South Carolina, 2020

Damaging Winds in South Carolina, June 28, 2020

June 28, 2020 · NWS GSP · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed across upstate South Carolina during the late afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced locally damaging wind gusts.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed across upstate South Carolina during the late afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced locally damaging wind gusts.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 27, 4:25 PM EST, 24 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 27, 4:25 PM EST, 24 hours before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
525 PM EDT Sat Jun 27 2020

.SYNOPSIS...
An upper level disturbance will lead to an increase in showers and
thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon and evening. Unsettled weather
will continue throughout next week as a back door front moves south
into the region and stalls. Daily afternoon and evening showers and
thunderstorms will arise in the warm and humid airmass across the
area.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
As of 515 PM EDT...Monitoring an MCS that is bowing out across
northern GA, making a beeline for our GA Piedmont counties. The
storms really forming a cold pool and may produce some severe gusts.
Otherwise, the rest of the forecast area is struggling to destablize
under plenty of thick mid-high clouds. Bumped up Pops ahead of this
line of storms, while lowering PoPs in the mountains, where there's
a lack of instability. Otherwise, added mention of haze thru Sunday
morning , as most sites are seeing some reduction in vsby with the
Saharan dust.

The atmos will remain unsettled thru the period as an energized
quasi-zonal flow persists, before a more defined upper s/w trof
crosses the region Sun afternoon and evening. Not expecting much in
the way of deep convec this afternoon as the mlvls remain fairly
warm, while mlvl cloud cover prevents good sfc-based destabilization
over most areas. The w/ly flow within the BL will also aide in
preventing deep cells outside the mtns, where a couple topo enhanced
tstms could become fairly strong. Southwesterly flow on the edge of
the Bermuda High will continue efficient GOM moist flux overnight,
which keep cloud cover high and hold min temps up a couple cats abv
normal.

Things get more interesting and tricky Sun, when the models bring an
energetic h5 s/w from the northwest to the FA by mid afternoon. This
will combine with a destabilizing atmos as all models indicate
increasing sbCAPE on the order of at least 1500 J/kg. The models
also show a developing llvl jet to arnd 30 kts during the afternoon
across the nrn zones. So...the ingredients will be there for a
possible organized lines of convection capable of producing severe
level winds as they form across the NC mtns then propagates east
thru the NC piedmont during the afternoon and early evening. There
is still moderate uncertainty as to exactly where the potential lines
may form as the NAM is further south into the NC zones than the GFS,
which keeps the better forcing and subsequent convec line mostly
north and east of the FA. This will be a situation to keep an eye
on. Max temps will be warmer than today in better insol with
readings right arnd normal.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
As of 200 pm EDT Saturday: A mid level trof will pass just off to
the northeast on Sunday night as upper level ridging builds over the
Ohio and Tennessee valleys and a closed mid level low rotates across
New England. Weak short waves in this northwest flow pattern will
lead to an active convective regime Monday and Tuesday with the peak
in activity focused in the afternoon and evening hours. Showers and
thunderstorms may be somewhat enhanced by the approach of a weak
backdoor cold front.

Temperatures look to be a little above climo reaching into the lower
90s in the Piedmont and the middle 80s in the mountain valleys.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 200 pm EDT Saturday: Height falls mid week will permit above
climo PoPs to continue, with mainly a diurnal convective pattern
expected through late week as a dissipating boundary persists in the
vicinity, profiles remain moist and instability continues to
rebound. Temperatures through the middle and end of next week will
be around climo.

&&

.AVIATION /22Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
At KCLT and elsewhere: Generally VFR conds thru the period at all
TAF sites. There could be some lowering of VSBY with isol showers
across the area, but confidence at any TAF site is too low for
inclusion. Also, periods of MVFR VSBY due to HZ is possible across
the non/mtn sites, but for now kept at 6SM HZ as uncertainty is high
due to changes in cloud coverage. A better chance of -shra and
possible tstms at KCLT late in the period as an upper s/w trof
crosses the area.

Outlook: Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are
expected each afternoon across the region thru the middle of next
week. There will also be potential low clouds and fog around
daybreak each morning, especially in the mtn valleys. Otherwise,
expect VFR conditions.

Confidence Table...

            21-03z        03-09Z        09-15Z        15-18Z
KCLT       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KGSP       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KAVL       High 100%     High 100%     High  98%     High 100%
KHKY       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KGMU       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KAND       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%

The percentage reflects the number of guidance members agreeing
with the scheduled TAF issuance flight rule category. Complete hourly
experimental aviation forecast consistency tables are available at
the following link:

www.weather.gov/gsp/aviation

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
NC...None.
SC...None.

&&

SYNOPSIS...SW
NEAR TERM...ARK/SBK
SHORT TERM...SW
LONG TERM...SW
AVIATION...SBK

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pickens

When
June 28, 4:25 PM EST
Where
Pickens County, 0.89 mi NW of Liberty to 3.25 mi NNE of Arial
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.790, -82.690

Public reported a tree blown down on a home near Liberty and another tree down near Dacusville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
June 28, 4:30 PM EST to 4:52 PM EST
Where
Anderson County, 3.86 mi WSW of Sandy Spgs to 0.98 mi SSE of Belton
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.571, -82.808

Highway Patrol reported trees blown down at Highway 187 and Knox Rd. County comms reported numerous trees and some power lines blown down from the city of Anderson to Belton.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When
June 28, 4:52 PM EST
Where
Greenville County, 1.74 mi ENE of East Gantt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
34.805, -82.350

Highway Patrol reported trees blown down and blocking a portion of I-85 near mile marker 47.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When
June 28, 5:46 PM EST to 6:06 PM EST
Where
Union County, 2.86 mi NW of Buffalo to 2.41 mi NNW of Neal Shoals
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.748, -81.707

County comms reported numerous trees blown down across the county especially from near Jonesville and Buffalo across the city of Union.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, June 2020

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 906973, 906285, 906283, 906262.