Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 18, 2021Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County, Union County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 18, 2021, 5:13 PM EDT for Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County, Union County, North Carolina. It was in force for 31 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, 5:13 PM EDT (21:13 UTC)
Expired
Mar 18, 2021, 5:44 PM EDT
In force
31 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, Union County, NC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 151 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:13 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, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 112 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.

300 
WFUS52 KGSP 182113
TORGSP
NCC025-119-179-182200-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0004.210318T2113Z-210318T2200Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Cabarrus County in the Piedmont of North Carolina...
  Southeastern Mecklenburg County in the Piedmont of North
  Carolina...
  North central Union County in the Piedmont of North Carolina...

* Until 600 PM EDT.
    
* At 512 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 8 miles east of Uptown Charlotte, or near Mint Hill,
  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...
  Midland around 530 PM EDT.
  Mt Pleasant around 540 PM EDT.

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 3521 8048 3519 8051 3518 8050 3518 8048
      3516 8046 3509 8072 3526 8081 3547 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 2112Z 246DEG 30KT 3521 8068 

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

$$

ARK
2 follow-up statements
569 
WWUS52 KGSP 182130
SVSGSP

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

NCC119-179-182140-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-210318T2200Z/
Mecklenburg NC-Union NC-
530 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MECKLENBURG AND NORTH CENTRAL
UNION COUNTIES 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 the Piedmont
of North Carolina.

LAT...LON 3521 8048 3519 8051 3520 8052 3522 8058
      3532 8063 3547 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 2130Z 245DEG 31KT 3527 8051 

$$

NCC025-182200-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-210318T2200Z/
Cabarrus NC-
530 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
CABARRUS COUNTY...
    
At 530 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 10 miles southeast of Downtown Concord, or near Midland,
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...
  Mt Pleasant around 540 PM EDT.

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 3521 8048 3519 8051 3520 8052 3522 8058
      3532 8063 3547 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 2130Z 245DEG 31KT 3527 8051 

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

$$

ARK
906 
WWUS52 KGSP 182144
SVSGSP

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

NCC025-182154-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-210318T2200Z/
Cabarrus NC-
544 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL CABARRUS COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 600 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 3521 8048 3519 8051 3520 8052 3522 8058
      3532 8063 3547 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 2142Z 246DEG 30KT 3532 8038 

$$

ARK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 18, 1:49 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPRutherford41 min
Mar 18, 2:25 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPCleveland35 min
Mar 18, 2:58 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPLincoln47 min
Mar 18, 4:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPMecklenburg29 min
Mar 18, 4:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPDavie25 min
Mar 18, 4:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg34 min
Mar 18, 4:38 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPMecklenburg, Union37 min
Mar 18, 5:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAvery18 min
Mar 18, 5:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion36 min
Mar 18, 6:32 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPTransylvania3 hr
Mar 18, 6:52 PM EDTRiver Flood AdvisoryGSPHenderson, Transylvania31 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North 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.