Drought in North Carolina, June 1 to 30, 2008

Name: Drought in North Carolina, June 1 to 30, 2008
Start: 2008-06-01T00:00
End: 2008-06-30T23:59
Location: North Carolina

June 1 to 30, 2008 · NWS GSP · 34 events in 34 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 34 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 34

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.

Although near normal rainfall was observed across much of the area during the late winter and early spring, another period of abnormally dry weather in May and June exacerbated severe to extreme drought conditions over the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Much of the area saw less than 2 inches of rain during this period of time. By the end of the month, much of the mountains and foothills of western North Carolina were running 10 inches below normal annual rainfall. Total rainfall deficits since the beginning of 2007 were around 20 inches or more in the hardest hit areas. By the end of the month, flow on almost all major streams was running less than 10 percent of normal. Many area crops suffered.

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, 9:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 9:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1018 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND TOWARD
THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY...
THEN ON TO THE CAROLINA COAST SUNDAY NIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD OVER THE REGION FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK BEFORE A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY AFFECTS THE REGION MID TO LATE WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
A DEVELOPING MCC OVER SOUTHERN IL WILL TRACK ACROSS KY AND NERN TN
OVERNIGHT STEERED BY QUASI-ZONAL UPPER FLOW. MEANWHILE...ACROSS OUR
CWFA IS RELATIVELY STABLE (WITH SOME DIMINISHING CONVECTION JUST TO
OUR WEST)...AS THE BL MIXED OUT THIS AFTN. MODEL GUIDANCE ALL SHOW
THE MCC HOLDING TOGETHER FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH THE NIGHT.
HOWEVER...THEY DISAGREE ON THE EXACT EVOLUTION. THE GFS TAKES IT
STRAIGHT INTO THE SWRN VA/NWRN NC MTNS...WHILE THE NAM SPLITS
IT...AND THE SREF TAKES IT SOUTH INTO SERN TN. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW
SOME ELEVATED CAPE WITH THE SYSTEM AS IT ENTERS THE AREA (MAINLY DUE
TO MOISTENING LOW LEVELS). SO I/VE CUT BACK POP FOR THE FIRST HALF
OF THE NIGHT...AND INCREASED POP TO CHC ALONG THE TN BORDER LATE. AN
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING...AND
POPS WITH THAT LOOK GOOD FOR NOW. OTHERWISE...ONLY MINOR TWEAKS WERE
MADE.

UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES MOVING THROUGH THE BASE OF AN UPPER TROUGH
TOGETHER WITH PERSISTENT INSTABILITY WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF
CONVECTION GOING THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCE DURING
AFTERNOON HEATING. INITIALLY POPS WILL FAVOR THE NC MOUNTAINS WHERE
LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL HAVE AN UPSLOPE COMPONENT...BUT EVENTUALLY THE
BETTER POPS WILL BE IN THE SOUTH WHERE MORE INSTABILITY AND RICHER
MOISTURE WILL EXIST. SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE...BUT
INSTABILITY WILL BE MUCH LESS THAN THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUD COVER WILL
LIMIT COOLING TONIGHT AND WARMING ON SUNDAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 135 PM SATURDAY...FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL S OF THE CWA SUN
NIGHT-MON WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE N...WHILE A WEAK
UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE REGION. FLAT H5 RIDGE REMAINS OVER AREA
MON NIGHT-TUE WITH WEAK SHORTWAVE IMPULSES MOVG THRU RELATIVELY
ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. SFC HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE TUE...PUTTING AREA IN
MOIST S RETURN FLOW. A SFC WAVE IS FCST TO DEVELOP OVER CNTRL PLAINS
DURING DAY TUE AND THE STALLED SFC BOUNDARY S OF AREA IS EXPECTED TO
MOVE BACK N AS A WARM FRONT LATE TUE-TUE NIGHT...BRINGING LOW CHANCE
POPS TO THE AREA. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A CAT OR SO ABOVE AVG.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 135 PM SATURDAY...USING GFS/ECMWF BLEND...FRONTAL BOUNDARY
SHOULD STAY N OF AREA WED-SAT BUT WITH SFC LOW TO THE W AND HIGH
PRESSURE OFF THE COAST...CWA REMAINS IN WARM...MOIST S FLOW. WITH NO
SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVES DEPICTED IN GFS/ECMWF MODEL BLEND...EXPECT
ABOVE AVG TEMPS WITH DIURNAL POPS IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE
RANGE THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS.

&&

.AVIATION /02Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS DAYTIME HEATING BEGINS TO WANE...THE CUMULUS ACROSS THE AREA
CONTINUES TO DIMINISH IN COVERAGE. A FEW TSTMS CONTINUE TO ROLL
ACROSS EASTERN TN...WHERE THERE IS DECENT INSTABILITY. GUIDANCE
SHOWS SOME LINGERING INSTABILITY IN THE NC MTNS THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT...AND ONE OR OF THOSE CELLS MAY HOLD TOGETHER ONCE THEY
GET INTO THE MTNS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...THE ODDS OF A CELL INVOF
KAVL IS TOO LOW TO MENTION IN TAF AT THIS TIME. LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL
STAY W-SWLY THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS NOT
EXPECTED TO REBOUND TO WHERE THEY WERE LAST NIGHT. SO I/VE KEPT JUST
SOME HZ WITH PERHAPS SOME MVFR VSBY AT KAVL. ANY CIGS SHOULD BE
ASSOC WITH MID-UPPER LEVEL CLOUDINESS. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO
THE AREA FROM THE NORTH DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY...AND IS EXPECTED
TO TRIGGER SOME CONVECTION BY EARLY AFTN. FOR NOW...IT/S TOO FAR OUT
TO MENTION FOR THE OUTLOOK PERIOD OF THE TAFS.

OUTLOOK...TSTM CHANCES WILL INCREASE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AS THE
COLD FRONT STALLS IN THE VICINITY. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON
MONDAY...WITH A CHC OF MAINLY MTN SHWRS/TSTMS ON TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...PAT
NEAR TERM...ARK/JAT
SHORT TERM...RB
LONG TERM...RB
AVIATION...ARK

Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 9:30 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

GAZ010-017-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509-
SCZ001>003-020230-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-
GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-
PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS REACHING THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS TOWARD SUNRISE SUNDAY MORNING. MAINLY SOME
BRIEF DOWNPOURS AND A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THE STORMS AS THEY MOVE INTO THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN
THREATS EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-85 CORRIDOR DURING
THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508-
510-SCZ004>014-019-020230-
STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-
GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
EASTERN POLK-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-
SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-
CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN
THREATS EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-85 CORRIDOR DURING
THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ARK

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

34 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Alexander

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Alexander forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.921, -81.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Avery

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Avery forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Buncombe

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Buncombe forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Burke Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Burke Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.750, -81.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cabarrus

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Cabarrus forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.387, -80.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Caldwell Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Caldwell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Catawba

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Catawba forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.663, -81.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cleveland

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Cleveland forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.334, -81.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Davie

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Davie forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.929, -80.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern McDowell

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern McDowell forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.681, -82.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Polk

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Polk forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.279, -82.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gaston

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Gaston forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.294, -81.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Graham

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Graham forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greater Burke

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Greater Burke forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.750, -81.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greater Caldwell

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Greater Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greater Rutherford

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Greater Rutherford forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.402, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Haywood

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Haywood forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Henderson

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Iredell

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Iredell forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.807, -80.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lincoln

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.486, -81.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Macon

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Madison

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, McDowell Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: McDowell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.681, -82.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mecklenburg

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Mecklenburg forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.247, -80.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mitchell

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Jackson

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Northern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Polk Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Polk Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.279, -82.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rowan

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Rowan forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.640, -80.525 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rutherford Mountains

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Rutherford Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.402, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Jackson

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Southern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Swain

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Swain forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Transylvania

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Transylvania forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Union

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.988, -80.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Yancey

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Yancey forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, June 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: 121549, 121550, 121551, 121552, 121553, 121554, 121555, 121556, 121557, 121558, 121559, 121560, 121561, 121562, 121563, 121564, 121565, 121566, 121567, 121568, 121569, 121570, 121571, 121572, 121573, 121574, 121575, 121576, 121577, 121578, 121579, 121580, 121581, 121582.