North Carolina, 2003

Damaging Wind in North Carolina, May 31, 2003

May 31, 2003 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 10:32 AM EST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 10:32 AM EST, 3 hours 50 minutes before
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

NCZ033-049-050-010417-
UPDATED
AVERY NC-MITCHELL NC-YANCEY NC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWLAND NC...SPRUCE PINE NC
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

LOWERED CHANCE OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.

...WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...VERY WINDY. MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS 68 TO 73. WEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH INCREASING
LATE THIS AFTERNOON TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. CHANCE OF
RAIN 40 PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...VERY WINDY. PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 42 TO 47. NORTHWEST WINDS
25 TO 35 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY AND WINDY. HIGHS 65 TO 70. NORTHWEST WINDS 15
TO 25 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS 40 TO 45.
.MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 68 TO 73.
.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 40S.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
EARLY AFTERNOON ON. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S.
.WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 50 TO 55 AND HIGHS 70 TO 75.
.FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOWS IN THE MID 50S AND HIGHS NEAR 70.

NCZ048-051>053-058-059-062>065-010417-
UPDATED
BUNCOMBE NC-GRAHAM NC-HAYWOOD NC-HENDERSON NC-MACON NC-MADISON NC-
NORTHERN JACKSON NC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHEVILLE NC...BREVARD NC...CHEROKEE NC...
FRANKLIN NC...HENDERSONVILLE NC...SYLVA NC...WAYNESVILLE NC
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

ADJUSTED FORECAST TEMPERATURE AND LOWERED CHANCE OF RAIN THIS
AFTERNOON.

...WIND ADVISORY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. BECOMING VERY WINDY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS 75 TO
80. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH INCREASING LATE THIS AFTERNOON TO 25 TO
35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 40 PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...VERY WINDY. PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 47 TO 52. NORTHWEST WINDS
25 TO 35 MPH DECREASING TO 20 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY. HIGHS 70 TO 75. NORTHWEST WINDS 10
TO 20 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS 42 TO 47.
.MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 70 TO 75.
.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 45 TO 50.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
EARLY AFTERNOON ON. HIGHS 65 TO 70.
.WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 55 TO 60 AND HIGHS 75 TO 80.
.THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 55 TO 60 AND HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S.

GAZ010-017-SCZ001>003-010417-
UPDATED
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-HABERSHAM GA-OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-PICKENS
MOUNTAINS SC-RABUN GA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLARKESVILLE GA...CLAYTON GA
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

RAISED FORECAST TEMPERATURE AND LOWERED CHANCE OF RAIN THIS
AFTERNOON.

...WIND ADVISORY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...VERY WINDY. MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S. WEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH...
GUSTING TO 40 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 40 PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...VERY WINDY AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN DIMINISHING WINDS.
PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 50 TO 55. NORTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH DECREASING
TO 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 74 TO 79. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS 46 TO 51.
.MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 75 TO 80.
.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 55 TO 60.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
EARLY AFTERNOON ON. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S.
.WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 60 TO 65 AND HIGHS 80 TO 85.
.THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOWS 60 TO 65 AND HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S.
.FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOWS IN THE LOWER 60S AND HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S.

NCZ034-054-055-035>037-056-057-010417-
UPDATED
ALEXANDER NC-BURKE NC-CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-DAVIE NC-IREDELL NC-
MCDOWELL NC-ROWAN NC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HICKORY NC...LENOIR NC...MARION NC...
MOCKSVILLE NC...MORGANTON NC...SALISBURY NC...STATESVILLE NC
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

...WIND ADVISORY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...

ADJUSTED FORECAST TEMPERATURE AND LOWERED CHANCE OF RAIN THIS
AFTERNOON.

.THIS AFTERNOON...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE. WINDY. HIGHS NEAR
80. WEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH...GUSTING TO 35 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 40
PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...VERY WINDY AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN DIMINISHING WINDS.
PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 51 TO 56. NORTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH DECREASING
TO 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 75 TO 80. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS 46 TO 51.
.MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 75 TO 80.
.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 50 TO 55.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
EARLY AFTERNOON ON. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S.
.WEDNESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 55 TO 60 AND HIGHS 80 TO 85.
.THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOWS 60 TO 65 AND HIGHS 75 TO 80.
.FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOWS IN THE LOWER 60S AND HIGHS 75 TO 80.

NCZ066-067-SCZ004>014-019-GAZ018-026-028-029-010417-
UPDATED
ABBEVILLE SC-ANDERSON SC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN
GA-GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-GREATER PICKENS SC-
GREENWOOD SC-HART GA-LAURENS SC-POLK NC-RUTHERFORD NC-SPARTANBURG SC-
STEPHENS GA-UNION SC-YORK SC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABBEVILLE SC...ANDERSON SC...CHESTER SC...
ELBERTON GA...GAFFNEY SC...GREENVILLE SC...GREENWOOD SC...
HARTWELL GA...LAURENS SC...ROCK HILL SC...RUTHERFORDTON NC...
SPARTANBURG SC...TOCCOA GA...TRYON NC...UNION SC
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

ADJUSTED FORECAST TEMPERATURE AND LOWERED CHANCE OF RAIN THIS
AFTERNOON.

...WIND ADVISORY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...VERY WINDY. PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE. HIGHS IN THE MID
80S. WEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH...GUSTING TO 40 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 40
PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...VERY WINDY AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN DIMINISHING WINDS.
PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH
DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 77 TO 82. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S.
.MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 78 TO 83.
.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
EARLY AFTERNOON ON. HIGHS 75 TO 80.
.WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE LOWER 60S AND HIGHS IN THE MID 80S.
.THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 65 TO 70 AND HIGHS 80 TO 85.

NCZ068>072-082-010417-
UPDATED
CABARRUS NC-CLEVELAND NC-GASTON NC-LINCOLN NC-MECKLENBURG NC-UNION
NC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLOTTE NC...CONCORD NC...GASTONIA NC...
LINCOLNTON NC...MONROE NC...SHELBY NC
1132 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

ADJUSTED FORECAST TEMPEARTURE THIS AFTERNOON.

...WIND ADVISORY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...VERY WINDY. PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE. HIGHS IN THE
LOWER 80S. SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH BECOMING WEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN
50 PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...VERY WINDY AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN DIMINISHING WINDS.
PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH
DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 77 TO 82. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S.
.MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 78 TO 83.
.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
EARLY AFTERNOON ON. HIGHS 75 TO 80.
.WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE LOWER 60S AND HIGHS IN THE MID 80S.
.THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 65 TO 70 AND HIGHS 80 TO 85.

BURRUS
Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 4:59 AM EST, 9 hours 23 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-311200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
559 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...

A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND IT/S ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...POSSIBLY TRIGGERING SOME SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS. FOR FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...SPSGSP...ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

A WIND ADVISORY HAS ALSO BEEN POSTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WIND ADVISORY
...NPWGSP...ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

EXPECT A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY.

55

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 31, 11:01 AM EST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-312230-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1201 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON IN THE WESTERN CAROLINAS
AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

LOW PRESSURE WILL DEEPEN RAPIDLY AS IT MOVES INTO NORTHERN VIRGINIA
BY EARLY EVENING. A STRONG COLD FRONT TRAILING THE LOW WILL SWEEP
ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE AIRMASS OVER THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA WILL RAPIDLY DESTABILIZE THIS
AFTERNOON AS MOISTURE SURGES NORTH...AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE MOIST
AIR...COUPLED WITH VERY STRONG WIND FIELDS...WILL CREATE A THREAT OF
SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING.

THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE A LITTLE WARMER ALOFT THAN ORIGINALLY
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF CONVECTION
THAT DEVELOPS AHEAD OF THE FRONT. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FROM NORTHEAST
GEORGIA...ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...TO THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT
IN NORTH CAROLINA...STARTING IN THE IMMEDIATE LEE OF THE MOUNTAINS.
ONCE THE STORMS DEVELOP...THEY WILL MOVE EAST AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF
50 MPH.

THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE IN THE
PIEDMONT...GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM HARTWELL
GEORGIA...TO GAFFNEY SOUTH CAROLINA...TO TAYLORSVILLE NORTH CAROLINA.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE THOSE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH CAUSE LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES.  MANY SEVERE WEATHER
PARAMETERS THIS AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR MAXIMUM
INTENSITY...AND GIVEN THE RIGHT TIMING...THERE WILL A THREAT OF
ISOLATED TORNADOES IN THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT...ALONG AND EAST
OF I-77...WHERE THE WIND FIELDS WILL BE MOST FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORMS.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

MCAVOY
Special weather statement, May 31, 2:13 PM EST, 9 minutes before
NCZ068>072-082-SCZ008-009-312000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED EXP TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
313 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2003

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE I-85 CORRIDOR THIS
AFTERNOON...

THROUGH 4 PM...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PORTIONS
OF THE SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT...FROM JUST EAST OF
SHELBY...TO DOWNTOWN CHARLOTTE...TO CONCORD AND KANNAPOLIS...TO
SALISBURY. SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL...AND SOME CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS.

THE POTENTIAL REMAINS QUITE HIGH FOR SOME OF THESE STORMS TO BECOME
SEVERE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY
MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THESE STORMS FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS IN THE
NEAR FUTURE. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE PIEDMONT OF
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

LANE

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lincoln

When
May 31, 2:22 PM EST
Where
Lincoln County, 2 mi W of Lincolnton
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.470, -81.300

A couple of trees were blown down.

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 North Carolina in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5357001.