The passage of a weak cold front produce an isolated severe thunderstorm which affected the city of Raleigh in the early evening of August 20th.
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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.
The passage of a weak cold front produce an isolated severe thunderstorm which affected the city of Raleigh in the early evening of August 20th.
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 Aug 20, 2:29 PM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 329 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2008 .SYNOPSIS... ASIDE FROM A VERY WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING OVER NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH THIS EVENING...HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH. THE HIGH REMAINS THE PRIMARY INFLUENCE ON OUR WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 205 PM WEDNESDAY... EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...A WEAK...DIFFUSE SURFACE FRONT WAS BEST VIEWED ON SURFACE DIVERGENCE FIELDS VIA MSAS...LOCATED FROM THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE STATE TO JUST SOUTH OF THE TRIAD. ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY...LIFTED INDICES WERE -2C TO AS HIGH AS -5C WITH THE HIGHER VALUES TOWARD THE COAST. ALTHOUGH MODEST LIFT IS IN PLACE THROUGH ABOUT 00Z...SUBSIDENCE INCREASES QUICKLY THIS EVENING AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO SLOWLY BUILD IN. WILL MAINTAIN ISOLATED SHOWERS OR A THUNDERSTORM THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE WEAK FRONT...WITH ANY ACTIVITY DIMINISHING QUICKLY WITH THE APPROACH OF SUNSET. OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING...DEGREE OF LOW CLOUDS IS A CONCERN. THE LATEST NAM IS NOT QUITE AS AGGRESSIVE WITH LOW CLOUDS AS THE 06Z RUN...BUT BOTH THE NAM AND THE GFS ESSENTIALLY WASH OUT THE SURFACE FRONT AND ALLOW FOR A DECENT EAST-TO-WEST INCREASE IN SURFACE DEW POINTS OVERNIGHT. WITH THE 925MB WINDS CONTINUING FROM THE EAST AT 15 TO 20KT...THINK THERE WILL BE ENOUGH LONG-FETCH UPSLOPE IN THE GOOD BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE TO PROVIDE FOR AREAS OF HIGH STRATUS OR LOW SC LATE. THE NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS SHOW THE BEST LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AT KFAY AND KGSO...AND THE LATEST SREF FORECASTS 50 PERCENT OR HIGHER PROBABILITIES OF CEILINGS BELOW 3000FT OVER A GOOD PORTION OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TOWARD 12Z. BUFR SOUNDINGS FROM BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SUGGEST MIXING OF ANY LOW CLOUDS DURING THE MORNING. STILL ANTICIPATE SURFACE WIND GUSTS FROM 15 TO 20KT DEVELOPING BY AFTERNOON BASED ON THE CONSISTENCY OF THE 925MB WIND FORECAST OF 15 TO 25KT THURSDAY AND THE TIGHTENING GRADIENT BETWEEN THE CENTER OF THE RIDGE TO THE NORTH AND FAY TO THE SOUTH. THE NAM IS MOST AGGRESSIVE WITH INCREASING SUBSIDENCE AND 700MB AND 850MB THETA-E TROUGHING OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY...AND EVEN THOUGH THE GFS IS MORE MOIST... ITS FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE STILL CAPPED TO DEEP CONVECTION. LIKE THE NAM...THE GFS MUCAPE BASED OVER THE LOWEST KILOMETER IS ESSENTIALLY NIL. 1000-850MB FULL SUN THICKNESSES SUPPORT HIGHS IN THE MID 80S...AND AFTER MORNING LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S... DESPITE ANY MORNING CLOUDS WITH SOME SUN THESE VALUES SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE REACHED. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 215 PM WEDNESDAY... THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT: THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN CONUS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN DURING THIS PERIOD...WITH UNSEASONABLY STRONG (1030 MB) SFC HIGH PRESSURE (OVER NEW ENGLAND AND THE ATLANTIC) EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC AND CAROLINAS. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE CAROLINAS WILL BE ADDITIONALLY TIGHTENED COURTESY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE FAY DURING THIS TIME...AS THAT SYSTEM MOVES IN A WESTWARD DIRECTION ACROSS NORTHERN FL. ALL OF THIS MAKES FOR AN INTERESTING PRECIP FCST ON FRIDAY. WE WILL HAVE UNUSUALLY STRONG (UP TO 20-25 KNOTS) EASTERLY FLOW FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR IN THE LOW/MID LEVELS...ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA...SO ONE WOULD EXPECT ABOVE NORMAL PWAT VALUES. HOWEVER...BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTHENING RIDGE ALOFT OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC/NEW ENGLAND...INCREASED SUBSIDENCE WARMING/DRYING IN THE MID LEVELS IS PROGGED TO KEEP PWAT VALUES AT/AROUND 1.00 FOR MOST OF THE AREA. AN EXCEPTION TO THIS WILL BE IN FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS (SANDHILLS AND SE COASTAL PLAIN)...WHICH WILL BE CLOSER TO FAY AND FURTHER AWAY FROM THE BUILDING UPPER RIDGE. EVEN SO...FCST SOUNDINGS ARE ONLY SHOWING PWAT VALUES NEAR NORMAL IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS...WITH FAIRLY WARM TEMPS ALOFT (0C 16 KFT). AS SUCH...HAVE DECIDED TO CONFINE POPS TO SOUTH OF HWY 64...PRIMARILY IN THE SANDHILLS AND SE COASTAL PLAIN...AND CAPPED THEM AT SLIGHT CHANCE (20%) DUE TO THE WARM TEMPS ALOFT AND VERY LIMITED INSTABILITY... WHICH IS ALSO WHY NO THUNDER IS MENTIONED. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD LOW STRATUS TO DEVELOP THU NIGHT AND FRI MORNING AS 20-25 KNOT EASTERLY FLOW IN THE LOWER LEVELS ALLOWS MOISTURE TO ADVECT IN OFF THE ATLANTIC BENEATH THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION. THE NAM IS MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN THE GFS IN SHOWING SATURATION IN FCST SOUNDINGS...BUT THE OVERALL SETUP SEEMS PRETTY REASONABLE. WILL SHOW INCREASING CLOUDS THU NIGHT...WITH LOW TEMPS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S. ANY LOW STRATUS SHOULD MIX OUT DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH HOW LONG IT HANGS AROUND WILL OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON TEMPS. GIVEN BELOW NORMAL THICKNESSES IN ASSOC/W A SUMMERTIME CAD PATTERN...WILL KEEP HIGH TEMPS BELOW NORMAL IN THE LOWER (NW) TO MID (EAST/SE) 80S. THE CHANCE FOR LOW STRATUS WILL CONTINUE FRI NIGHT...ALTHOUGH THE SETUP APPEARS LESS FAVORABLE THAN THU NIGHT DUE TO WEAKER EASTERLY FLOW. LOW TEMPS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S. SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT: THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN CONUS IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN DURING THIS TIME FRAME AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH (CURRENTLY BEGINNING TO ENTER THE PACIFIC NW) IS PROGGED TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN CONUS...EFFECTIVELY FLATTENING THE RIDGE BY SUNDAY. EVEN SO...FCST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW WARM/DRY MID-LEVELS AND DEWPOINTS MIXING OUT INTO THE LOWER 60S DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS EACH DAY. AS A RESULT...HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP THE FCST DRY THIS WEEKEND. IT IS POSSIBLE A FEW SHOWERS COULD DEVELOP IN THE FAR SOUTH (I.E. FAY MEB) SAT AFTERNOON WHERE FCST SOUNDINGS ARE SHOWING DEWPOINTS MIXING OUT TO A LESSER DEGREE AND SOME AVAILABLE INSTABILITY...HOWEVER...THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE MUCH IN THE WAY OF LIFT...AND WHILE AN ISOLD SHRA CANNOT BE RULED OUT...THE CHANCE IS TOO LOW TO MENTION. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO CREEP BACK TO NORMAL VALUES FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR BY SUNDAY. HIGHS IN THE MID/UPPER 80S SAT...UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90F ON SUN...AND LOW TEMPS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S TO NEAR 70F. -VINCENT && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 315 PM WEDNESDAY... THE LONG TERM FORECAST WILL ULTIMATELY DEPEND ON THE TRACK OF THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONE FAY. LOOKING AT THE LATEST GFS/ECMWF RUNS...THE TRACK OF FAYS REMNANTS SEEMS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE EVOLUTION OF UPPER LEVEL ENERGY CURRENTLY BEGINNING TO APPROACH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...AND THE EVOLUTION OF A RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. BOTH THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF SHOW FAYS REMNANTS BEING STEERED TO THE NORTH/NNE THROUGH EITHER THE TN/OH VALLEYS OR ALONG THE SPINE OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS DURING EARLY/MID NEXT WEEK (TUE-THU). THERE IS PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF RUNS GIVEN THAT THIS IS 168 HRS OUT. AT THIS TIME WILL SHOW CHANCE (30%) POPS...WITH THE HIGHEST VALUES IN THE WESTERN PIEDMONT. IF SUBSEQUENT GFS/ECMWF RUNS CONTINUE TO SHOW FAYS REMNANTS MOVING OVER THE SPINE OF THE MOUNTAINS OR THROUGH EASTERN TN...THEN POPS WILL NEED TO BE INCREASED...AND HIGH TEMPS MAY NEED TO BE LOWERED. EVEN WITH GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF...DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE SHOWING POPS HIGHER THAN LOW CHANCE AND TEMPS MORE THAN A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AT THAT TIME RANGE. -VINCENT && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 205 PM WEDNESDAY... ISOLATED SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A THUNDERSTORM ARE EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA LATE IN THE AFTERNOON THROUGH VERY EARLY IN THE EVENING. COVERAGE EXPECTED TO BE VERY SLIGHT...SO LEFT OUT ANY MENTION IN THE 18Z TAF. OVERNIGHT...WITH POSITIVE DEW POINT ADVECTION TOWARD THE WEST AND A LONG-FETCH UPSLOPE FLOW...EXPECT AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS. THE SREF MODEL IS SUGGESTIVE OF AT LEAST A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF CEILINGS BELOW 3K FEET OVER A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TOWARD 12Z. BASED ON THE NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS... THE BEST CHANCE OF IFR CEILINGS LATE TONIGHT WILL BE AT KFAY...WITH LOW MVFR EXPECTED IN GENERAL ELSEWHERE IF LOW CLOUDS DO FORM. THURSDAY...MIXING SHOULD GRADUALLY INCREASE CONDITIONS TO VFR DURING THE MORNING. 925MB WINDS REMAIN AT 15 TO 25KT...WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FOR A FEW SURFACE WIND GUSTS IN THE TEENS KNOTS BY THE END OF THE 18Z TAF PERIOD. A DEEP NORTHEAST-TO-EAST WIND FLOW WILL PERSIST. BEYOND THURSDAY...AS FAY MOVES WEST NEAR THE GULF AND HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS CENTERED NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THE STATE... AN EASTERLY FLOW WILL BE THE RULE ALONG WITH VFR CONDITIONS. THE NOTABLE EXCEPTION TO VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS WHEN...IN PARTICULAR...LOW CEILINGS TO IFR COULD OCCUR. CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL INCREASE THROUGHOUT CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE NEXT WORK WEEK. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DJF NEAR TERM...DJF SHORT TERM...VINCENT LONG TERM...VINCENT AVIATION...DJF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 358 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2008 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-210900- 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- 358 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:25 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was snapped and fell across Ingram Drive at Brentwood Elementary School in Raleigh. Several other trees were downed in the vicinity of the school.
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, August 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: 133638.