Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2023

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 159, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 7, 20238 counties in North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 7, 2023, 7:53 PM EDT for 8 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 67 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 7, 2023, 7:53 PM EDT (23:53 UTC)
Expired
Aug 7, 2023, 9:00 PM EDT
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Possible
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Edgecombe County, NC, Franklin County, NC, Halifax County, NC, Johnston County, NC, Nash County, NC, Wake County, NC, Wayne County, NC, Wilson County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:54 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
Aug 7, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 168 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 2023-08-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 502 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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 2023-08-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 16 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
502 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-161 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
687 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 7, 3:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 3:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
350 PM EDT Mon Aug 7 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
A cold front and upper level trough will approach from the west
bringing increased chances for strong to severe thunderstorms
through this evening. The cold front will move through the area
tonight and early Tuesday, followed by weak high pressure from late
Tuesday through Wednesday. Another system should affect the region
Thursday from the west.

&&

.NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/...
As of 350 PM Monday...

The slow demise of morning cloud cover has kept temperatures down
this afternoon across the northern Piedmont counties with heat
indices currently running in the upper 80s to mid 90s. Meanwhile the
leading edge of the convective cloud debris from approaching storms
is starting to spread into the area, which will further hold temps
down. Thus, the Heat Advisory has been cancelled. Elsewhere across
the advisory area(southern and eastern NC), heat indices of 100 to
105 is expected through remainder of the afternoon.

Previous Discussion:

- Tornado Watch in effect through 9 PM this evening for the Triad
region.  Additional convective watches may be needed farther east
later today.

The stage still appears to be set for a notable severe weather
episode across central NC later this afternoon as the squall line
currently moving across eastern TN spreads eastward and eventually
moves across our area between 21Z and 02Z this evening.  All of this
activity associated with a short wave trough moving across the Ohio
Valley and a mid-level and upper-level jet streak lifting E and NE
around the base and eastern side of the trough.

The main challenge so far today has been the pesky low clouds over
the Piedmont that have been slow to erode.  These clouds have held
sfc temps back so far, but now that they are finally eroding, we're
seeing temps climbing through the 80s across the Piedmont.  Areas
east of I-95 have had no problem climbing into the 90s with HI
values currently approaching 100 in many spots, yet still a couple
degrees shy of heat index criteria.

The challenge for the rest of this afternoon will be determining to
what extent the aforementioned low clouds may inhibit CAPE as the
storms cross the mountains and head toward our CWA. Despite the
slightly cooler temps than original expected, the overall forcing
for ascent associated with the potent short wave trough, coupled
with the increasing bulk shear which is expected to increase to 35-
40kt over our area by the time the storm arrive, should be enough to
overcome any local minimums in instability to result in scattered to
numerous damaging thunderstorms with the primary hazard being
damaging wind gusts, but isold tornadoes and hail can't be ruled out
either.  A tornado watch is in effect through 9 PM this evening for
the Triad region.  Additional convective watches may be needed
farther east later today.

Storms are expected to exit our CWA to our east before midnight with
some patches of stratus and/or fog developing before sunrise, but
this will likely depend on where the heaviest rain falls later
today. Lows tonight from the upper 60s NW to mid 70s SE.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
As of 300 PM MONDAY...

In the wake of Mondays shortwave, the surface cold front will move
across the  region dry, filtering in slightly cooler temps with
highs in the mid to upper 80s NW to low/mid 90s SE. Westerly winds
during the day will be 5 to 10 kts before veering to a light
north/northwesterly Tuesday night.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 342 PM Monday...

Wednesday will have dry conditions as high pressure influences the
Mid-Atlantic. Highs will generally be copy and paste for the latter
half of the week with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s NW to
low/mid 90s SE. Another shortwave is expected to move into the
region Thursday and Friday bringing the next chance of showers and
storms. For now, slight chance PoPs beginning Thursday morning then
higher PoPs in the afternoon and through the evening. As the trough
moves slightly east early Friday expect dry conditions during the
day with an isolated afternoon shower/ storm possible in the
southern portions of the CWA ( Triangle and south). Over the
weekend, a weak Piedmont trough is expected to linger across the
region influencing late afternoon showers and storms each day into
early next week.  With temps in the low to mid 90s combined with dew
points in the upper 70s, some areas in the south and east portions
of the CWA will experience heat indices above of 100 to 107 degrees.
&&

.AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 114 PM Monday...

Through 18Z Tuesday:  The stratocu across central NC has been slow
to lift so far today and we're still seeing MVFR cigs from RDU
westward to the Triad and south to KVUJ.  VFR conditions are found
along and east of I-95.  Satellite trends suggest slow thinning of
said clouds with a brief period of VFR before clouds increase again
associated with anticipated convection and line of shower/tstms that
are expected to move from west to east across central NC between 21Z
this afternoon and 02Z this evening.  Flt conditions will drop to
IFR with local variable wind gusts up to 50kt possible in and near
tstm activity.  Flt conditions will improve overnight tonight after
02Z after the storms move east of central NC.  A few patches of sub-
VFR fog and/or stratus can't be ruled out between 09-12Z Tuesday,
but that will depend on where the heaviest rain falls, so for now
have left this out of the TAFs.

After 18Z Tuesday:  VFR conditions expected through much of the
extended period with mainly dry conditions expected Tuesday and
Wednesday.  The risk for isold afternoon/evening tstms will return
on Thursday.

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT this evening for NCZ010-011-027-028-042-
043-073>078-083>086-088-089.

&&

SYNOPSIS...np
NEAR TERM...CBL/np
SHORT TERM...CA
LONG TERM...CA
AVIATION...np
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 7, 7:02 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:19 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:27 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:28 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:43 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:49 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:52 PM EDT, 1 minute before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 7, 5:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRAHForsyth33 min
Aug 7, 5:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDavidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Stanly63 min
Aug 7, 5:43 PM EDTTornado WarningRAHMontgomery, Stanly47 min
Aug 7, 5:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHAnson, Montgomery, Richmond, Stanly36 min
Aug 7, 6:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatRAHAnson, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore and 2 more54 min
Aug 7, 6:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatRAHAlamance, Chatham, Guilford, Lee, Moore, Orange and 1 more51 min
Aug 7, 6:27 PM EDTTornado WarningRAHChatham, Lee, Randolph33 min
Aug 7, 6:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatRAHCumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Scotland61 min
Aug 7, 7:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatRAHChatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Lee and 2 more56 min
Aug 7, 7:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHCumberland, Sampson64 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2023Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2023

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.