Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 18, 2021Cherokee County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 18, 2021, 2:37 PM EDT for Cherokee County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 23 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 18, 2021, 2:37 PM EDT (18:37 UTC)
Expired
Mar 18, 2021, 3:00 PM EDT
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Cherokee County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:38 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 18, 2:08 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 214 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2021-03-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2021-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 470 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
486 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
470 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
562 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

892 
WFUS52 KGSP 181837
TORGSP
SCC021-083-181915-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0002.210318T1837Z-210318T1915Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
237 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Spartanburg County in Upstate South Carolina...
  Northwestern Cherokee County in Upstate South Carolina...

* Until 315 PM EDT.
    
* At 236 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Spartanburg, or over USC Upstate, moving northeast
  at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Cowpens, Mayo and Chesnee around 250 PM EDT.
  Cowpens National Battlefield around 300 PM EDT.
  Gaffney around 310 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this dangerous thunderstorm include
Thicketty.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

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 3502 8210 3518 8180 3517 8155 3499 8172
      3489 8208
TIME...MOT...LOC 1836Z 239DEG 32KT 3499 8197 

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

$$

LANE
2 follow-up statements
702 
WWUS52 KGSP 181853
SVSGSP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
253 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

SCC083-181903-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210318T1915Z/
Spartanburg SC-
253 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of 
the warned area. Therefore the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 600 PM EDT for Upstate South
Carolina.

LAT...LON 3500 8178 3501 8179 3503 8179 3504 8180
      3512 8184 3518 8180 3517 8155 3499 8172
TIME...MOT...LOC 1853Z 239DEG 32KT 3507 8181 

$$

SCC021-181915-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210318T1915Z/
Cherokee SC-
253 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY...
    
At 253 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 8 miles west of Gaffney, or near Mayo, moving northeast
at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Gaffney around 310 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this dangerous storm include Thicketty.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

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 3500 8178 3501 8179 3503 8179 3504 8180
      3512 8184 3518 8180 3517 8155 3499 8172
TIME...MOT...LOC 1853Z 239DEG 32KT 3507 8181 

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

$$

LANE
784 
WWUS52 KGSP 181900
SVSGSP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
300 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

SCC021-181910-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210318T1915Z/
Cherokee SC-
300 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore the warning has been cancelled.  However small hail and 
gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm in the Gaffney 
area.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 600 PM EDT for Upstate South
Carolina.

LAT...LON 3500 8178 3501 8179 3503 8179 3504 8180
      3512 8184 3518 8180 3517 8155 3499 8172
TIME...MOT...LOC 1859Z 239DEG 32KT 3510 8174 

$$

LANE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 18, 1:19 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPGreenville, Pickens3 hr
Mar 18, 1:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPGreenville37 min
Mar 18, 2:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPSpartanburg23 min
Mar 18, 3:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPGreenwood48 min
Mar 18, 3:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Spartanburg, Union43 min
Mar 18, 4:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPYork32 min
Mar 18, 4:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPYork34 min
Mar 18, 4:38 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPYork37 min
Mar 18, 4:45 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPChester30 min

Nearby

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