An upper level disturbance moved across central North Carolina from the northwest. The disturbance interacted with daytime heating to produce isolated thunderstorms, a few of which became severe.
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.
An upper level disturbance moved across central North Carolina from the northwest. The disturbance interacted with daytime heating to produce isolated thunderstorms, a few of which became severe.
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 May 5, 1:35 PM EST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 235 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE EASTERN PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN OF NORTH CAROLINA COUPLED WITH AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL CAUSE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...MAINLY EAST AND SOUTH OF RALEIGH. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN TONIGHT AND LINGER ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK. AN INCOMING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN CHANCES FOR LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 230 PM... THE LOSS OF THE HEATING OF THE DAY AND THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THROUGH MOST OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA NEAR SUNSET SHOULD END THE PRECIPITATION THREAT AROUND DARK. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 64. PREDAWN FOG AND SOME LOW STRATUS ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 64... BUT WIDESPREAD VISIBILITIES SHOULD BE WELL ABOVE TWO MILES SO NO MENTION IN THE TEXT PRODUCTS. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TUESDAY. HOWEVER SEVERAL MODELS ARE DEVELOPING A WEAK AREA OF SHOWERS NORTH OF THE OHIO VALLEY LATE TONIGHT ALONG A SURFACE FRONT AND TRACKING THIS AREA SOUTHEAST AHEAD OF A DIVING VORTICITY MAXIMUM. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN THIS FEATURE TO MENTION A RAIN CHANCE...BUT HAVE INCREASED CLOUDS LATE IN THE DAY IN THE NORTHEAST. LITTLE CHANGE TO THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST. LOWS MID AND UPPER 50S WITH HIGHS NEAR 80 TUESDAY AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 235 PM MONDAY... THE MODELS AGREE ON A WEAK AND DIFFICULT-TO-TRACK MID LEVEL PERTURBATION DROPPING FROM NORTHERN OH TONIGHT THROUGH VA INTO EASTERN NC BY LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. DYNAMIC FORCING DOESNT APPEAR TO BE ESPECIALLY PROFOUND AND PRECIPITABLE WATER IS NEAR NORMAL AT BEST. SINCE IT IS ARRIVING DURING MAX HEATING... AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR STORM COULD DEVELOP... BUT DUE TO THE LIMITED MOISTURE AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT ANY CONVECTION WILL HOLD TO OUR NE AND E... WILL LEAVE POPS OUT FOR NOW AND EVALUATE LATER OBSERVATIONS. PREFER TO STAY NEAR CURRENT FORECAST LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT WHICH ARE JUST ABOVE MOS GUIDANCE AND CLOSE TO THE SREF MEAN. FOR WEDNESDAY... SURFACE RIDGING SITS OVER THE SOUTHEAST STATES AS 850 MB RIDGING TRACKS OVERHEAD AND MID LEVEL HEIGHTS RISE OVER NC... IN RESPONSE TO THE VORTEX TRACKING FROM SOUTHEAST NM INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. A MINOR WAVE AND BRIEF SHOT OF MID-UPPER LEVEL ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE PROGRESS ACROSS THE AREA... AND THESE ARE TRACKABLE BACK TO THE CONVECTION CURRENTLY OVER KS... SO HAVE RAISED SKY COVER A BIT TO PARTLY CLOUDY. THIS MAY CUT A DEGREE OR TWO OFF FORECAST HIGHS... BUT ABOVE NORMAL THICKNESSES STILL INDICATE HIGHS AROUND 80-84. FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY... MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT BRINGING THE FORMERLY-CLOSED VORTEX EASTWARD AS AN OPEN SHORTWAVE... TO A POSITION OVER KY/TN BY 00Z FRIDAY. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE SLOWLY INCREASES IN WESTERN NC THROUGH THURSDAY... BUT WITH MID LEVEL RIDGING HOLDING FIRM OVER MUCH OF THE CWA THROUGH EASTERN NC AND WITH OTHER FORCING MECHANISMS LACKING... WILL HOLD POPS AS LOW CHANCES THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... ON THE HIGHER END IN THE WEST. EXPECT INCREASING CLOUDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. MILD LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S/LOWER 60S AND HIGHS AROUND 80-84 STILL LOOK REASONABLE. -GIH && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 325 AM MONDAY... MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE START OUT IN GOOD AGREEMENT FRI THEN LACK OF CONSENSUS NOTED SATURDAY AND BEYOND. FRIDAY...DECENT DYNAMICS EARLY WITH LOW LEVEL JET AROUND 40 KNOTS IN VICINITY WHILE REGION IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF UPPER JET CROSSING THE LOWER MS VALLEY INTO THE DEEP SOUTH. EXPECT CONVECTION TO DIMINISH LATE FRIDAY AS WESTERLY FLOW ADVECT DRIER AIR INTO REGION COUPLED WITH SUBSIDENCE IN WAKE OF EXITING MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE. LATEST 00Z ECMWF MODEL RUN MAINTAINS PROGRESSIVE FLOW REGIME WITH ANOTHER SHORT WAVE AFFECTING THE REGION BY SATURDAY. MEANWHILE 00Z GFS HAS WEAK SHORT WAVE RIDGE TRAVERSING REGION SATURDAY BEFORE NEXT SHORT WAVE AFFECTS AREA SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY...DECENT CHANCE FOR UNSETTLED WEATHER NEXT WEEKEND BUT DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT WHICH PERIOD(S) WILL HAVE BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN. THUS...WILL LEAVE POP FORECAST AS IS FOR THE WEEKEND (SLIGHT CHANCE LATE SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) STILL APPEARS TO BE MORE CLOUDS THAN SUN WHICH WILL SUPPORT MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES A CATEGORY BELOW NORMAL. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 155 PM... SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL JET DROPPING SOUTHEAST INTO NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. HEAT OF THE DAY ALSO AIDING IN GENERATING SHOWERS AND A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO. THUNDERSTORM RISK MAINLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 64. LOSS OF HEATING AND PASSAGE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THROUGH MOST OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD END THE PRECIPITATION THREAT SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET. WINDS NEAR CALM TONIGHT AND FAYETTEVILLE AND ROCKY MOUNT WILL BE PRONE TO FOG AND STRATUS DEVELOPMENT AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. CLEAR TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE WITH A NORTHEAST BREEZE LESS THAN 10 KNOTS. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE POSSIBILITY FOR MVFR CEILINGS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING AS A COLD FRONT BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JFB/GIH NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM...HARTFIELD LONG TERM...WSS AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 115 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008 NCZ042-077-078-083>086-088-089-061100- JOHNSTON-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND- SAMPSON- 115 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 260 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS. NCZ007>011-021>028-038>041-043-073>076-061100- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE- 115 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR STRONG STORMS WILL GENERALLY BE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 64. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 130 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008 NCZ084>086-051830- HOKE-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND- 130 PM EDT MON MAY 5 2008 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM... AT 130 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN RICHMOND COUNTY AROUND HOFFMAN...AND NORTHERN SCOTLAND COUNTY AT CAMP MACKALL. THEY WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 15 MPH...AND WILL REACH WAGRAM AND RAEFORD BETWEEN 200 PM AND 230 PM. 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 ACTIVITIES SHOULD SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IF THUNDER IS HEARD. 13
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
231 PM EDT MON MAY 05 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0221 PM HAIL 8 N LAURINBURG 34.88N 79.49W
05/05/2008 M0.50 INCH SCOTLAND NC TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
BLAESPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
240 PM EDT MON MAY 05 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0220 PM HAIL WAGRAM 34.89N 79.37W
05/05/2008 M0.50 INCH SCOTLAND NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL ON PEACH ORCHARD ROAD.
&&
BLAESThe Wilmington radar (KLTX), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:49 UTC.
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Nickel to quarter size hail was reported at the intersection of Highway 74 and Highland Road.
Nickel size hail occurred near the intersection of Leesville Road and Highland 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, May 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: 98510, 98512.