR FLOODING...
THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER...
1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.

&&

LAT...LON 3553 8388 3553 8383 3557 8377 3558 8360
      3557 8349 3562 8344 3567 8334 3566 8330
      3569 8327 3569 8323 3556 8316 3551 8318
      3552 8324 3549 8329 3538 8387 3548 8392
TIME...MOT...LOC 1929Z 245DEG 52KT 3551 8378

$$
LG
2 follow-up statements
061 
WWUS52 KGSP 021957
SVSGSP

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

NCC075-022007-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120302T2030Z/
GRAHAM NC-
257 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN GRAHAM COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3557 8349 3560 8347 3564 8337 3567 8335
      3567 8333 3566 8330 3569 8328 3569 8325
      3569 8323 3556 8316 3548 8350 3557 8354
TIME...MOT...LOC 1957Z 245DEG 52KT 3568 8333

$$

NCC173-022030-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120302T2030Z/
SWAIN NC-
257 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM EST FOR
NORTHEASTERN SWAIN COUNTY...

AT 252 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTH OF
NEWFOUND GAP...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GATLINBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 60 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE
INDICATED COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF 
GOLF BALLS WILL PRECEDE THE TORNADO. WIND DRIVEN HAIL OF THIS SIZE 
POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INJURY AND DAMAGE. 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.

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 3557 8349 3560 8347 3564 8337 3567 8335
      3567 8333 3566 8330 3569 8328 3569 8325
      3569 8323 3556 8316 3548 8350 3557 8354
TIME...MOT...LOC 1957Z 245DEG 52KT 3568 8333

$$
LG
347 
WWUS52 KGSP 022021
SVSGSP

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

NCC173-022031-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120302T2030Z/
SWAIN NC-
321 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN SWAIN COUNTY IS CANCELLED...


THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED EAST OF THE AREA.
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 3557 8349 3560 8347 3564 8337 3567 8335
      3567 8333 3566 8330 3569 8328 3569 8325
      3569 8323 3556 8316 3548 8350 3557 8354
TIME...MOT...LOC 2021Z 245DEG 52KT 3582 8294

$$
LG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 6:43 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPGaston32 min
Mar 2, 8:02 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion43 min
Mar 2, 8:52 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPGaston38 min
Mar 2, 9:36 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion39 min
Mar 2, 9:38 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion52 min
Mar 2, 10:03 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPCatawba, Cleveland, Lincoln42 min
Mar 2, 10:49 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPAlexander, Catawba, Davie, Iredell41 min
Mar 2, 11:16 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPDavie44 min
Mar 2, 11:23 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie, Iredell, Rowan24 min
Mar 2, 1:09 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPGraham36 min
Mar 2, 1:38 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPGraham, Swain52 min
Mar 2, 3:14 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Haywood, Madison23 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.