Alert archive / North Carolina / Special Weather Statements in 2021
Special Weather Statement, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this special weather statement at Aug 20, 2021, 6:25 AM EDT for Madison County, North Carolina. It was in force for 50 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
- Aug 20, 2021, 6:25 AM EDT (10:25 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 20, 2021, 7:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
County Madison County, NC
The radar
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:26 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 266 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
- 543 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -19 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1590 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 36 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
140
WWUS82 KGSP 201025
SPSGSP
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
625 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ048-201115-
Madison NC-
625 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY UNTIL
715 AM EDT...
At 624 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a heavy rain shower 10
miles west of Marshall, or 5 miles southwest of Hot Springs, moving
southeast at 15 mph.
Locations to be impacted include...
Marshall, Hot Springs, Walnut, Luck, Spring Creek, Max Patch and
Canto.
Very heavy rainfall rates up to one inch per hour will be possible
in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as
ditches and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded
roads. Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek
higher ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3595 8285 3592 8282 3594 8280 3577 8260
3574 8267 3573 8267 3573 8271 3572 8271
3569 8281 3570 8285 3568 8289 3574 8292
3575 8296 3579 8296 3584 8292 3587 8292
3588 8290 3593 8292 3593 8290 3595 8287
TIME...MOT...LOC 1024Z 321DEG 13KT 3582 8287
$$
HGWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at Aug 20, 3:34 AM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 20, 3:34 AM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 334 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021 .SYNOPSIS... Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be in store today. Subsidence aloft associated with a ridge of high pressure over the south-central CONUS will slowly build eastward and should lead to drier conditions over the weekend. The pattern will remain relatively unchanged through the early part of next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 305 am EDT: A positively-tilted upper trough axis stretches from the eastern Great Lakes to the base of the Southern Appalachians early this morning. Meanwhile, Tropical System Henri remains well east of the N Florida coast and is not expected to have any impact on the forecast area. Across our region, the convection allowing models have modest redevelopment of showers and embedded thunderstorms arriving from eastern TN near daybreak. Regional radars already show this development just west of the mountains, and isolated to scattered coverage across the western NC mountains appears reasonable this morning given a decent vorticity lobe swinging through the trough into the southern Appalachians. Anticipate any convection moving into the higher terrain to be fairly weak given the limited early morning instability of just a few hundred J/kg of sbCAPE. Fog will be the other issue through daybreak given brief breaks in the mid clouds and very moist ground. However, additional stratocumulus arriving from the west should preclude widespread dense fog this morning. This is handled with an SPS for patchy dense fog through daybreak. After the morning activity wanes across the mountains, additional scattered convection should once again fire diurnally off the eastern slopes of the mountains as the forcing moves through aloft. A punch of mid-level dry air could permit storms to strengthen and produce some gusty winds. The H5 low will close off over the Virginias tonight, with any lingering forcing east of the area. Anticipate daytime maxes near climo, but nighttime mins 1 to 2 categories above climo. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... As of 130 AM EDT Friday: Closed upper low will continue to meander over the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday, while slowly pushing east. This will influence the track of TS Henri as the storm moves up the Gulf Stream on the eastern peripheral of the closed low. This won't bode well along the East Coast with an enhanced rip current threat and the potential for a direct hit near Cape Cod and other parts along the New England Coast. As the upper low pushes east, NW-ly flow aloft will filter into the region and cap PoPs to slight/low chance, with ridgetop convergence as the main forcing mechanism, which allows for the highest shower and thunderstorm chance to stay mainly confined to the High Country. Weak lee troughing at the surface could help initiate a few isolated showers and thunderstorms outside of the mountains, but the overall coverage will be relatively sparse with drier conditions settling into a good portion of the CFWA. PWAT values should lower to near-normal values during the forecast period, which in turn helps keep the shower and thunderstorm coverage fairly low for much of the weekend. Rising heights begin to enter the CFWA from the west Saturday into Sunday as an upper ridge gradually deepens over the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. With NW-ly already in place aloft, the typical summertime diurnal convection coverage will be even lower on Sunday compared to Saturday. Only chance PoPs will be in the forecast east of the mountains on Sunday as more subsidence aloft enters the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Only isolated coverage is expected for higher elevations with ridgetop convection as the main source for initiation, while most locations remain mostly dry on Sunday. Temperatures during the short-term period will be at or slightly above normal for both highs and lows over the weekend. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 300 AM EDT Friday: The trough axis associated with the closed upper low will begin its track offshore during the beginning portions of the extended. Upper high will give its best effort to nose into the southeastern CONUS, but ends up retrograding westward instead as the flow aloft flattens out over the northern CONUS and the Bermuda High pattern begins to control the overall synoptic pattern in the Southeast. With high heights (590+ dm) expected to linger over the CFWA, the environment will continue to remain fairly capped with the exception of more ridgetop convection during the early part of next week. PoPs should increase slightly each day starting Tuesday as a return flow enters the area with the Bermuda High setting up shop in its usual position. This will allow for the usual diurnal convection to enter back into the forecast by the middle part of next week. Sandwiched between two upper highs, heights will remain high through much of the period, which means we will essentially be stuck in a hot and humid airmass through most of the medium range. The Bermuda High per model guidance should inch closer to the Carolina coast than it normal does and introduces a deeper Atlantic fetch. PWAT values will rise back to near 2.00" by the latter half of the forecast period. Global models are showing a weak tropical wave encroaching the Southeast by days 6/7, which would only enhance overall PoPs. An uptick in PoPs will be evident Wednesday and beyond due to the this setup, even without an open tropical wave. Temperatures will be above normal through the middle part of next week before a slight dropoff to near normal values by the end of the period as the pattern becomes more active once again. && .AVIATION /08Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... At KCLT and elsewhere: Any isolated thunderstorms arriving from the west in the NC mountains overnight should remain west of KAVL. The main concern through the early morning hours will be fog and low stratus in places where the mid deck scatters, mainly across the mountains and foothills. However, additional stratocumulus will arrive from the west to mitigate these issues at times. This will likely lead to mainly TEMPO IFR to LIFR conditions at times through daybreak at all but KCLT where the mid clouds will persist. The mountain convection should die out this morning, but with additional scattered activity moving off the mountains and out across the foothills and Piedmont this afternoon. This warrants a PROB30 TSRA mention at all sites through late day. Expect light winds, mainly northwesterly, but with some WSW flow at times in the western Upstate with mixing today. Fog will return tonight with drier air aloft over moist ground. Outlook: A typical, diurnal summertime convective pattern is expected to prevail this weekend into early next week, with coverage scattered at best. Mtn valley low stratus and fog will be possible each morning. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. NC...None. SC...None. && SYNOPSIS...CAC NEAR TERM...HG SHORT TERM...CAC LONG TERM...CAC AVIATION...HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 20, 4:57 AM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 457 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-062>065-068>072-082- 502-504-506>510-SCZ001>014-019-210900- Rabun-Habersham-Stephens-Franklin-Hart-Elbert-Alexander-Iredell- Davie-Catawba-Rowan-Macon-Southern Jackson-Transylvania-Henderson- Cleveland-Lincoln-Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-Union NC- Greater Caldwell-Greater Burke-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- 457 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia, piedmont North Carolina, western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon/evening. The main threats will be cloud-to-ground lightning, damaging winds, and localized flash flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... None. NCZ033-048>053-058-059-501-503-505-210900- Avery-Madison-Yancey-Mitchell-Swain-Haywood-Buncombe-Graham- Northern Jackson-Caldwell Mountains-Burke Mountains- McDowell Mountains- 457 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Morning showers and thunderstorms will continue through daybreak and possibly beyond. The main threats are cloud-to-ground lightning and localized flash flooding. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon/evening. The main threats will be cloud-to-ground lightning, damaging winds, and localized flash flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... None.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 4:39 AM EDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
439 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ033-200915-
Avery NC-
439 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A SERIES OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL IMPACT AVERY COUNTY UNTIL 515
AM EDT...
At 437 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking one in a series of heavy
rain showers 4 miles north of Newland, or near Elk Park, moving east
at 15 mph. Additional showers were redeveloping to the west.
Locations to be impacted include...
Newland, Banner Elk, Elk Park, Beech Mountain In Avery County, Sugar
Mountain, Seven Devils, Grandfather Mountain State Park, Blue Ridge
Parkway-Linville Falls To Grandfather, Minneapolis and Linville.
Very heavy rainfall rates up to one-half to one inch per hour will
be possible in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Heavy rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as ditches
and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded roads.
Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek higher
ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3625 8190 3624 8190 3623 8191 3621 8190
3619 8188 3619 8186 3616 8183 3611 8181
3610 8178 3607 8174 3603 8176 3609 8208
3611 8208 3613 8205 3612 8203 3626 8193
3627 8189
TIME...MOT...LOC 0837Z 278DEG 13KT 3615 8195
HGSpecial weather statement, Aug 20, 4:44 AM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
444 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ051-058-200930-
Graham NC-Swain NC-
444 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A SERIES OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN SWAIN AND
GRAHAM COUNTIES UNTIL 530 AM EDT...
At 442 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking one is a series of heavy
rain showers 8 miles north of Robbinsville, or near Fontana Village,
moving east at 20 mph. Additional showers are redeveloping to the
west.
Locations to be impacted include...
Robbinsville, Town Of Santeetlah, Smoky Mountains-Fontana Area, Lake
Santeetlah, Fontana Lake, Fontana Village, Smoky Mountains-Twentymile
Creek, Stecoah, Nantahala and Cheoah.
Heavy rainfall rates of one-half to one inch per hour will be
possible in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Heavy rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as ditches
and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded roads.
Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek higher
ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3544 8399 3546 8396 3547 8392 3552 8388
3553 8382 3556 8377 3557 8368 3554 8355
3529 8363 3528 8368 3525 8370 3526 8371
3525 8373 3536 8402 3539 8401 3541 8402
TIME...MOT...LOC 0842Z 284DEG 16KT 3544 8378
HGSpecial weather statement, Aug 20, 4:55 AM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
455 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ048-200945-
Madison NC-
455 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A SERIES OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL IMPACT MADISON COUNTY UNTIL
545 AM EDT...
At 453 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking one in a series of heavy
rain showers 12 miles northwest of Marshall, or near Hot Springs,
moving southeast at 15 mph. The showers were redeveloping to the
west.
Locations to be impacted include...
Marshall, Hot Springs, Faust, Allenstand, Walnut, Luck, Wolf Ridge
and Spring Creek.
Heavy rainfall rates of one-half to one inch per hour will be
possible in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Heavy rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as ditches
and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded roads.
Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek higher
ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3603 8259 3600 8261 3597 8261 3595 8256
3598 8251 3595 8248 3591 8249 3590 8247
3569 8286 3582 8295 3584 8292 3587 8292
3588 8290 3593 8292 3595 8287 3592 8282
3593 8281 3597 8278 3600 8277 3606 8264
TIME...MOT...LOC 0853Z 305DEG 12KT 3592 8285
HGSpecial weather statement, Aug 20, 5:34 AM EDT, 51 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
534 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ033-201015-
Avery NC-
534 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A SERIES OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL IMPACT AVERY COUNTY UNTIL 615
AM EDT...
At 533 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking another in a series of
heavy rain showers, with embedded thunderstorms, 4 miles north of
Newland, or near Elk Park, moving southeast at 25 mph. Additional
showers continue to redevelop to the west.
Locations to be impacted include...
Newland, Banner Elk, Elk Park, Beech Mountain In Avery County,
Crossnore, Sugar Mountain, Seven Devils, Grandfather Mountain State
Park, Linville Falls and B.R. Parkway-Linville Falls To Grandfather.
Very heavy rainfall rates of one-half to one inch per hour will be
possible in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Very heavy rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as
ditches and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded
roads. Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek
higher ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3627 8189 3623 8191 3621 8190 3619 8188
3619 8186 3616 8183 3611 8181 3610 8178
3607 8174 3599 8179 3597 8182 3598 8187
3600 8190 3595 8195 3611 8207 3613 8205
3612 8203 3629 8192
TIME...MOT...LOC 0933Z 304DEG 21KT 3615 8194
HGSpecial weather statement, Aug 20, 5:41 AM EDT, 44 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
541 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ048-201015-
Madison NC-
541 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A SERIES OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL IMPACT MADISON COUNTY UNTIL
615 AM EDT...
At 540 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking another in a series of
heavy rain showers 13 miles northwest of Marshall, or near Hot
Springs, moving southeast at 20 mph. The showers were redeveloping
to the west.
Locations to be impacted include...
Marshall, Mars Hill, Hot Springs, Allenstand, Walnut, Luck, Spring
Creek, Max Patch and Canto.
Very heavy rainfall rates up to one inch per hour will be possible
in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as
ditches and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded
roads. Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek
higher ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3581 8247 3580 8253 3573 8267 3573 8271
3572 8271 3570 8277 3569 8281 3570 8285
3568 8288 3574 8292 3574 8295 3575 8296
3579 8296 3584 8292 3587 8292 3588 8290
3593 8292 3595 8287 3593 8281 3600 8277
TIME...MOT...LOC 0940Z 305DEG 18KT 3590 8289
HGSpecial weather statement, Aug 20, 6:25 AM EDT, 0 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
625 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
NCZ048-201115-
Madison NC-
625 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021
...A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY UNTIL
715 AM EDT...
At 624 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a heavy rain shower 10
miles west of Marshall, or 5 miles southwest of Hot Springs, moving
southeast at 15 mph.
Locations to be impacted include...
Marshall, Hot Springs, Walnut, Luck, Spring Creek, Max Patch and
Canto.
Very heavy rainfall rates up to one inch per hour will be possible
in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall may flood areas with poor drainage, such as
ditches and underpasses. Avoid these areas and do not cross flooded
roads. Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly. Seek
higher ground if threatened by flood waters.
&&
LAT...LON 3595 8285 3592 8282 3594 8280 3577 8260
3574 8267 3573 8267 3573 8271 3572 8271
3569 8281 3570 8285 3568 8289 3574 8292
3575 8296 3579 8296 3584 8292 3587 8292
3588 8290 3593 8292 3593 8290 3595 8287
TIME...MOT...LOC 1024Z 321DEG 13KT 3582 8287
HGThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 9:37 PM EDT | River Flood Advisory | GSP | Buncombe | 13 hr |
| Aug 20, 4:39 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Avery | 36 min |
| Aug 20, 4:44 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Graham | 46 min |
| Aug 20, 4:55 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Madison | 50 min |
| Aug 20, 5:34 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Avery | 41 min |
| Aug 20, 5:41 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Madison | 34 min |
| Aug 20, 7:21 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Cleveland | 24 min |
| Aug 20, 7:44 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Cleveland | 31 min |
| Aug 20, 4:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Oconee | 46 min |
| Aug 20, 5:28 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Franklin, Hart | 32 min |
| Aug 20, 5:58 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | GSP | Hart | 32 min |
Nearby
Special Weather Statements in North Carolina, 2021Every special weather statement in 2021
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.