Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 18, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1020 AM EDT SAT MAY 18 2002

FRNTL BNDRY MOVING THRU THE UPSTATE WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY OVER AL.
DECENT LINE OF ACTIVITY MOVING TOWARDS THE CWA. DEWPTS IN THE LOWER
70S WITH LI AROUND -4 AND CAPES UP TO 2500. SUSPECT OUR SEVERE
POTENTIAL MAY BE LIMITED DUE TO CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE AREA UNLESS
WE CAN GET MORE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS. AN ISOLATED SEVERE CELL IS NOT
OUT OF THE QUESTION EARLY THIS AFTN WITH WIND BEING THE MAIN THREAT.
HAIL MAY BE A THREAT LATER INTO THE AFTN AS COOLER AND DRIER AIR
MOVES IN ALOFT. WILL CONTINUE 70 POPS AS MOST AREAS SHOULD GET
MEASURABLE PRECIP. SOME BREAKS IN CLOUDS SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO REACH
THE LOWER 80S. FRNTL BNDRY TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TOWARDS EVENING.
WILL MAKE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS TO WINDS BUT NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES
PLANNED.

MARINE...NO CHANGES PLANNED AT THIS TIME. WILL CONTINUE SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY FOR ALL WATERS. CURRENT FCST LOOKS TO BE ON TRACK.

CHS   82  55  72  51 /  70  30   0   0
SAV   83  55  72  50 /  70  20   0   0
CHL   80  60  71  59 /  70  30   0   0
NBC   83  56  73  53 /  70  30   0   0
RBW   82  53  72  49 /  70  20   0   0

.CHS...
GA...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AMZ354-374.
SC...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AMZ330-350-352.

SLF/JAC

SCZ040-042>045-047>050-182200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1050 AM EDT SAT MAY 18 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTH COASTAL
   SOUTH CAROLINA...

WARM MOIST AIR WILL COMBINE WITH THE ENERGY FROM AN APPROACHING COLD
FRONT TO FUEL THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA THIS
AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH BEING THE MAIN THREAT. HAIL LARGER
THAN THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IS ALSO POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON
WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS AS COOLER DRIER AIR FILTERS IN ALOFT.

THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE COAST AND THROUGH THE
COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD
DIMINISH ONCE THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE AREA.

SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD MONITOR THE
WEATHER AND REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IN THE EVENT
OF A WATCH OR WARNINGS.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...SPOTTERS...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OFFICIALS OR DISPATCHERS SHOULD NOTIFY THE NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.