Hail, Gaston
- When
- August 16, 10:40 PM EST
- Where
- Gaston County, Cherryville
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 35.380, -81.380
Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 16, 2008
Thunderstorms developed over the North Carolina foothills and Piedmont during the overnight hours. A few of the storms produced damaging winds.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
Thunderstorms developed over the North Carolina foothills and Piedmont during the overnight hours. A few of the storms produced damaging winds. The storms eventually produced flash flooding in the region as well.
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 Aug 16, 7:49 PM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 7:49 PM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 849 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 .SYNOPSIS... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS...AS A WEAK BOUNDARY REMAINS OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN THROUGH MONDAY. MEANWHILE...TROPICAL STORM FAY WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK WESTWARD ACROSS THE GREATER ANTILLES. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... CONVECTION TAPERING OFF WITH COOLING THIS EVE BUT STILL EXPECT WIDELY SCT SHOWERS/TSTMS UNTIL MIDNIGHT. EVEN THOUGH DEBRIS CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...LOWS WILL COOL INTO THE L-M60S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT WITH MAINLY 50S MTNS. SFC BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN JUST S OF CWA SUN WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS DURING THE AFTN...MAINLY S CWA NEAR BETTER MOISTURE ALONG BOUNDARY. AFTN HIGHS WILL WARM INTO THE M-U80S WITH U70S-L80S MTNS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM SATURDAY...I WILL FAVOR THE GFS SOLUTION FOR THE SHORT RANGE PERIOD. ON MONDAY...BROAD SFC HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD EXIST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA UNDER A WEAKNESS IN THE H5 HEIGHTS. OVERALL FORCING SHOULD BE VERY WEAK ACROSS THE CWA...LIMITING AND FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE INITIATION TO THE HIGH TERRAIN. GFS FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT A SIGNIFICANT INVERSION WILL EXIST BETWEEN H6-H7. I WILL FORECAST ONLY POCKETS OF SCHC COVERAGE MON AFTERNOON FOR SHRA/TSRA. OVERALL...CONDITIONS SHOULD SHOULD PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. TUESDAY AFTERNOON...TROPICAL CYCLONE FAY SHOULD BE IN THE VICINITY OF CENTRAL FL...BASED ON LATEST NHC TRACK. CONVECTION AND MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH A OLD BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN TO LIFT NORTHWARD...APPROACHING THE PIEDMONT LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. FORECAST SOUNDINGS LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO MONDAY/S PROFILES. BASED ON THE EXPECTED TIMING OF THE OLD BOUNDARY...I WILL INCREASE POPS TO CHC ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TIER OF THE FORECAST AREA AND SCHC ELSEWHERE. HIGH TEMPERATURES MAY PEAK AROUND 90 BEFORE THICKER CLOUD COVER ARRIVE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 1 PM SATURDAY...THE NHC TIMING AND PLACEMENT ON T.S. FAY AND THE 12Z GFS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT. I WILL POPULATE THE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GRIDS WITH HPC GUIDANCE DUE TO THE APPROACHING TROPICAL CYCLONE. THE EXPECTED TRACK OF FAY SHOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE OF MOISTURE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE HIGHEST COVERAGE OF SHRA AND TSRA SHOULD OCCUR ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION MOVES INTO GEORGIA. EXTENDED RANGE MODELS INDICATE THAT THE NORTHERN MOTION OF FAY MAY SLOW CONSIDERABLY FRI NIGHT AND SAT. HPC POP GUIDANCE CONTINUES A MENTION OF CHC COVERAGE DURING THE SAT PERIOD. QPF AMOUNTS REMAIN HIGHLY UNCERTAIN...HOWEVER...THE EXPECTED TRACK AND TIMING WOULD YIELD SIGNIFICANT WIDESPREAD RAINFALL ACROSS THE CWA LATE NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /01Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... CONVECTION DIMINISHING EARLY THIS EVE AND ISOLD TSTMS SHOULD BE COMPLETELY GONE BY MIDNIGHT. LOOK FOR LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT WITH MVFR FOG KCLT AND KHKY...IFR FOG AT KAVL. WITH HEAVY RAIN EARLIER AT KCLT...COULD SEE TEMPO IFR FOG AROUND DAYBREAK. EXPECT CU FIELD AGAIN SUN AFTN WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS...MAINLY S CWA. OUTLOOK...SFC FRONT REMAINS JUST S OF AREA MON. PRECIP CHANCE APPEARS MINIMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. TROPICAL STORM FAY MAY APPROACH FROM THE S AROUND MID WEEK. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PAT NEAR TERM...RB SHORT TERM...NED LONG TERM...NED AVIATION...RB
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 16, 2:17 PM EST, 8 hours 23 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 317 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-171930- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER- IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA- ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE- MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS- GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 317 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 5:16 PM EST, 5 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 616 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 NCZ071-162315- MECKLENBURG- 616 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY THROUGH 715 PM EDT... AT 613 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE... MOVING EAST AT 7 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO I-77 AT I-85...CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...SOUTHPARK MALL...EASTLAND MALL... PINEVILLE...PAW CREEK...MINT HILL AND MATTHEWS. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM...CAUSING WATER TO POND ON ROADS. 07
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:38 PM EST, 4 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 738 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 NCZ501-502-504-170045- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL- 738 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BURKE AND SOUTHERN CALDWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM EDT... AT 733 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF GAMEWELL...OR 6 MILES WEST OF LENOIR...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 7 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RUTHERFORD COLLEGE...LAKE RHODHISS...VALDESE...TABLE ROCK...SAWMILLS... RHODHISS...MORGANTON...LENOIR...ICARD...HUDSON...HILDEBRAN... GRANITE FALLS...GAMEWELL...DREXEL...CONNELLY SPRINGS... COLLETTSVILLE AND CAJAHS MOUNTAIN. SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. 07
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 7:47 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 847 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 SCZ012-019-170145- GREENWOOD-LAURENS- 847 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN GREENWOOD AND SOUTHERN LAURENS COUNTIES THROUGH 945 PM EDT... AT 842 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR COKESBURY...OR 6 MILES NORTH OF GREENWOOD... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 14 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... LAKE GREENWOOD BY 910 PM EDT. CROSS HILL BY 925 PM EDT. SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 9:43 PM EST, 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1043 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 NCZ068-070-SCZ008-009-170345- CHEROKEE-CLEVELAND-GASTON-YORK- 1043 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN CHEROKEE...NORTHERN YORK...SOUTHEASTERN CLEVELAND AND SOUTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTIES THROUGH 1145 PM EDT... AT 1041 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KINGS MOUNTAIN...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SHELBY...MOVING EAST AT 8 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... KINGS MOUNTAIN BY 1120 PM EDT. 5 MILES SOUTH OF BESSEMER CITY BY 1145 PM EDT. SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 10:20 PM EST, 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1120 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 NCZ068-070-170400- CLEVELAND-GASTON- 1120 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN CLEVELAND AND NORTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT EDT... AT 1111 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHERRYVILLE...OR 7 MILES EAST OF SHELBY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 13 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CHERRYVILLE BY 1135 PM EDT. MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. MCAVOY
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:41 UTC.
Event by event
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Gaston
- When
- August 16, 10:40 PM EST
- Where
- Gaston County, Cherryville
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.380, -81.380
Large tree limbs were blown down.
Thunderstorm Wind, Iredell
- When
- August 16, 11:40 PM EST
- Where
- Iredell County, 1.41 mi S of Troutman
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.680, -80.898
Large tree limbs were blown down on Perth Rd.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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
- Flash Flood in Arizona, August 16 to 18, 2008
- Flash Flood in Maine, August 16, 2008
- Lightning Strike in Colorado, August 16, 2008
- Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, August 16, 2008
- Flash Flooding and Hail in New Mexico, August 16, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Massachusetts, August 16, 2008
- Tornado in Colorado, August 16, 2008
- Flash Flooding in Texas, August 16, 2008
- Hail in Maine, August 16, 2008
- Hail in New Hampshire, August 16, 2008
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 16, 2008
- Hail in Colorado, August 16, 2008
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2008
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: 131842, 131843, 131844.