Severe Thunderstorms developed on May 29th across the eastern half of central North Carolina, in the vicinity of the piedmont trough and in advance of an approaching cold front and attendant mid level trough. The strong to severe thunderstorms that developed by these features were aided/enhanced by a 70 knot upper level jet and the sea breeze moving inland.
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.
Severe Thunderstorms developed on May 29th across the eastern half of central North Carolina, in the vicinity of the piedmont trough and in advance of an approaching cold front and attendant mid level trough. The strong to severe thunderstorms that developed by these features were aided/enhanced by a 70 knot upper level jet and the sea breeze moving inland.
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 29, 1:55 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 255 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS WILL PERSIST ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL CROSS CENTRAL NC LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL SETTLE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA ON SUNDAY. WHILE THE FRONTS WILL OFFER SOME RELIEF FROM THE HIGH HUMIDITY... VERY WARM CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 255 PM FRIDAY... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 315 IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL NC UNTIL 10 PM EDT... THROUGH THIS EVENING: MORNING DATA ANALYSES REVEAL A PRIMARY POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH AXIS ALOFT -- THAT CONTAINED SEVERAL WELL-DEFINED VORTICITY CENTERS OVER SW PA... NORTHERN KY... AND SE AR -- WHICH STRETCHED FROM THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE PRIMARY TROUGH IS PRECEDED BY A LEAD IMPULSE OVER EASTERN GA. A 70 KT UPPER JET STRETCHED NE/WRD FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS... ON THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE SOUTHERNMOST VORTICITY CENTER OVER SE AR. IN THE LOW LEVELS... THE NORTHERN PORTION OF A FRACTURED/SEGMENTED COLD FRONT STRETCHED THROUGH CENTRAL PA AND NY W/WRD THROUGH THE EASTERN TN VALLEY. MEANWHILE... THE SOUTHERNMOST COLD FRONTAL SEGMENT/PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH STRETCHED FROM A WEAK (1006 MB) FRONTAL WAVE OVER NORTHERN VA SSW/WRD THROUGH THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS AND GA... WHILE A WARM FRONT EXTENDED EASTWARD ACROSS THE DELMARVA. THE DEEP PSEUDO-MOIST ADIABATIC THERMAL/MOISTURE PROFILE (ABOVE THE BOUNDARY LAYER) AND RESULTANT RELATIVELY CLOUDY AND WEAK MID LEVEL LAPSE RATE ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOMPASSED NC OVER PREVIOUS DAYS... HAS BEEN REPLACED BY MUCH DRIER AIR ALOFT THIS MORNING... WHICH IS APPARENT ON LATEST WV IMAGERY AND CAPTURED WELL BY THE 12Z GSO RAOB. THE DRY AIR ALOFT COULD AID IN SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL OVER CENTRAL NC IN A NUMBER OF WAYS THIS AFTERNOON: 1) IT WILL PROMOTE STRONG DIABATIC HEATING AND DESTABILIZATION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON... DESPITE SOME RESIDUAL CIRRUS ATTENDANT THE EASTERN GA TROUGH ALOFT... AND EVENTUAL CU DEVELOPMENT. 2) IT COULD SERVE TO STEEPEN MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES (POTENTIAL/CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY) AS LAYER LIFTING ATTENDANT THE PRIMARY TROUGH ALOFT TO THE WEST SPREADS EAST OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 3) IT SHOULD ENHANCE DMGG WIND POTENTIAL VIA EVAPORATIVE MID LEVEL COOLING. LOW LEVEL FOCI FOR CONVECTION SHOULD BE ABUNDANT THIS AFTERNOON... WHICH INCLUDE: 1) A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE NW PIEDMONT STRATUS. 2) A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH/SOUTHERN COLD FRONTAL SEGMENT OVER THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS AND GA. 3) THE PRIMARY... MORE NORTHERN COLD FRONTAL SEGMENT OVER THE EASTERN TN VALLEY. 4) THE SEA BREEZE OVER THE COASTAL AREAS AND COASTAL PLAIN. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND... EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION INVOF THE SAID LOW LEVEL FOCI TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AS THE LARGE SCALE FORCING FOR ASCENT ATTENDANT THE PRIMARY TROUGH ALOFT AND SURFACE COLD FRONT SPREAD EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. DEEP LAYER SHEAR... WHILE SOMEWHAT MARGINAL... IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO AROUND 30 KTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR WELL ORGANIZED MULTI-CELL STORM CLUSTERS AND LINE (SOME BOWING) SEGMENTS. THE PRIMARY HAZARD SHOULD ACCORDINGLY BE DMGG STRAIGHT LINE WIND... OWING TO STRONG INSOLATION-DRIVEN STEEP (7.5 TO 9 C.KM) LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND THE AFOREMENTIONED DRY MID LEVEL AIR AND RESULTANT DCAPE. HOWEVER... THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY -- CHARACTERIZED BY MLCAPES ON THE ORDER OF 1500 TO 2500 J/KG FROM NW TO SE -- AND GRADUALLY LOWERING FZ LEVELS INTO THE 11.5 TO 12.5 THSD FT RANGE... ALSO SUGGEST A POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL. EXPECT FULL SUN LOW LEVEL THICKNESS-INDICATED HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON IN THE 85 TO 90 DEGREE RANGE... GIVEN ADEQUATE SUNSHINE ASIDE FROM THE LINGERING CIRRUS AND AN INCREASING CU FIELD THIS AFTERNOON... AND AFTER CONTINUED STRATUS MIX OUT OVER THE NW PIEDMONT DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. REST OF TONIGHT: THE THREAT OF CONVECTION SHOULD SUBSIDE BETWEEN 20-23Z WEST AND 01-03Z EAST... IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. CLOUDS WILL SCATTER INTO THE 5-10 THSD FT RANGE TONIGHT... AS DRIER AIR SPREADS INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE SURFACE FRONT AND TROUGH ALOFT. WEAK COLD AND DRY AIR ADVECTION-DRIVEN LOW TEMPERATURES 59 TO 66 NW TO SE. -MWS && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 245 PM FRIDAY... SATURDAY: A SECONDARY COLD FRONT -- WHICH STRETCHED ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES... MID MS VALLEY... AND CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON -- ATTENDING A TRAILING SHEAR AXIS/TROUGH ALOFT OVER THE SAME GENERAL GEOGRAPHIC REGION... IS FORECAST TO SETTLE SOUTHWARD INTO THE TN VALLEY AND MID ATLANTIC REGION SATURDAY. DESPITE THE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONT AND A SURFACE TROUGH IN THE LEE OF THE APPALACHIANS... LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD BE TOO LOW (SFC TD/S IN THE 50S) OWING TO BOTH HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DRY ADVECTION IN GENERALLY WNW LOW LEVEL FLOW BEHIND TONIGHT/S COLD FRONT... TO SUPPORT ANY ADDITIONAL CONVECTION. WHILE HUMIDITY LEVELS SHOULD ACCORDINGLY BE SOMEWHAT NOTICEABLY LOWER... PROJECTED LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES SUPPORT CONTINUED WARM CONDITIONS WITH HIGHS AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 80S UNDER PARTLY/MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. -MWS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT: INITIALLY CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC AND CAROLINAS ON SAT NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL BY SUN NIGHT AS A DEEP UPPER LOW JUST NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES MOVES EAST THROUGH NEW ENGLAND AND THEN NORTHEAST THROUGH THE CANADIAN MARITIMES. A WEAK FRONT/SFC TROUGH (ASSOC/W THIS UPPER LOW) IS EXPECTED TO EXTEND SOUTH/SW INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC AND CAROLINAS BY EARLY SUN AFTERNOON...BEFORE PUSHING SOUTH/SE-WARD THROUGH THE AREA AS A BACKDOOR FRONT SUN NIGHT IN ASSOC/W 1022 MB HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW. ALTHOUGH FCST SOUNDINGS PROG THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS CENTRAL NC TO BE DRIER (PWAT VALUES 1.25) THAN IT HAS BEEN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS...THEY STILL SHOW SOME AVAILABLE INSTABILITY SUN AFTERNOON...HOWEVER...THE FCST SOUNDINGS APPEAR TO BE UNREALISTICALLY SHOWING SFC DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 60S...WHEN MID TO UPPER 50S IS MORE LIKELY. AS A RESULT...THE AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE INSTABILITY SUN MAY BE RATHER MARGINAL. AS A RESULT...HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER OR STORM ALONG/EAST OF HWY 1 ON THE MORE FAVORABLE EASTERN PORTION OF THE SFC TROUGH AXIS SUN AFTERNOON. WITH FCST SOUNDINGS SHOWING 30 KT MID-LEVEL FLOW...AN ISOLD SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT...HOWEVER...THIS WILL ENTIRELY DEPEND ON HOW MUCH INSTABILITY ULTIMATELY IS AVAILABLE. EXPECT HIGHS ON SUNDAY IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S...CLOSE TO MOS GUIDANCE...WITH LOWS SUN MORNING IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S...AND LOWER 60S MON MORNING. -VINCENT && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 230 PM FRIDAY... MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY: HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFFSHORE ON MONDAY...ALLOWING A SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW OVER CENTRAL NC. AS A RESULT...EXPECT THE ATMOSPHERE OVER CENTRAL NC TO BEGIN WARMING AND MOISTENING. HIGH TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH AT LEAST INTO THE UPPER 80S ON MON...AND PERHAPS INTO THE LOWER 90S ON TUE. W/REGARD TO PRECIP CHANCES...CANNOT RULE OUT A FEW ISOLD SHOWERS/STORMS IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS ON TUE...ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME CHANCES APPEAR LOW GIVEN RELATIVELY DRY PWAT VALUES AND LIFT CONFINED PRIMARILY TO WEAK LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IN VICINITY OF A PIEDMONT TROUGH. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: THE MID/LATTER PORTION OF NEXT WEEK IS LOOKING BETTER FOR RAIN BASED ON THE LATEST GFS/ECMWF MODEL RUNS...WHICH SHOW BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING DROPPING FROM THE GREAT LAKES AND UPPER MIDWEST INTO THE OH VALLEY....WITH A SFC FRONT APPROACHING CENTRAL NC FROM THE N/NW WED NIGHT AND STALLING OVER OR NEAR THE AREA ON THU/FRI. AT THIS TIME WILL SHOW POPS NEAR NORMAL (30%) ON WED...WITH ABOVE NORMAL POPS IN THE 40% RANGE ON THU/FRI IN ASSOC/W THE STALLED FRONT (DUE TO PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF FOR THAT TIME RANGE). HIGH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 80S ON WED...FALLING INTO THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S ON THU/FRI IN ASSOC/W THE STALLED FRONT... MORE CLOUD COVER...AND A HIGHER CHANCE FOR PRECIP. -VINCENT && .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 225 PM FRIDAY... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS HAVE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER THE NC FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON... AND EXPECT THESE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS THEY ENE/WRD THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... ALONG AND AHEAD OF A POTENT TROUGH/DISTURBANCE ALOFT AND ATTENDANT SURFACE COLD FRONT. IN ADDITION TO BRIEF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS... THESE DEVELOPING STORMS WILL POSE PRIMARILY A STRONG GUSTY WIND THREAT -- LIKELY FROM THE WSW -- AS NEW STORMS FORM ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RAIN COOLED AIR (OUTFLOW) AND EVOLVE INTO DAMAGING WIND-PRODUCING LINE SEGMENTS. SOME LARGE HAIL IN THE STRONGEST/MOST NEWLY FORMED STORMS COULD ALSO POSE A HAZARD TO AVIATION INTERESTS. THE THREAT OF CONVECTION SHOULD SUBSIDE BETWEEN 20-23Z WEST AND 01-03Z EAST... IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. CLOUDS WILL SCATTER INTO THE 5-10 THSD FT RANGE TONIGHT... AS DRIER AIR SPREADS INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE SURFACE FRONT AND TROUGH ALOFT. GENERALLY SW WINDS 5-10 KTS (SLIGHTLY HIGHER AND OCCASIONALLY GUSTY INTO THE MID TEEN KTS) AWAY FROM THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON... WILL VEER TO THE WEST AND EVENTUALLY NW BEHIND THE FRONT LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT... AND CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY. LOOKING BEYOND TONIGHT... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA AHEAD OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT... WHICH IS FORECAST TO SETTLE INTO THE REGION ON SUNDAY. ASIDE FROM ISOLATED CONVECTION SUNDAY AFTERNOON... MAINLY FROM RDU AND RWI SOUTHWARD... DRY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND. RETURN FLOW AND RESULTANT INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY RESULT IN MORNING MVFR/IFR FOG/STRATUS MONDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. -MWS && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...STRICKLER NEAR TERM...STRICKLER SHORT TERM...STRICKLER/VINCENT LONG TERM...VINCENT AVIATION...STRICKLER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 304 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 2009 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-300900- 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- 304 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 315 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH 10 PM THIS EVENING. SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH. VINCENT
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:21 UTC.
12 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Quarter sized hail was reported by the public, approximately two miles to the south of Clinton, North Carolina.
Penny sized hail was reported by a trained spotter in the town of Mount Olive, North Carolina.
A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail on Cunningham road in Northern Person County.
A trained spotter reported penny sized hail along North Carolina highway 87, near Altamahaw.
A trained spotter reported a couple of trees down on Bowmantown Road.
Penny sized hail was reported by the Roseboro Fire Department on East Pleasant Street in Roseboro.
Nickel to quarter sized hail was reported in a swath from the intersection of United States Highway 301 and Wiggins Mill Road and ending at the Wilson County Fairgrounds.
The Kenly Fire Department reported penny sized hail in the town of Kenly.
Golf ball sized hail was reported by an off duty National Weather Service employee, several miles to the southeast of Wilson, North Carolina.
Nickel sized hail was reported by the public on Yank Road south of Wilson, North Carolina.
Nickel sized hail was reported in the town of Pinetops.
Severe winds knocked down several trees which landed on several cars during a wedding rehearsal at a private residence.
Numerous reports of quarter to ping-pong sized hail were reported in the Tarboro city limits.
One oak tree was knocked down at a private residence's home. The tree fell|was blocking traffic in the Austin Pines neighborhood.
Nickel sized hail was reported at the Beaver Dam Fire Department, off of North Carolina Highway 210.
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, May 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: 166242, 166244, 166237, 166186, 166241, 166243, 166264, 166232, 166266, 166268, 166229, 166378, 166231, 166380, 166206.