Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 17, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 3, 2021Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at May 3, 2021, 1:17 PM EDT for Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It was in force for 28 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: May 3, 2021, 1:17 PM EDT (17:17 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 2021, 1:45 PM EDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

Counties Cabarrus County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 145 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:20 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 12:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 120 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: 631 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 538 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 162 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 183 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.4
Supercell composite: 2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

867 
WFUS52 KGSP 031717
TORGSP
NCC025-119-031745-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0017.210503T1717Z-210503T1745Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
117 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Cabarrus County in the Piedmont of North Carolina...
  Southern Mecklenburg County in the Piedmont of North Carolina...

* Until 145 PM EDT.
    
* At 116 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 6 miles southwest of Uptown Charlotte, or near
  Southwest Charlotte, moving east at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Expect damage to mobile homes, roofs, and vehicles.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Southpark Mall and Freedom Park around 120 PM EDT.
  Uptown Charlotte, South Charlotte, The Plaza, Matthews and Central 
  Charlotte around 130 PM EDT.
  Mint Hill, Reedy Creek Park, East Charlotte, Harrisburg and 
  Midland around 140 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A brief, weak tornado is likely. Mobile homes could be flipped.
Falling trees can cause death or serious injury, and major damage to
houses. Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of
a sturdy building.

Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National
Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg by calling toll free, 1, 800,
2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using
hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the
specific location where it occurred.

&&

LAT...LON 3519 8051 3521 8055 3514 8063 3510 8098
      3517 8099 3535 8055 3520 8050
TIME...MOT...LOC 1716Z 250DEG 39KT 3515 8093 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

8

2 follow-up statements

882 
WWUS52 KGSP 031726
SVSGSP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
126 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

NCC025-119-031745-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-210503T1745Z/
Cabarrus NC-Mecklenburg NC-
126 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 PM EDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL CABARRUS AND SOUTHEASTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTIES...
    
At 126 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Uptown Charlotte, or near Freedom Park, moving east
at 40 mph.

HAZARD...TORNADO.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Expect damage to mobile homes, roofs, and vehicles.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Mint Hill, Matthews, Reedy Creek Park and East Charlotte around 
  140 PM EDT.
  Midland around 150 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A brief, weak tornado is likely. Mobile homes could be flipped.
Falling trees can cause death or serious injury, and major damage to
houses. Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of
a sturdy building.

Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National
Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg by calling toll free, 1, 800,
2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using
hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the
specific location where it occurred.

&&

LAT...LON 3512 8087 3520 8090 3524 8081 3535 8055
      3520 8050 3519 8051 3521 8055 3514 8063
      3512 8079
TIME...MOT...LOC 1726Z 252DEG 36KT 3518 8082 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

8

274 
WWUS52 KGSP 031741
SVSGSP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
141 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

NCC025-119-031751-
/O.EXP.KGSP.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-210503T1745Z/
Cabarrus NC-Mecklenburg NC-
141 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CABARRUS AND SOUTHEASTERN
MECKLENBURG COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 145 PM EDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM EDT for the Piedmont
of North Carolina.

If you observed large hail or wind damage, please report it to the
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg by calling toll free,
1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet
it using hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and
the specific location where it occurred.

LAT...LON 3512 8087 3520 8090 3524 8081 3535 8055
      3520 8050 3519 8051 3521 8055 3514 8063
      3512 8079
TIME...MOT...LOC 1741Z 250DEG 39KT 3412 8292 

$$

8

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 3, 5:52 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Burke	23 min
May 3, 6:14 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Burke	31 min
May 3, 6:50 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Catawba	25 min
May 3, 7:24 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Alexander	36 min
May 3, 8:00 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Davie	30 min
May 3, 8:30 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Davie	30 min
May 3, 9:30 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Cleveland	30 min
May 3, 9:45 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Gaston	45 min
May 3, 10:15 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Gaston, Mecklenburg	30 min
May 3, 11:58 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Cleveland, Lincoln	32 min
May 3, 12:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Alexander, Catawba, Gaston, Lincoln	51 min
May 3, 12:38 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Gaston	37 min
May 3, 1:10 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Cabarrus, Mecklenburg	50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2021 Every tornado warning in 2021 Tornadoes 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.