Drought conditions continued to improve, with only a couple of counties still remaining in the Severe (D2) Drought category. The remainder of the region was catagorized as a Moderate (D1) Drought.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 ILM wrote it up.
Drought conditions continued to improve, with only a couple of counties still remaining in the Severe (D2) Drought category. The remainder of the region was catagorized as a Moderate (D1) Drought.
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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 29, 9:45 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 945 PM EST FRI FEB 29 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE AREA EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES SUNDAY...THEN MOVE OFFSHORE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE GULF COAST MONDAY...MOVING INTO THE CAROLINAS TUESDAY. RAIN...STRONG WINDS...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER MAY EXIST WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. DRY WEATHER UNDER HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. ANOTHER FRONT MAY APPROACH FROM THE WEST NEXT FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... AS OF 9 PM FRIDAY...MAINLY A HIGH LEVEL CLOUD DECK ACROSS THE ILM CWA...WITH A MID LEVEL DECK BEGINNING TO ADVECT ACROSS THE NW PORTIONS OF THE ILM CWA AT THE MOMENT. ITS UNDER THIS LATTER CLOUD DECK FOR WHICH PCPN HAS BEEN NOTED UPSTREAM FROM THE ILM CWA...WITH ITS OCCURRENCE FAR AND IN BETWEEN. WHAT PCPN THAT DOES FALL WILL BE LESS THAN ONE TENTH OF AN INCH. LATEST MODEL TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS FOR THE NAM LOOK MUCH BETTER FOR PCPN POSSIBILITIES TONIGHT...WITH MODEL MOISTURE AVAILABILITY THRU THE ATM COLUMN SUSPECT. PREVIOUSLY...MODELS WERE MOISTURE STARVING THIS COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND NOW PWS ARE THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH AT ITS PEAK. HOWEVER...THE ONE DELIMITING FACTOR IS THE AREA OF PCPN...AND THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE ON THE SMALL SIDE. THERE4...WILL CONTINUE THE SLITE CHANCE FOR SHRA ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...AS IT TRAVERSES THE ILM CWA OVERNIGHT. MODELS INDICATE RAPID CLEARING AFTER 1200Z SATURDAY UNDER BRISK WESTERLY WINDS AT 10-20 && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BE CROSSING THE AREA RIGHT AROUND DAYBREAK SATURDAY. ANY LIGHT PRECIPITATION THAT WAS ABLE TO REACH THE GROUND SHOULD BE PUSHING OFFSHORE AT THAT TIME. RAPID CLEARING AND DRYING WILL DEVELOP DURING THE MORNING HOURS AS BREEZY WEST WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE GFS CONTINUES TO BE THE PREFERRED MODEL AND IS A FEW HOURS FASTER TAKING THE MOISTURE AND FRONT OFFSHORE. THERMAL GRADIENTS SHOULD RUN NORTH-TO-SOUTH SUNDAY WHICH MEANS WITH A WEST WIND ACTUAL TEMPERATURE ADVECTION WILL BE RATHER MINIMAL. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST AND INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS SATURDAY NIGHT. OUR SURFACE WINDS WILL BEND AROUND TO THE NORTH...AND A SECONDARY SURGE WORKING ITS WAY DOWN THE COAST WILL FINALLY BRING SOME CHILLY AIR SOUTH. LOWS SHOULD DROP INTO THE 30S...CHILLIEST ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES. THIS WILL BE A QUICK SHOT OF COLD AIR...AS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WINDS BEGIN TO TURN SOUTHEASTERLY. THERE WILL BE QUITE A DIFFERENCE IN HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON...RANGING FROM THE UPPER 50S ALONG THE CAPE FEAR AREA BEACHES TO THE MID 60S SOUTH AND WEST OF FLORENCE. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO NEARSHORE OCEAN EFFECTS SINCE WATER TEMPERATURES HAVE AGAIN DROPPED INTO LOWER TO MID 50S. RADIATIONAL COOLING WILL BE MAXIMIZED NEAR THE COAST SUNDAY NIGHT (CLOSER TO THE SURFACE HIGH) WITH SOMEWHAT STRONG SOUTHERLY BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS EXPECTED INLAND. THIS WILL LEAD TO LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S TO AROUND 40...EXCEPT PERHAPS MUCH COOLER IN THE NORMALLY COLD CAROLINA BAY SPOTS ACROSS THE CAPE FEAR REGION WHERE LOW DEWPOINTS...CLEAR SKIES...AND CALM WINDS COULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL TO NEAR FREEZING. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...THE LONG TERM PERIOD STARTS OUT WITH A RETURN FLOW SETTING UP AS THE CENTER OF THE HIGH SHIFTS OFF SHORE. THE FLOW WILL BE MAINLY BE E-SE INITIALLY THEN WILL VEER AROUND AND INCREASE OVERNIGHT MONDAY TO S-SE AHEAD OF POTENT SYSTEM WHICH WILL AFFECT THE LOCAL AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE CENTER OF THE LOW WILL TRACK RAPIDLY UP FROM THE TEXAS GULF COAST MONDAY N-NE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY BY TUES EVENING. LLJ INCREASES TO 60-70 KTS AHEAD OF COLD FRONT BY TUES MORNING. MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DIGS DOWN AND GETS CUTOFF OVER LOWER MISSISSIPPI TUES MORNING. WILL NEED TO SEE HOW MODELS HANDLE THIS SYSTEM OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO SEE HOW IT EVOLVES TO DETERMINE THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL OVER LOCAL AREA. MOISTURE DOES NOT SEEM ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE WITH PCP WATER INCREASING TO LESS THAN 1.5 IN...BUT TIMING OF SYSTEM IN THE AFTERNOON TIME SHOULD AID IN THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME DECENT CONVECTION. WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS AND INCLUDED THUNDERSTORMS IN LATEST FORECAST. AS FOR SEVERE POTENTIAL LOOKS LIKE HIGH SHEAR LOW CAPE SCENARIO. HIGH PRESSURE WILL FOLLOW WITH RELATIVELY QUIET WEATHER WED THROUGH MUCH OF THE REST OF THE LONG TERM WITH ANOTHER FRONT MOVING THROUGH ON FRI. BOTH GFS AND ECMWF IN LINE WITH TIMING OF FRONT. WILL KEEP WITH SLIGHT CHC POPS FOR NOW BEING SO FAR OUT IN THE FUTURE. TEMPS WILL BE ABOVE CLIMO IN WAA AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. 850 TEMPS DROP TO -4 IN CAA HEADING INTO WED...BUT REBOUND BY WED EVENING IN A RELATIVELY FLAT LOW TO MID LEVEL FLOW. LOOKS LIKE COLDEST AIR REMAINS TO THE NORTH AND TEMPS FOR MUCH OF EXTENDED WILL REMAIN CLOSER TO CLIMO DURING THE DAY...IN THE 60S AND ABOVE CLIMO MOST NIGHTS. && .AVIATION /0Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... MID/HIGH CLOUD INCREASES TONIGHT AS COLD FRONT DROPS IN FROM THE NW. NOT EXPECTING ANY WIDESPREAD PRECIP DURING THE EVENT...IN FACT NOT SURE ANY SITE WILL SEE MEASURABLE PRECIP. AIR MASS BELOW 850 IS VERY DRY AND MAY END UP WITH SOME VIRGA AND NOTHING ELSE. BASED ON SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS LOWEST CEILINGS WILL BE BETWEEN 5K AND 7K FT OCCURRING BETWEEN 7Z AND 14Z. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN VFR. COLD FROPA OCCURS SAT MORNING WITH NW WINDS INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AND BECOMING GUSTY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... AS OF 9 PM FRIDAY...COLD FRONT QUICKLY APPROACHES FROM THE NW OVERNIGHT. WILL LIKELY OBSERVE LIGHT AND EVEN VARIABLE WINDS GIVE WAY TO SW WINDS 15-20 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AS THE SFC PG TIGHTENS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. LOW PERIOD WIND DRIVEN WAVES TO COMPRISE THE SEAS...TO QUICKLY RESPOND AND ALSO INCREASE. FRYING PAN SHOALS COULD FLIRT WITH BOTH SCEC AND/OR SCA THRESHOLDS. SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BE PUSHING OFF THE COAST SATURDAY MORNING...WITH MODERATE WESTERLY FLOW EXPECTED THE REST OF THE DAY. THE PRE-FRONTAL WINDS SHOULD NOT BE ALL THAT STRONG TONIGHT...SO SEAS WILL NOT TAKE MUCH TIME TO FALL TO ONLY 2 FT OR SO. AS THE HIGH PUSHES INTO THE MID ATLANTIC STATES SATURDAY NIGHT A BRIEF COLD AIR SURGE WILL DROP SOUTH ALONG THE COAST. NORTHERLY WINDS 10-15 KT COULD GUST TO 20 KT LATE SUNDAY NIGHT DURING THE HEART OF THE COLD ADVECTION. WINDS SHOULD QUICKLY DIMINISH SUNDAY AS THE RIDGE AXIS PUSHES OVERHEAD. A LIGHT ONSHORE FLOW WILL DEVELOP LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEHIND THE DEPARTING RIDGE. LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...THE LONG TERM PERIOD STARTS OUT WITH A RETURN FLOW SETTING UP AS THE CENTER OF THE HIGH SHIFTS OFF SHORE. THE FLOW WILL BECOME MORE ON SHORE...E-SE INITIALLY THEN WILL VEER AROUND AND INCREASE OVERNIGHT MONDAY INTO TUES TO S-SE AHEAD OF POTENT SYSTEM WHICH WILL AFFECT THE LOCAL AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE GRADIENT FLOW TIGHTENS SIGNIFICANTLY TUES TO 20-30 KTS AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES WITH WINDS AND SEAS INCREASING. MAY BE HELD OFF INITIALLY IN A MORE STABLE WARM FLOW OVER COOLER SHELF WATERS...BUT EXPECT WINDS AND SEAS TO RAPIDLY INCREASE TO SCA THRESHOLDS BY TUES MORNING AND PEAKING JUST AHEAD OF FRONT IN STRONG S-SW WINDS PEAKING WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. POTENTIAL FOR GALE FORCE WINDS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST WITH THIS SYSTEM. HIGH PRESSURE WILL FOLLOW BEHIND COLD FRONT TUES NIGHT. MODEST CAA BEHIND FRONT WILL SHUTOFF BY WED MORNING IN A DECREASING OFF SHORE FLOW WITH DIMINISHING WINDS AND SEAS THROUGH WED AFTERNOON. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...ARMSTRONG NEAR TERM...HOEHLER SHORT TERM...ARMSTRONG LONG TERM...GROSS-ZOUZIAS AVIATION...HEDEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 421 AM EST FRI FEB 29 2008 AMZ250-252-254-256-010930- SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 421 AM EST FRI FEB 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY GALE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY AS A FAST MOVING ATMOSPHERIC WAVE MOVES THROUGH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ017-023-024-032>034-039-046-010930- ROBESON-BLADEN-PENDER-COLUMBUS-BRUNSWICK-NEW HANOVER-MARLBORO- DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION-HORRY-WILLIAMSBURG-GEORGETOWN- 421 AM EST FRI FEB 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE WITH A FAST MOVING ATMOSPHERIC WAVE ON TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Recent rains continue to improve the drought situation in southeastern North Carolina. Streamflows at most locations had improved to near normal, with rainfall amounts over most of the region just below normal for the past 30 days.
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, March 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: 87453.