Hail in North Carolina, May 3, 2003

Name: Hail in North Carolina, May 3, 2003
Start: 2003-05-03T10:35
End: 2003-05-03T20:35
Location: North Carolina

May 3, 2003 · NWS RAH · 22 events in 7 counties and zones

22 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $6.7 million
Crop damage: $492,000
Events: 22

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 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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 3, 8:40 AM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 8:40 AM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
940 AM EDT SAT MAY 3 2003

CLOUD COVER IS BECOMING EXTENSIVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER...THIS
WILL LIMIT THERMODYNAMICS AVAILABLE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE WEAK VORT
SWINGS ACROSS. WILL DOWNPLAY THUNDER AND INCREASE THE CLOUDINESS...
POSSIBLY LOWER TEMPS AS WELL PENDING LATE MORNING TRENDS.

SPC HAS EASED THE SLIGHT RISK SOUTHWARD...LOOKS QUITE IN LINE WITH
MORNING SATELLITE LOOPS. WILL PROBABLY LEAVE THE SOUTHERN ZONES
UNTOUCHED. WILL ISSUE A REDEFINING SPS FOR THE RISK AREA.

.RAH...NONE.

MLM

Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 4:25 AM EST, 6 hours 10 minutes before

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-031120-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
525 AM EDT SAT MAY 3 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER THE
SOUTHERN HALF OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING AND LINGER
JUST SOUTH OF THE BORDER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST BY THIS EVENING
AND MOVE ACROSS TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FEATURES WILL AID
IN THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE
HAIL AND OR DAMAGING WINDS. THE AREAS WITH THE GREATEST POTENTIAL
FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF U. S. HIGHWAY 64 FROM
ASHEBORO TO SILER CITY...APEX... CLAYTON AND WILSON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER THERE IS A
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.

RA

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 3, 8:45 AM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH, NC
945 AM EDT SAT MAY 3 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0630 PM    LEWISVILLE                NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   FORSYTH                        ABOUT A DOZEN TREES DOWNED
                                          NEAR LEWISVILLE

0655 PM    WELCOME                   NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   DAVIDSON                       TREES DOWNED JUST PRIOR TO
                                          7 PM IN WELCOME, MIDWAY AND
                                          THOMASVILLE

Special weather statement, May 3, 9:50 AM EST, 45 minutes before

NCZ038>042-073>078-083>086-088-089-032100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1050 AM EDT SAT MAY 3 2003

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN
TIER OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SKYWARN SPOTTERS...
NETWORK ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.

SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL STALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER OF CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON...PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING
LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY SOME DAMAGING WINDS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL
BE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ALBEMARLE...THROUGH CARTHAGE AND LILLINGTON
TO GOLDSBORO. SOME AREAS AFFECTED INCLUDE FAYETTEVILLE...SOUTHERN
PINES...ROCKINGHAM...WADESBORO AND LAURINBURG.

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

MLM

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Scotland

When: May 3, 10:35 AM EST
Where: Scotland County, Laurinburg
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.800, -80.383

Hail, Forsyth

When: May 3, 4:01 PM EST
Where: Forsyth County, Clemmons
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.800, -79.517

Hail, Davidson

When: May 3, 4:15 PM EST
Where: Davidson County, Tyro
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.233, -80.233

Hail, Davidson

When: May 3, 4:35 PM EST
Where: Davidson County, Lexington
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 35.317, -79.967

A manufacturing plant sustained damage from golfball sized hail. Cars, roofs, and windows were also damaged in the area.

Hail, Davidson

When: May 3, 4:40 PM EST
Where: Davidson County, Linwood
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.217, -79.883

A buisness near Highway 8 and 47 was damaged by baseball sized hail.

Hail, Richmond

When: May 3, 5:05 PM EST
Where: Richmond County, Rockingham
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.767, -79.450

Hail, Davidson

When: May 3, 5:05 PM EST
Where: Davidson County, Denton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.367, -80.300

Hail, Davidson

When: May 3, 5:20 PM EST
Where: Davidson County, 5 mi S of Denton
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.570, -80.083

Hail, Stanly

When: May 3, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Stanly County, 2 mi SE of Badin
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.033, -79.567

Hail, Scotland

When: May 3, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Scotland County, Laurel Hill
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.800, -79.433

Hail, Scotland

When: May 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where: Scotland County, 1 mi E of Laurel Hill
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5.0 million
Crop damage: $157,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.750, -80.317

Hail from golfball sized to dime sized covered the ground, clogging storm drains.

Hail, Stanly

When: May 3, 6:05 PM EST
Where: Stanly County, Aquadale
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.933, -79.783

Hail, Montgomery

When: May 3, 6:15 PM EST
Where: Montgomery County, Eldorado
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.933, -79.783

Quarter sized hail was covering the ground

Hail, Montgomery

When: May 3, 6:20 PM EST
Where: Montgomery County, 5 mi SW of Troy
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.633, -80.117

Hail, Scotland

When: May 3, 6:20 PM EST
Where: Scotland County, Laurinburg
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.383, -80.083

Hail, Montgomery

When: May 3, 6:40 PM EST
Where: Montgomery County, Pekin
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.567, -80.117

Golfball sized hail covered the ground.

Hail, Stanly

When: May 3, 6:45 PM EST
Where: Stanly County, 5 mi W of Albemarle
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.370, -79.533

Hail, Anson

When: May 3, 7:30 PM EST
Where: Anson County, Countywide
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.467, -80.033

Hail, Richmond

When: May 3, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Richmond County, Hoffman
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $250,000
Crop damage: $335,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 34.767, -79.450

Hail, Richmond

When: May 3, 7:55 PM EST
Where: Richmond County, Rockingham
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.017, -80.383

Hail, Scotland

When: May 3, 8:12 PM EST
Where: Scotland County, 6 mi E of Laurel Hill
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.780, -79.533

Hail, Scotland

When: May 3, 8:35 PM EST
Where: Scotland County, Laurel Hill
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.817, -80.267

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, May 2003

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5355205, 5354639, 5354640, 5354641, 5355192, 5355193, 5355194, 5355195, 5355196, 5355197, 5355961, 5355962, 5355198, 5355963, 5355965, 5355964, 5355966, 5355967, 5355202, 5355204, 5355203, 5355206.