Strong afternoon heating in a moisten-laden airmass fueled scattered convection. The training storms produced locally heavy rainfall of four to six inches in localized spots but there was no report of flash flooding.
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.
Strong afternoon heating in a moisten-laden airmass fueled scattered convection. The training storms produced locally heavy rainfall of four to six inches in localized spots but there was no report of flash flooding. One of the stronger storms produced isolated thunderstorm wind damage.
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 Aug 17, 8:32 PM EST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 932 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2010 .SYNOPSIS... A SURFACE FRONT WILL HOLD FAIRLY STATIONARY OVER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA BORDER THROUGH THURSDAY... AS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES PASS OVER THE REGION. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 930 PM TUESDAY... THE LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED WEAK SURFACE LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA WITH AN APPARENT PAIR OF SURFACE TROUGHS AHEAD OF THE MAIN COLD FRONT...WHICH EXTENDED ACROSS NORTHERN VIRGINIA...SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...AND ACROSS SOUTHERN KENTUCKY. IN EARLIER WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...THERE APPEARED TO BE A WEAK MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE THAT HELPED TO ENHANCE LIFT AT PEAK HEATING...AND IN VICINITY OF THE BEST MOISTURE CONVERGENCE...RESULTING IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT AND TOWARD THE VIRGINIA BORDER. MSAS CONTINUED TO SHOW THE BEST SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA FROM NEAR THE YADKIN RIVER IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT TO ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER NEAR KERR LAKE. SURFACE TROUGHS AND THE FRONT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO MOVE MUCH OVERNIGHT...ALTHOUGH THE SURFACE LOW CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA MAY FILL SOME AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST. AS THE WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVES EAST...IT SHOULD HELP ENHANCE LIFT SOME WITH SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT TOWARD KHNZ AND POSSIBLY AS FAR EAST AS KIXA LATE TONIGHT. 18Z NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS FARTHER SOUTH ARE MUCH LESS MOIST AND UNSTABLE...AND IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO GET MUCH MORE THAN AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM...IF THAT...TOWARD KCTZ AND KGSB. FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...HAVE A TIGHT GRADIENT IN CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WITH CATEGORICAL IN A SMALL AREA NEAR AND ESPECIALLY NORTH OF KGSO AND KINT...WHERE THE RAPID REFRESH WRF SHOWS MORE COVERAGE GRADUALLY WANING LATE AS CONDITIONS BECOME SOMEWHAT MORE STABLE TO DEEP CONVECTION. THE CHANCES FALL QUICKLY TO JUST IN THE REALM OF SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE SOUTHEAST. IN THE MOIST ENVIRONMENT THE SHOWERS HAVE BEEN EFFICIENT RAINFALL PRODUCERS...BUT FORTUNATELY THEY HAVE BEEN MOVING STEADILY SOUTH-TO-NORTH...WITH WEAK SHEAR GENERALLY KEEPING STRENGTH IN CHECK. RAISED MINS A COUPLE OF DEGREES INTO THE MID 70S AT BOTH KFAY AND KRDU WHERE CLOUDS PLUS EXPECTED LOW COVERAGE OF SHOWERS SHOULD HELP TEMPERATURES FROM FALLING TOO MUCH. FOR WEDNESDAY...SEVERAL FACTORS SUPPORT HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS...PARTICULARLY BY LATE IN THE DAY. FIRST IS THE REMNANT MOISTURE FROM TD5 (NOW OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST) WHICH WILL BEGIN TO SWEEP NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD NORTH CAROLINA. WITH BLENDED TPW IMAGERY SHOWING VALUES OF 2.3-2.5 INCHES HERE...WE SHOULD SEE A FURTHER MOISTENING OF THE COLUMN AS THIS GETS FED INTO AND SOUTHEAST OF THE SURFACE FRONTAL ZONE. AS THE UPPER JET STREAK ACROSS MI/LOWER ONTARIO/ST LAWRENCE SHIFTS EAST WHILE THE MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST...UPPER DIVERGENCE WILL ACCORDINGLY INCREASE OVER WRN/NRN NC WITH AN ACCOMPANYING RISE IN MID LEVEL DPVA. WILL HOLD ONTO THE FORECAST OF POPS INCREASING TO LIKELY BY LATE AFTERNOON...THOUGH WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THERE IS A BRIEF LAG IN CHANCES PARTICULARLY IF THE 18Z NAM VERIFIES WITH A PERIOD OF MINIMUM DEEP MEAN RH FROM ABOUT 15Z TO 21Z...AND BUFR SOUNDINGS THAT SHOW A BRIEF PERIOD OF INCREASING CIN. THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING CONTINUES AS TRAINING CELLS WILL BE POSSIBLE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR A POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD WATCH...THAT MAY NEED TO EXTEND OR FOCUS INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 930 PM TUESDAY... A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE LOCATED OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES THURSDAY MORNING... WITH THE MEAN POSITION OF THE TROUGH SLIPPING INTO THE ATLANTIC BEFORE SUNSET. THERE IS LITTLE AGREEMENT IN THE MODELS HOWEVER IN THE LOW LEVEL FLOW. THE PATTERN HOWEVER FAVORS SOMETHING CLOSE TO THE ECMWF WITH A WEAK TROUGH OR LOW OFF THE COAST... AND A TRAILING 850 MILLIBAR TROUGH PASSING THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE DAY. WITH THE SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO OPEN TO MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO NORTH CAROLINA... PRECIPITABLE WATERS ARE FORECAST ABOVE TWO INCHES ACROSS MOST IF NOT ALL CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. THUS...LIKELY CHANCES IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH SOME AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE...THEN A FORTY TO FIFTY PERCENT RAIN CHANCE FOR THURSDAY MORNING...WITH CHANCES DECREASING FROM THE WEST AND NORTHWEST AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. LOW LEVEL FLOW SHIFTS TO NORTHEAST THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY... WITH PERHAPS SOME WEAK RETURN FLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST LATE IN THE DAY. WITH PRECIPITABLE WATERS FALLING TO 1.5 INCHES OR LESS AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGING APPROACHING FROM THE WEST... RAIN CHANCES OMITTED FROM THE FORECAST FOR THIS PERIOD. SOUTH SOUTHEAST RETURN FLOW OVER THE FOOTHILLS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE PRECIPITABLE WATERS THERE FRIDAY NIGHT... BUT WEAKER WINDS AND A DRIER AIR MASS SHOULD LEAVE CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA DRY FRIDAY NIGHT. 1000 TO 850 MILLIBAR THICKNESSES ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY FOR THURSDAY AND RISE FRIDAY WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER RIDGE FROM THE WEST. THURSDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES MOSTLY UPPER 80S... WITH UPPER 80S TO LOWER 80S FRIDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES 69 TO 73. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 300 PM TUESDAY... AN UPPER LOW NORTH OF LAKE MICHIGAN WILL BE ADVANCING EASTWARD SATURDAY. MINOR RIPPLES IN THE UPPER FLOW ARE UNTRUSTWORTHY SO FAR OUT IN TIME AND DISTANCE FROM THE PARENT LOW. WILL FOLLOW SOMETHING CLOSER TO THE ECMWF WITH ONLY SLIGHT RAIN CHANCES IN THE WEST DURING SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE 00Z ECMWF MODEL SEEMS TO BE AN OUTLIER SUNDAY WITH THIRTY TO FORTY KNOT SOUTH WINDS AT 850 MILLIBARS OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN...AHEAD OF A STRONG 850 MILLIBAR TROUGH. THE LOW LEVEL FLOW IN OTHER MODELS IS MUCH LIGHTER AND CHAOTIC... AND WILL LIMIT RAIN CHANCES TO SLIGHT SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THE SLOWER TIMING OF THE GFS AND CANADIAN IS FOLLOWED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE MID ATLANTIC STATES WHICH DEEPENS SOUTHWARD MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SHOULD THE TROUGH DEVELOP AS ADVERTISED... COOLER AIR ALOFT TUESDAY MIGHT DESTABILIZE THE AIR MASS FOR THE BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN OF THE TWO DAYS... BUT NO MORE THAN SLIGHT WITH NORTHEAST FLOW IN THE LOWER LEVELS. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES 88 TO 93. OVERNIGHT LOWS 68 TO 74. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 805 PM TUESDAY... AREAS OF MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS ARE MOST LIKELY TOWARD KGSO AND KINT OVERNIGHT IN SCATTERED-TO-NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. PRIMARY IMPACT WILL BE HEAVY RAIN...ALTHOUGH A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH IN VICINITY OF THE TRIAD WAS MAKING THE WIND DIRECTION DIFFICULT TO FORECAST. LATE TONIGHT...ANTICIPATE A TRANSITION BACK TO A MORE SOUTHERLY FLOW THERE. ELSEWHERE...MVFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MORE LOCALIZED IN A MORE STABLE AIR MASS...AND WINDS SHOULD REMAIN JUST CONSTANT ENOUGH...ALBEIT MOSTLY UNDER 5KTS...TO KEEP MORE THAN MVFR FOG AWAY. SOME SHOWERS FROM THE WEST MAY MAKE IT EAST ACROSS THE EASTERN PIEDMONT INTO THE COASTAL PLAIN LATE TONIGHT AND THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT PRIMARY FOCUS OF RENEWED SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ANTICIPATE AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN ONCE AGAIN IN A MOIST AIR MASS...AND CONDITIONS AT LEAST AS POOR AS IFR. WHILE WINDS SHOULD BE MOSTLY SOUTHWEST TOWARD KFAY...A MORE VARIABLE WIND NEAR A SLOWLY SAGGING SOUTHWARD SURFACE TROUGH COULD RESULT IN AN AVERAGE WIND BECOMING NORTHERLY IN THE TRIAD BY 00Z THURSDAY. FOR THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...EXPECT AN IMPROVING WEATHER PATTERN INITIALLY WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA FROM THE NORTH. THIS SHOULD CAUSE A PROLONGED PERIOD OF VFR CONDITIONS WITH A BRIEF INSTANCE OF MVFR FOG OR CEILING EARLY EACH MORNING. A GRADUAL DETERIORATION IN THE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR SUNDAY WITH THE APPROACH AND PASSAGE OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HARTFIELD NEAR TERM...HARTFIELD/DJF SHORT TERM...RLH/DJF LONG TERM...RLH AVIATION...DJF/RLH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 957 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2010 NCZ011-027-028-042-043-077-078-085-086-088-089-190200- HALIFAX-NASH-EDGECOMBE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-HARNETT-WAYNE-SCOTLAND-HOKE- CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 957 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS...ESPECIALLY LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...COULD BRING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL RATES OF ONE INCH IN A HALF HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMMEDIATELY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ026-040-041-073>076-083-084-190200- FRANKLIN-CHATHAM-WAKE-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-ANSON-RICHMOND- 957 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ARE STILL POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION OVERNIGHT AND SLOW DOWN IF HEAVY RAIN IS ENCOUNTERED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS...ESPECIALLY LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...COULD BRING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL RATES OF ONE INCH IN A HALF HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMMEDIATELY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ007>010-021>025-038-039-190200- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-ORANGE- DURHAM-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH- 957 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW STRONG STORMS PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS ARE LIKELY WITH ANY SHOWER OR STORM AS WELL. RAINFALL RATES OF ONE AND A HALF INCHES IN JUST A HALF HOUR MAY LEAD TO RAPID RISES ON STREAMS...AS WELL AS FLOODING ON STREETS AND IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION TONIGHT AND SLOW DOWN IF HEAVY RAIN IS ENCOUNTERED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS...ESPECIALLY LATE WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY...COULD BRING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL RATES OF ONE INCH IN A HALF HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMMEDIATELY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DJF
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:01 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A mobile home was declared a total lose when Lightning came in through the dryer and sparked a fire.
Power-lines were blown down on Rowan Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2010
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: 256956, 256954.