Strong to severe thunderstorms developed along a cold front during the early afternoon hours. Isolated straight line wind damage was reported with a thunderstorm that moved across the northern piedmont.
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 RAH wrote it up.
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed along a cold front during the early afternoon hours. Isolated straight line wind damage was reported with a thunderstorm that moved across the northern piedmont.
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 Apr 28, 12:08 PM EST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 108 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE REGION AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 945 AM MONDAY... LATEST RADAR MOSAIC INDICATES A LARGE AREA OF 40 TO 45 DBZ RETURNS CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE TRIANGLE AND SANDHILLS...LIKELY LINKED TO DIVERGENCE ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH A 110-120KT JETLET...EMBEDDED IN THE STJ EXTENDING FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST. THIS AREA OF PRECIPITATION HAS RESULTED IN AN ADDITIONAL 0.25 TO 0.50 OF RAINFALL...ONTO AN ALREADY SOGGY GROUND...AS LOCAL COCORAH REPORTS INDICATE 24 RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3.0 TO 3.5 ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF WAKE COUNTY. FURTHER UPSTREAM...WV IMAGERY SHOWS THE AMPLIFIED NORTHERN STREAM VORT MAX OVER THE IA/IL. LATEST SFC ANALYSIS DEPICTED THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH...ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF THE CENTRAL AND AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS WAS ADVANCING NORTHEAST INTO THE WESTERN PIEDMONT... IN ADVANCE OF THE ENCROACHING COLD FRONT...BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY... ALONG A SECONDARY...STRONGER...UPPER DIVERGENCE REGION ALOFT IN ASSOCIATION WITH JUXTAPOSING JETS. THE WIDESPREAD CLOUDS AND ONGOING RAIN SHOWERS WILL GREATLY LIMIT DIURNAL DESTABILIZATION AS THE IMPRESSIVE KINEMATICS AND FROPA MOVE THROUGH LATER TODAY. AREA RAOBS SHOW MOIST ADIABATIC PROFILES WITH PWATS AOA 180 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND CONDITIONAL INSTABILITY. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE STRONG KINEMATICS WITH THE H85 JET PROGGED TO ACCELERATE TO AROUND 40 KNOTS OVER CENTRAL NC IN RESPONSE TO THE JET DYNAMICS ALOFT...THE LEAST LITTLE BIT OF HEATING WILL PROVIDE ENOUGH OF POSITIVE BUOYANCY TO PRODUCE DAMAGING CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS...MAINLY FROM I-95 EAST...WHERE SBCAPES ARE CURRENTLY 250 J/KG. ALSO...ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING AS SEVERAL SMALL CREEKS ARE ALREADY SWOLLEN...WITH ONE MAINSTEM RIVER...THE NEUSE RIVER AT CLAYTON...ABOUT A HALF FOOT BELOW FLOOD STAGE. BASED ON THE LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY...WITH NO DISCERNIBLE BREAKS IN THE WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUD COVER...A MODEST RECOVERY OF 4 TO 6 DEGREES IS EXPECTED...HIGHS 67 NW TO 73 SE. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 230 AM MONDAY... TONIGHT: EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO BE SLOWLY EXITING OUR EASTERN CWA THIS EVENING... AS THE SURFACE COLD FRONT SHIFTS TOWARD THE COAST. THE ATTENTION WILL THEN TURN TO A POTENT MID LEVEL S/W TROUGH NEAR THE MN AND WI BORDER THIS MORNING... WHICH IS FORECAST TO AMPLIFY SOUTHEASTWARD IN RESPONSE TO A NORTHERLY MID LEVEL JET IN EXCESS OF 80 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THE S/W TROUGH WILL ASSUME NEGATIVE TILT AS IT ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE LONGWAVE TROUGH AND CROSSES THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS TONIGHT. WHILE THE DEPTH OF THE MOISTURE IS FORECAST TO DECREASE DRAMATICALLY BEHIND THE EARLIER CONVECTION... THE DEGREE OF DCVA AHEAD OF THE TROUGH MAY ALLOW SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES TO SURVIVE INTO THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN PIEDMONT OVERNIGHT. DRY ELSEWHERE... AS THE FORCING AND RESULTANT MOISTENING IS EXPECTED TO BE MUCH WEAKER WITH SOUTHWARD EXTENT. STRONG COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT MAY SEND H85 TEMPERATURES TO NEAR 0 CELSIUS AT GSO BY 12Z TUES. THUS... EXPECT LOWS TO RANGE GENERALLY FROM THE MID 40S WEST TO MID 50S EAST. TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT: EXPECT MUCH QUIETER CONDITIONS DURING THIS PERIOD... AS MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST STRONG SUBSIDENCE WARMING IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE INITIALLY ALONG THE MS RIVER WILL SHIFT EASTWARD TO THE SOUTHEAST US COAST WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. DOWNSLOPE FLOW SHOULD BOOST HIGH TEMPERATURES BOTH TUES AND WED INTO THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S... WITH WEDNESDAY BEING THE SLIGHTLY WARMER OF THE TWO GIVEN A FEW MORE CLOUDS TUESDAY AND WITH THE EXPECTED DEVELOPMENT OF WEAK LOW LEVEL RETURN FLOW BY LATE IN THE DAY WEDNESDAY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S WEDNESDAY MORNING... MODERATING INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 40S THURSDAY MORNING. THE PREVIOUS CONCERN FOR FROST WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL LIKELY BE MITIGATED BY AN INCREASE IN WARM ADVECTION MID LEVEL CLOUDS LATER TUESDAY NIGHT AND THE FACT THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL LIKELY REMAIN CENTERED OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY. -MWS && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 100 PM MONDAY... THU NIGHT-FRI...THE RIDGE AXIS BUILDS OVERHEAD WITH A 1022 MB BERMUDA HIGH AT THE SURFACE. THIS SHOULD WARM THE AIRMASS WHILE SUBSIDENCE ALOFT KEEPS IT RELATIVELY STABLE AND DRY. LOWS 55-60 AND HIGHS 80-85 ARE IN LINE WITH HPC GUIDANCE. FRI NIGHT-SAT...THE CONSENSUS MODEL PATTERN FAVORS THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT FROM THE WEST BEING PUSHED BY A CLOSED UPPER LOW IN THE UPPER MIDWEST MOVING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MAKES A RUN TOWARD CENTRAL NC FROM THE NORTH AS AIR CIRCULATES DOWN THE EAST COAST FROM A STRONG CUTOFF LOW OFF NOVA SCOTIA. BOTH FRONTS SHOULD REMAIN OUTSIDE THE RAH CWA THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM TO LOW WITH THESE FEATURES AND BOTH COULD INTRODUCE ERRORS IN THE SENSIBLE FORECASTS FOR SAT. IN ANY CASE... THE COLUMN DOES MOISTEN AND DESTABILIZE FOR A CHANGE OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS DURING THE DAY. PREFRONTAL SWLY FLOW SUGGESTS A MILD NIGHT WITH LOWS AT OR ABOVE 60. CLOUDS MAY BEGIN TO LIMIT HEATING NORTH AND WEST ON SAT BUT OTHERWISE HIGHS 80-85 ONCE AGAIN. SAT NIGHT-MON...INCONSISTENCIES IN THE MODELS IN HANDLING THE CLOSED LOWS OVER THE NORTHERN MIDWEST AND OFF THE COAST OF NOVA SCOTIA YIELD LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE COLD FRONTAL MOVEMENT ACROSS THE AREA AND SUBSEQUENT LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPMENT...IF ANY...IN THE REGION SUN OR MON. A TREND TOWARD CLIMATOLOGY WILL BE FOLLOWED WITH LOWS AVERAGING MID 50S AND HIGHS AVERAGING MID 70S BENEATH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. -RFG && .AVIATION /17Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 945 AM MONDAY... WIDESPREAD IFR TO MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS WILL COVER CENTRAL NC THIS MORNING... WITH OCCASIONAL LIFR CIGS. AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES LATE MORNING IN THE WEST... WIDESPREAD SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDER WILL CONTINUE AT KINT/KGSO UNTIL THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE MID AFTERNOON. THEN CIGS/VSBYS WILL REBOUND INTO THE MVFR CATEGORY. FOR KRDU/KFAY/KRWI... THERE SHOULD BE A LULL IN THE SHOWERS AFTER MID MORNING... WITH A LIFTING OF THE CIGS INTO THE MVFR CATEGORY... AND VSBYS TO VFR. HOWEVER... ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS TO 40KT... AND HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT THROUGH THESE AREAS THIS AFTERNOON. MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON... OCCASIONALLY LOWERING TO IFR IN THE SHOWERS AND STORMS. SURFACE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 15-25KT THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE SW... THEN SHIFT TO THE WEST AT 10KT AFTER THE COLD FRONT. VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN MONDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS A LIGHT WEST-NORTHWEST BREEZE BEHIND THE FRONT AT NEAR 10KT. THESE NW WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 15 AND 25KT ON TUESDAY WITH VFR CONDITIONS OTHERWISE. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TUE NIGHT INTO LATE WEEK UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. LIGHT SURFACE WINDS WILL BECOME SW 15KT LATE WED... AND SW 15-20 KT THU AND FRI. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MWS NEAR TERM...CBL SHORT TERM...MWS LONG TERM...RFG AVIATION...BADGETT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 112 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-291715- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON- RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 112 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS THEY TRACK ACROSS THE PIEDMONT... SANDHILLS... AND COASTAL PLAIN THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TO AROUND 800 PM THIS EVENING. SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY TUNED AND REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER. RFG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1054 AM EDT MON APR 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0348 PM HAIL 3 ENE DENTON 35.65N 80.07W
04/27/2008 E0.75 INCH DAVIDSON NC POST OFFICE
0425 PM HAIL 2 WSW ASHEBORO 35.71N 79.84W
04/27/2008 E0.75 INCH RANDOLPH NC POST OFFICE
0435 PM HAIL 5 NNE ASHEBORO 35.79N 79.78W
04/27/2008 E0.75 INCH RANDOLPH NC POST OFFICE
&&
ORROCKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1207 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 NCZ021>024-038>040-073>076-083-084-281730- ALAMANCE-ANSON-CHATHAM-DAVIDSON-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-LEE-MONTGOMERY- MOORE-ORANGE-RANDOLPH-RICHMOND-STANLY- 1207 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 ...HEAVY RAIN WILL MOVE ACROSS RICHMOND...FORSYTH...GUILFORD... ALAMANCE...ORANGE...DAVIDSON...RANDOLPH...CHATHAM...LEE...MOORE... MONTGOMERY...STANLY AND ANSON COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT... AT 1205 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES WEST OF GREENSBORO TO 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ASHEBORO TO 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF LANCASTER...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE GREENSBORO... RANDLEMAN... ASHEBORO... TROY... WADESBORO AND BURLINGTON. OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER ACTIVITY. HEAVY RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH DURING THE NEXT HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD DRIVE WITH CAUTION TO AVOID HYDROPLANING. JFB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 107 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 NCZ039-040-074-075-281745- CHATHAM-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-RANDOLPH- 107 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY NEAR TROY WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST ACROSS RANDOLPH...CHATHAM...MOORE AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES THROUGH 145 PM EDT... AT 107 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED OVER TROY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR HARPERS CROSSROADS AROUND 125 PM EDT...ROBBINS AROUND 130 PM...AND NEAR GOLDSTON AND SILER CITY AROUND 135 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. PEOPLE ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IF THUNDER IS HEARD. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 142 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 NCZ040-041-075-076-281830- CHATHAM-LEE-MOORE-WAKE- 142 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 ...STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS CHATHAM... WAKE...LEE AND MOORE COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT... AT 142 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHWEST CHATHAM COUNTY OVER GOLDSBORO AND SILER CITY. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL BE OVER PITTSBORO AND FEARRINGTON AROUND 200 PM... AND OVER JORDAN LAKE SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BOATERS ON LAKE JORDAN SHOULD SEEK SHELTER. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN WAKE COUNTY NEAR THE RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK AND MORRISVILLE AROUND BY AROUND 215 PM. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 142 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 NCZ040-041-075-076-281830- CHATHAM-LEE-MOORE-WAKE- 142 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 ...STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS CHATHAM... WAKE...LEE AND MOORE COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT... AT 142 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHWEST CHATHAM COUNTY OVER GOLDSTON AND SILER CITY. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL BE OVER PITTSBORO AND FEARRINGTON AROUND 200 PM... AND OVER JORDAN LAKE SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BOATERS ON LAKE JORDAN SHOULD SEEK SHELTER. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN WAKE COUNTY NEAR THE RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK AND MORRISVILLE AROUND BY AROUND 215 PM. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 158 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 NCZ078-281830- WAYNE- 158 PM EDT MON APR 28 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS WAYNE COUNTY THROUGH 230 PM EDT... AT 158 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF GOLDSBORO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...PIKEVILLE... FREMONT...EUREKA. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORM. IF OUTDOORS WHEN THE STORM MOVES NEARBY OR OVERHEAD...MOVE INDOORS. BRIEFLY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO A THREAT...AND COULD PROVIDE FOR A QUICK INCH OR MORE OF RAIN AS THE STORM MOVES TOWARD PIKESVILLE AND EUREKA. DJF
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:58 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down along Bullocksville Road, just west of the Drewry community. One tree caused minor damage to a home. Several trees were also blown down in a nearby park on Kerr Lake.
One large tree down across Big Woods Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 2008
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: 93850, 93851.