Local Research and

Reviews Of Past Events

What's New?

Northwest Flow Snowfall Discussion Group Page

In the Conference Presentations Section:

• The Role of the Great Lakes in the 10-11 February 2005 Northwest Flow Snowfall Event in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. - Blair Holloway and Gary Lackmann - 2008. 33rd Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, National Weather Assoc.

• A Sounding Derived Climatology of Significant Tornado Events in the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, County Warning Area (1948 - 2006) - Justin D. Lane - 2008. Preprints, 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Savannah, GA, American Meteorological Society.

• A Climatology of Heatbursts As Detected by the Oklahoma Mesonet. - Renee A. McPherson, Kenneth C. Crawford, Justin D. Lane and William J. McPherson, Jr. - 2008. Preprints, 17th Conference on Applied Climatology, Whistler, BC, American Meteorological Society.

• Atmospheric Influences on New Snowfall Density in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. - L. Baker Perry, Douglas K. Miller, Sandra E. Yuter, Laurence G. Lee, and Stephen Keighton - 2008. 65th Eastern Snow Conference, Fairlee, VT.

In the Event Review Section:

• A squall line produces severe weather across the western Carolinas on 4 March 2008

Journal Articles

Research papers by current and past members of the staff of GSP

• Geologic, geomorphic, and meteorological aspects of debris flows triggered by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan during September 2004 in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Macon County, North Carolina (southeastern USA). - R. M. Wooten, K. A. Gillon, A. C. Witt, R. S. Latham, T. J. Douglas, J. B. Bauer, S. J. Fuemmeler, and Laurence G. Lee - Landslides. Springer - Verlag, Vol. 5, February 2008.

• Rainfall characteristics associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Helene in upstate South Carolina -Carlton W. Ulbrich and Laurence G. Lee -Weather and Forecasting. American Meteorological Society, Vol. 17, December 2002.

• Model representation of freezing and melting precipitation: Implications for winter weather forecasting -Gary M. Lackmann, Kermit Keeter, Laurence G. Lee, and Michael B. Ek -Weather and Forecasting. American Meteorological Society, Vol. 17, October 2002.

• Rainfall measurement error by WSR-88D radars due to variations in Z-R law parameters and the radar constant -Carlton W. Ulbrich and Laurence G. Lee -Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology American Meteorological Society, Vol. 16, August 1999.

NWS Eastern Region Technical Attachments

• A Comprehensive Climatology of Significant Tornadoes in the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina County Warning Area (1880 - 2006) - Justin Lane - 2008

• The Hybrid High Wind Event of March 7, 2004 in the Piedmont of the Western Carolinas - Harry Gerapetritis - 2007

• On the Behavior of the Critical Success Index - Harry Gerapetritis and Joseph M. Pelissier - 2004

• Intelligent Use of a Lapse Rate Smart Tool in the Graphical Forecast Editor - Harry Gerapetritis and Laurence G. Lee - 2003

• A Record Southeastern Snowfall in the Absence of a Rapidly Deepening Extratropical Cyclone -- Benjamin W. Moyer - 2001

• A Climatological Analysis of Winter Precipitation Events at Greenville-Spartanburg, SC -- Benjamin W. Moyer - 2001

• A Radar-based Climatology of July Convective Initiation in Georgia and Surrounding Area -- Douglas E. Outlaw and Michael P. Murphy - 2000

• A study of three-quarter inch hail reports in Upstate South Carolina - 1988 to 1994 -Eastern Region General Interest Paper - Wayne Jones -1999

• Isentropic Analysis Applications in Forecasting Low-Level Clouds -Eastern Region General Interest Paper - Kenneth James -1997

Conference Papers and Presentations

• The Role of the Great Lakes in the 10-11 February 2005 Northwest Flow Snowfall Event in the Southern Applachian Mountains. - Blair Holloway and Gary Lackmann - 2008. 33rd Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, National Weather Association.

• A Sounding Derived Climatology of Significant Tornado Events in the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, County Warning Area (1948 - 2006) - Justin D. Lane - 2008. Preprints, 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Savannah, GA, American Meteorological Society.

• A Climatology of Heatbursts As Detected by the Oklahoma Mesonet. - Renee A. McPherson, Kenneth C. Crawford, Justin D. Lane and William J. McPherson, Jr. - 2008. Preprints, 17th Conference on Applied Climatology, Whistler, BC, American Meteorological Society.

• Atmospheric Influences on New Snowfall Density in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. - L. Baker Perry, Douglas K. Miller, Sandra E. Yuter, Laurence G. Lee, and Stephen Keighton - 2008. 65th Eastern Snow Conference, Fairlee, VT.

• Observations of a non-supercell tornadic thunderstorm from a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar - Justin D. Lane and Patrick D. Moore - 2006, Preprints, 23rd Conference on Severe Local Storms, St. Louis, MO, American Meteorological Society.
  

• Environmental aspects of two tornado outbreaks associated with landfalling tropical cyclones - Justin D. Lane - 2005, 4th Southeast Severe Storms Symposium, Starkville, MS, Mississippi State University.
  

• The role of a surface boundary and multiple-cell mergers in the development of the 21 April 2003 tornado in upstate South Carolina - Bryan P. McAvoy - 2004, Preprints, 22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms, Hyannis, MA, American Meteorological Society.
  

• A climatological analysis of heatbursts in Oklahoma - Justin D. Lane - 2002, Preprints, 21st Conference on Severe Local Storms, San Antonio, TX, American Meteorological Society, 87-90.
  

• Investigation of an unusual storm structure associated with weak to occasionally strong tornadoes over the Eastern United States - Bryan P. McAvoy, Wayne A. Jones, and Patrick D. Moore - 2000, Preprints, 20th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Orlando, FL, American Meteorological Society, 182-185.

• Short-term forecasting of tornadic environments in the complex terrain of western North Carolina - Harry Gerapetritis - Preprints, 20th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Orlando, FL, American Meteorological Society, 567-570.

• Characteristics of WSR-88D velocity and reflectivity patterns associated with a cold season non-supercell tornado in upstate South Carolina - Laurence G. Lee and Wayne A. Jones - 1998, Preprints, 19th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Minneapolis, MN, American Meteorological Society, 151-154.

• An analysis of the 4 September 1996 Hickory Nut Gorge flash flood in western North Carolina - Thomas P. Johnstone and Stephen A. Burrus - 1998, Preprints, 16th Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Phoenix, AZ, American Meteorological Society, 275-277.

• Comparison of reflectivity factors determined from disdrometer and WSR-88D measurements in upstate South Carolina - Carlton W. Ulbrich, Joseph M. Pelissier, and Laurence G. Lee - 1997, Preprints, 28th Conference on Radar Meteorology, Austin, TX, American Meteorological Society, 382-383.

• Effects of variations in Z-R law parameters and the radar constant on rainfall rates measured by WSR-88D radars - Carlton W. Ulbrich, Joseph M. Pelissier, and Laurence G. Lee - 1996, Preprints, 15th Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Norfolk, VA, American Meteorological Society 316-319.

Presentations

• Pulse Storm Downburst Prediction
  

Past Weather Events

• The Kings Mountain tornado of 28 April 2008
• Tornadoes strike near Fallston and Lincolnton on 19 April 2008
• The Ides Of March Supercell outbreak across northeast Georgia and Upstate South Carolina
• A squall line produces severe weather across the western Carolinas on 4 March 2008

• Remnants of Humberto spawn a tornado near Hickory Tavern, South Carolina, on September 14, 2007
• Record breaking heat across the western Carolinas, August 2007
• The April 15-16, 2007 High Wind Event
• An early April Northwest Flow snowfall event and cold air outbreak
• The 17-18 February 2007 Northwest Flow snow event
• The 9 January 2007 Northwest Flow snow event
• Tornadoes strike Liberty and Moore, South Carolina, and near Gastonia, North Carolina, on 5 January 2007

• Tornadoes strike the western Piedmont of North Carolina on 15 November 2006
• Severe thunderstorms sweep across the Lakelands and Lower Piedmont of South Carolina on 28 September 2006
• A record number of severe thunderstorms across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia during 2006.
• Flash flooding along Twelvemile Creek and the Hickory Nut Gorge on 26 June 2006
• Severe thunderstorms across the western Carolinas on 10-12 June 2006
• Tornado strikes northern Gaston County east of Cherryville on 26 May 2006
• The Mothers Day 2006 severe weather outbreak across the Piedmont of the Carolinas
• The Belton hail storm of 21 April 2006
• A Case Study: The mountain snow event of 11-13 February 2006
• An overview of the Bessemer City tornado of 13 January 2006
• An unseasonably warm January (2006) for the western Carolinas and extreme northeast Georgia.

• A case study of the ice storm of 15 December 2005 in the western Carolinas and extreme northeast Georgia.
• October 7 and 8, 2005: A list of rainfall reports from the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia after the passage of the remnants of T.S. Tammy.
• July 6 and 7, 2005: A list of rainfall reports from the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia after the passage of the remnants of T.S. Cindy.
• January 29-30th, 2005: Winter storm produced widespread accumulations of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
• January 13-14th, 2005: Information on the tornadoes that affected Laurens County, SC and Rowan County, NC.

• December 19, 2004: Significant snow storm affects the mountains of North Carolina.
• September 16-17, 2004: The deadly debris flow in Macon County NC during Hurricane Ivan.
• The remnants of Frances (Sep. 6-8 2004), Ivan (Sep. 16-17 2004), and Jeanne (Sep. 26-28 2004) resulted in heavy rain over the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Click on the storm names above for individual rainfall, for an easy rainfall comparison click here.
• July 29, 2004: Flash flooding pushed the Reedy River at Greenville to near record levels.
• February 26 & 27 2004: A major winter storm hit the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. The storm produced a large area of greater 4 inches of snow accumulation. Some spots saw snow pile over a foot and a half deep!

• 2003 Ranked within the top 10 wettest years for Asheville, Charlotte, and Greenville-Spartanburg.
• December 18-19th, 2003: Event map and list of reports.
• December 13-14th, 2003: List of Ice, Sleet, and Snow Reports received.
• December 4th, 2003: An event map and report listing for a northwest snow event.
• November 28-29th, 2003: An event map and report listing for a northwest snow event.
• July 1-2, 2003: The remnants of Tropical Storm Bill drenched northeast Georgia and the western Carolinas.
• January 23, 2003: An analysis of a heavy snow event in the lee of the Appalachians.
  
• January 16-17, 2003: A case study of a snow event in the mountains and foothills of the western Carolinas and extreme northern Georgia.

• December 4-5, 2002: An overview of a major winter storm.
• November 10-11, 2002: A case study of an significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms (31 warnings issued, 29 for severe thunderstorms, and 2 for tornadoes). Storm Survey.
• January 19, 2002: An in situ wedge with a temperature contrast of over 30 degrees Fahrenheit a short distance across the front.
• January 6-7, 2002 Winter Storm: More of a bust analysis as much of the warning area for this snow and ice event did not verify.
• January 2-3, 2002 Winter Storm: A well forecast event that was all snow.

• October 17, 2001 Warm Anomaly: Case study briefly examining an area of warm temperatures and strong winds that develops over the French Broad River Valley and the Upstate behind cold fronts.
• July 8, 2001 Mesoscale Convective System: A large bow echo crossed the North Carolina Mountains during the late afternoon and early evening hours.
• June 9th, 2001 Union County, SC Landspout: A weak, non-supercell tornado occurred this day in southern Union County
• April 17, 2001 northwest snow event: A late season snow event. Snow showers even fell east of the mountains with temperatures near 50 degrees. Contains some large, high resolution satellite images.
• April 1, 2001 severe thunderstorms: An unusual event that produced damaging winds and large hail with dewpoints in the mid 40s.
• March 6, 2001 wind and snow: Strong northwest flow event. Damaging winds affected most of the higher elevations of the County Warning Area. Map only.
• February 22, 2001 snow and sleet: A mix of snow and sleet, with the highest accumulations in the western foothills. Map only.
• January 25, 2001 snow: A minor northwest flow snow event.
• January 20, 2001 snow: A northwest flow snow event.
• January 19, 2001 Hart County, GA F1 Tornado.

• Dec 19, 2000 snow: A minor bust as rain never turned to snow in the eastern upstate and most of the NC piedmont.
• Dec 3, 2000 snow: This event is better known for where it did not snow, mainly in the North Carolina piedmont.
• Nov 19, 2000 snow: The first snow of the 2000-2001 winter season is one of the earliest and heaviest November snows events on record.
• Nov 3, 2000 snow: A northwest flow snow event that didn't quite work out. What went wrong?
• October, 2000 drought: The driest October on record in the Greenville-Spartanburg metro area.
• Lightning trails down the trunks of trees: The result of a severe thunderstorm at GSP 28 July 2000.
• Apr 3 2000 tornado in Pickens County east of Clemson.
• Jan 24-25 2000 heavy snow event.
• Jan 17-18 and Jan 22-23 2000 snow and ice storms.

• Flood producing heavy rains in the NC mountains -- November 26, 1999.
• First snow of the 1999-2000 winter season -- November 3, 1999.
• Classic supercell thunderstorm hits Spartanburg -- August 20, 1999.
• All time record high tied at GSP airport -- July 31, 1999.
• May 6th, 1999 Asheville tornado.