Scattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed during the afternoon and evening across Upstate South Carolina. A few of the storms produced mainly brief damaging winds.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed during the afternoon and evening across Upstate South Carolina. A few of the storms produced mainly brief damaging winds.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 23, 2:02 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
302 PM EDT Fri Aug 23 2019
.SYNOPSIS...
A cold front is expected to slowly sink south across the forecast
area tonight into Saturday morning. Showers will persist on
Saturday as a wedge of cool high pressure builds into the region
behind the front. Fewer showers are expected Sunday into Monday
as the high pressure strengthens and persists. Showers and
thunderstorms return for Tuesday and Wednesday as temperatures
rebound ahead of the next cold front. Drier weather is possible
behind the front to end the work week.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 220 PM: Mesoanalysis shows atmosphere has become very unstable
this afternoon. dCAPE is relatively high, but not as high as the
past few days. The earlier low level shear has abated, but may
return as the cold front to our north sags southward. Should see
numerous coverage of showers and thunderstorms into early evening
with some strong to severe storms as well. That said, organization
may be lacking due to the lower shear values and cold pools may be
harder to form given the lower dCAPE. The expanded marginal risk
from SPC still looks reasonable given the instability and ongoing
convection.
Tonight, expect the strong convection to diminish but shower
activity will likely linger as confluent flow upstream of a trough
over the Great Lakes drives a sfc high in our direction. This keeps
the pushing the cold front south in "backdoor" fashion. Low-level
flow will veer to easterly by early Saturday. The combination will
provide added lift, so PoPs remain fairly high chance throughout the
night. Stratus will settle in across the area as well. Lows will be
above normal.
Cold air damming settles in across the area Saturday as the high
wedges in from the northeast and the front stalls just to our south.
Copious low level moisture and easterly flow will keep low clouds
across the area through the day. Showers will be numerous as well
with thunderstorms limited to the mountains and the area along and
south of I-85. The severe threat diminishes as instability is weak
and dCAPE lacking. Highs will be well below normal with most areas
below 80 degrees. The exception will be the Upper Savannah River
valley where mid 80s linger.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 245pm EDT Friday: With increasing confidence in the passage
of the wedge front earlier on Saturday, Sunday looks to be solidly
cool and cloudy with periods of light rain and drizzle across
the area, as high pressure funnels anomalously cool and stable
air into the region. Models have oscillated on the strength and
exact orientation of the low-level fetch of moist Atlantic air
above the wedge for Sunday and Monday, with the overnight guidance
weaker and the latest 12Z guidance stronger with the 900-850mb
flow out of the ENE. Nevertheless, low-level convergence and
weak isentropic lift will persist at least into Monday morning
which will maintain periods of light rain and drizzle, especially
across the Foothills and favored eastward facing slopes along
the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Confidence is increasing that the
wedge of high pressure, centered near Maine, will be reinforced
Sunday night into Monday morning by the developing area of low
pressure near S FL, as guidance continues to lift the low north
along the Atlantic Coast. Counterclockwise flow around the low
as it parallels the North Carolina coast on Monday would
strengthen northeasterly flow within the wedge while weak
subsidence associated with the periphery of the low is
forecasted to reduce PoPs east of the Blue Ridge and Foothills
during the day Monday.
Aloft, the region is on the southern edge of an evolving Omega
block, which begins to break down later Monday in response
to height falls over the Ohio Valley ahead of our next system.
The latest forecast is even cooler for Sunday with max temps
bottoming out 10-12 degrees below normal. There will be little
recovery on Monday (still 8-10 degrees below normal) with the
shortwave ridge aloft and the resultant loss of cold air
advection within the wedge.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
As of 245pm EDT Friday: Overall the forecast has changed little
for the middle and end of the work week next week, with the next
system approaching from the west on Tuesday and frontal passage
expected sometime on Wednesday. The high pressure wedge will
breakdown overnight Monday in response to height falls aloft and
the coastal departure of an area of low pressure. Modest elevated
instability (<500 J/kg SBCAPE; 1000-1500 J/kg MUCAPE) returns
for Tuesday across the mountains with some drying of the column
and slightly more favorable lapse rates associated with a weak
shortwave trough. However, there will be plenty of details to
sort out in the days ahead because the stabilizing influence
of the coastal low may continue to counter the weak trough,
especially across the eastern counties, where current forecasted
profiles remain stable. Therefore, the current call for isolated
to scattered showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday will likely be
refined as confidence evolves.
Nevertheless, a weak cold front is progged to move through
the forecast area on Wednesday, with decent model agreement on
timing and shower and thunderstorm coverage, which again, is not
terribly impressive. There remains disagreement between the GFS
and the ECMWF on precip chances for Thursday afternoon behind the
front with the GFS remaining unsettled despite agreement that the
front will stall along the Atlantic coast. This is the opposite
of the overnight solutions. For now, the forecast trends drier
on Thursday. Complications continue into Friday as the guidance
tries to develop low pressure along the stalled coastal front.
Easterly flow and an in situ wedge may return to end the work week,
but there will be plenty of time for this to change.
Southerly (return) flow will be slow to return on Tuesday but with
no connection to cooler air and greater insolation, temperatures
are expected to recover a bit more with highs just 2-4 degrees
below normal. Near-normal to slightly above-normal temperatures
return by Wednesday in advance of the approaching cold front.
&&
.AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
At KCLT and elsewhere: Convection developing/moving in across the
mountains will spread east through the afternoon with associated
restrictions as cells move over airfields. The strongest convection
will be diurnal but showers may linger through the night. Tonight, a
front will slowly push south thru the region and high pressure will
encroach from the northwest, in an incipient CAD scenario. Stratus
will develop from N to S as a result in the morning. Have gone with
cigs dropping through MVFR to IFR as the wedge becomes entrenched.
Vsby should drop to generally MVFR but IFR, likely at KAVL, can't be
ruled out elsewhere near daybreak, especially in the lingering
showers. Only a slow improvement, if any, expected Saturday as low
level moisture remains high and wedge remains in place. W to SW wind
through the evening becomes N to NE behind the front. Low end gusts
are possible with and behind the front.
Outlook: Cold air damming Sunday will keep lower cigs possible.
Drier air moves in for Monday. Moisture and a frontal system move
back in by midweek.
Confidence Table...
19-01Z 01-07Z 07-13Z 13-18Z
KCLT High 100% High 100% High 89% High 81%
KGSP High 100% High 100% High 94% High 100%
KAVL High 100% High 100% Med 74% High 80%
KHKY High 100% High 95% High 84% Med 78%
KGMU High 100% High 100% High 99% High 93%
KAND High 100% High 100% High 100% High 86%
The percentage reflects the number of guidance members agreeing
with the scheduled TAF issuance flight rule category. Complete hourly
experimental aviation forecast consistency tables and ensemble forecasts
are available at the following link:
www.weather.gov/gsp/aviation
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
NC...None.
SC...None.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JMP
NEAR TERM...RWH
SHORT TERM...JMP
LONG TERM...JMP
AVIATION...RWHHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 614 AM EDT Fri Aug 23 2019 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-241015- Rabun-Habersham-Stephens-Franklin-Hart-Elbert-Avery-Alexander- Iredell-Davie-Madison-Yancey-Mitchell-Swain-Haywood-Buncombe-Catawba- Rowan-Graham-Northern Jackson-Macon-Southern Jackson-Transylvania- Henderson-Cleveland-Lincoln-Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-Union- Caldwell Mountains-Greater Caldwell-Burke Mountains-Greater Burke- McDowell Mountains-Eastern McDowell-Rutherford Mountains- Greater Rutherford-Polk Mountains-Eastern Polk-Oconee Mountains- Pickens Mountains-Greenville Mountains-Greater Oconee- Greater Pickens-Greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Cherokee-York- Anderson-Abbeville-Laurens-Chester-Greenwood- 614 AM EDT Fri Aug 23 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia, western North Carolina, and Upstate South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop ahead of an approaching cold front, mainly this afternoon and evening. Some of the thunderstorms could be strong enough to produce small hail and gusty winds, and a few may become severe with wind damage the main threat. The Piedmont of the Carolinas and the Charlotte metro area stand the best chance for severe storms. Localized flooding will be possible in areas affected by multiple thunderstorms. Small streams could approach bankfull conditions where heavy rain falls. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are requested to forward any reports of large hail, damaging winds, or flash flooding to our office. PM
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</html>The Greer radar (KGSP), 15 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:52 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
NWS employee reported several trees blown down off Highway 417 near I-385.
County comms reported multiple trees and power lines blown down with at least one tree on a home.
County comms reported several trees blown down in the Clover area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 2019
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 854425, 854426, 854427.