Widespread showers and thunderstorms moved across the North Carolina mountains during the early evening hours. A few produced severe weather.
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 GSP wrote it up.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms moved across the North Carolina mountains during the early evening hours. A few produced severe weather.
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 Jun 17, 1:59 AM EST, 6 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 259 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A STATIONARY FRONT WILL REMAIN IN OUR AREA TODAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY BEFORE MOVING NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS OUR AREA SATURDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. LAPSE RATES WILL STEEP AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...AND MORE SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS TO BE A GOOD BET. ONE WRINKLY IS THE WEAK SFC WEDGE THAT HAS PUSHED ACROSS MOST OF OUR FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT ZONES THIS MORNING. THE NAM AND GFS BOTH MIX OUT THE WEDGE BY THIS AFTERNOON WITH WINDS TAKING ON A LIGHT SOUTHWEST COMPONENT ACROSS THE REGION. I SUSPECT THAT THE FLOW EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS WILL REMAIN MOVE BACKED THAT THE FLOW OVER ERN TN. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN GOOD LLVL MASS CONVERGENCE OVER THE MTNS...WHICH IS WHERE CONVECTION WILL PROBABLY ORIGINATE EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. AS SPC SAID IN THEIR DAY 1 DISCUSSION...THESE MULTICELL OR EVEN SUPERCELL STORMS SHOULD THEN TRACK SOUTHEAST...POSING MAINLY A WIND AND HAIL THREAT ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE FA INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WITH THE STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES CURRENTLY JUST UPSTREAM OF THE REGION...VERY LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE AGAIN TODAY. WE/LL ADDRESS THIS IN THE WHO. INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BE THE MOST IMPRESSIVE OVER THE REGION ROUGHLY SOUTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ASHEVILLE TO GREENVILLE... WHICH IS WHERE THE HIGHEST CAPE IS LOCATED ON THE SREF LATER TODAY. HEIGHTS WILL BEGIN TO RISE OVERNIGHT AND MCS ACTIVITY SHOULD LIFT NORTH OF THE REGION AFTER THE EVENING STORMS ARE FINISHED. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 AM EDT WED...THE MODELS SHOW AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE GULF STATES...WITH A CLOSED LOW OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES. THIS LOW FILLS OVER SOUTHERN QUEBEC FRIDAY...WITH A TROUGH TO ITS SOUTH OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. ANOTHER UPPER LOW ORGANIZES OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES LATE FRIDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO OUR AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST ON THURSDAY...BECOMING STATIONARY IN NC. GUIDANCE POPS ARE ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...AS MODEL MOISTURE IS LIMITED WEST OF THE COASTAL PLAIN FOLLOWING DRYING FROM ALOFT AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS EAST. THE LOWEST LEVELS REMAIN MOIST HOWEVER...AND SUBSTANTIAL INSTABILITY EXISTS...SO ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST...WITH THE BEST POPS IN THE MOUNTAINS. ON FRIDAY THE BOUNDARY LIFTS NORTH AS A WARM FRONT...AND A LEE TROUGH SETS UP WELL TO OUR EAST. MOISTURE REMAINS LIMITED AGAIN... BUT INSTABILITY IS EVEN GREATER...AND GUIDANCE POPS ARE GREATER THAN THURSDAY. FORECAST POPS WILL BE INCREASED TO CHANCE IN THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS WHERE THE MODEL SHOW THE BEST MOISTURE...AND SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA...DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM FROM JUST ABOVE NORMAL THURSDAY TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL FRIDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS IN. THE HEAT INDEX STAYS JUST BELOW 105 DEGREES IN OUR SOUTH AND EAST BOTH DAYS. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 230 AM EDT WED...THE GFS BECOMES FASTER THAN THE ECMWF BY SATURDAY WITH AN UPPER TROUGH LEAVING THE EAST COAST AND AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE GULF STATES...AS IT DOES WITH AN UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES THAT SUPPRESSES THE RIDGE IN THE TN VALLEY. ON SUNDAY THE MODELS THE MODELS SHOW REASONABLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH AN UPPER LOW OVER IN THE VICINITY OF LONG ISLAND...AND REAMPLIFICATION OF THE UPPER RIDGE FROM THE GULF TO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. BY MONDAY THE GFS BECOMES SLIGHTLY MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE LOW OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST...A TREND THAT CARRIES OVER INTO TUE. THE UPPER TROUGH FROM THIS LOW AMPLIFIES THROUGH THE PERIOD ALONG THE EAST COAST...KEEPING OUR AREA IN A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. HPC FAVORED THE LESS PROGRESSIVE ECMWF SOLUTION...WHICH HAD THE BACKING OF SEVERAL OTHER MODELS. ON SATURDAY...A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE TN VALLEY. ON SUNDAY THIS FRONT REACHES THE CAROLINA COAST. THIS FRONT REMAINS SOUTH OF AREA THROUGH TUE. SCATTERED POPS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT SATURDAY...WITH DRYING FOLLOWING. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL FROM MUCH ABOVE NORMAL SATURDAY...TO JUST ABOVE NORMAL AS HEIGHTS FALL. && .AVIATION /07Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...LOW CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT AS WEAK COLD AIR DAMMING AFFECTS THE REGION. CIGS WILL GENERALLY FALL TO BETWEEN 006-010 FEET AS THE LOW CLOUDS SETTLE INTO THE REGION. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST FOR THE MOST PART. KCLT WILL SEE SOUTHERLY WINDS FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO WITH OUTFLOW FROM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO IT/S SOUTH...AND THEN THE WINDS SHOULD TURN BACK OUT OF THE ENE. LOW CLOUDS WILL SLOWLY BURN OFF TOMORROW MORNING WITH WINDS TURNING OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST IN THE AFTERNOON AT MOST SITES. THEY CERTAINLY WILL OVER THE UPSTATE...BUT IT MIGHT TAKE LONGER AT KCLT. I/VE COMPROMISED THERE ARE HAVE THEM GOING SE BY LATE MORNING...SO THE RUNWAYS WILL STILL NEED TO BE SWITCHED TOWARD LUNCH TIME. BIG STORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON...STARTING OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN AND MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. IT/S HARD TO SAY WHERE THEY WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS...SO I HAVE ADDED VCTS TO MOST SITES IN THE AFTERNOON. && .CLIMATE... RECORD HIGHS FOR FRIDAY JUNE 19TH: ASHEVILLE (KAVL): 92 SET IN 1933 GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AREA (KGSP): 98 SET IN 1944 CHARLOTTE METRO AREA (KCLT): 102 SET IN 1944 && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JAT NEAR TERM...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...JAT AVIATION...MCAVOY CLIMATE...ARK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 543 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-181000- 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- 543 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST TODAY. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND...AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 450 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 NCZ048-170945- MADISON- 450 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MADISON COUNTY THROUGH 545 AM EDT... AT 448 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF HOT SPRINGS...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREENEVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WHITEROCK...WALNUT...SPRING CREEK...MARSHALL...MARS HILL...LUCK... HOT SPRINGS...FAUST...CANTO AND ALLENSTAND. SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ACCPONAY THE STRONGER STORMS IN THIS AREA. MCAVOY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 635 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 NCZ048-049-053-171130- BUNCOMBE-MADISON-YANCEY- 635 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MADISON...NORTHERN YANCEY AND NORTHWESTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTIES THROUGH 730 AM EDT... AT 633 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREENEVILLE TENNESSEE... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WHITEROCK...WEAVERVILLE...WALNUT...SWISS...SPRING CREEK... RAMSEYTOWN...MARSHALL...MARS HILL...LUCK...LEICESTER...HOT SPRINGS...FAUST...CANTO...BURNSVILLE...BARNARDSVILLE AND ALLENSTAND. SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. FREQUENT 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
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:13 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down on Bear Creek Rd and Newfound Rd.
A tree was blown down on a trailer on Cope Creek Rd.
Numerous trees were blown down across Fontana Village and vicinity.
Trees were blown down across Dills Branch Rd.
A tree was blown down on a trailer on Cope Creek Rd.
Trees were blown down on Whiteside Cove Rd.
Trees were blown down on Whisper Lake Dr.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, June 2009
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: 184255, 185061, 184566, 184568, 184569, 184572, 184573.