An upper level low near Cape Hatteras drifted west towards eastern North Carolina during the afternoon and evening hours. Cyclonic flow around the low combined with a warm and moist airmass resulted in scattered convection across portion of central North Carolina.
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The episode as NWS RAH wrote it up.
An upper level low near Cape Hatteras drifted west towards eastern North Carolina during the afternoon and evening hours. Cyclonic flow around the low combined with a warm and moist airmass resulted in scattered convection across portion of central North Carolina.
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 Jul 8, 9:25 AM EST, 4 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1025 AM EDT THU JUL 8 2010 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL DRIFT TO OUR SOUTHWEST AND WEAKEN TODAY. UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE WILL DRIFT WESTWARD TO NEAR CAPE HATTERAS BY EARLY FRIDAY...THEN RETREAT TO THE NORTHEAST ON FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. THIS COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO CENTRAL NC LATE ON SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 945 AM THURSDAY... RECORD HEAT IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY AS THE STRONG MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGING THAT HAS BEEN CENTERED OVER THE REGION SLOWLY SHIFTS SW AND WEAKENS. THIS WILL ALLOW THE UPPER LOW LOCATED OFFSHORE OF CAPE HATTERAS TO CONTINUE TO RETROGRADE WEST TOWARD THE NC COAST...WHICH WILL INCREASE MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. IN FACT...SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS MORNING SHOWS INCREASED MOISTURE ALREADY MOVING INTO THE REGION...ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF NC. ALSO...THE 12Z GSO SOUNDING INDICATED THAT PWAT VALUES HAVE INCREASED OVER A HALF OF AN INCH IN 24 HOURS. AS A RESULT...DEW POINT TEMPS ARE PROGGED TO INCREASE INTO THE 60S WEST AND LOWER 70S EAST. THEREFORE...THE INCREASED MOISTURE AND ASSOCIATED CLOUDS WILL HOLD TEMPS DOWN SLIGHTLY TODAY...GENERALLY IN THE MID 90S. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE EASTERN PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN. THIS ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD WSW WITH TIME. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS THAT MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS (ESPECIALLY DURING PEAK HEATING INTO THE EARLY EVENING). -KRR TONIGHT...EXPECT THE SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS TO DIMINISH BY MID TO LATE EVENING TONIGHT WITH SKIES BECOMING MOSTLY CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE DEW POINTS WILL BE MUCH HIGHER THAN IN RECENT DAYS. LOWS SHOULD IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. -PWB && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 AM THURSDAY... THE LARGE SCALE UPPER TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER WILL MOVE EAST TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. THE MID/UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL GRADUALLY BECOME NW THEN W OVER NC... THIS WILL PUSH THE WEAK CUTOFF LOW OFF CAPE HATTERAS SLOWLY NORTHWARD AND AWAY FROM OUR REGION. A SURFACE LEE (PIEDMONT TROUGH) WILL LIKELY DEVELOP IN RESPONSE TO THE WESTERLY MID LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. THIS WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THE 00Z/NAM APPEARS IS SUPPORTED BY ALL BUT THE GFS WITH THIS FORECAST. THEREFORE... WE WILL LEAN TOWARD THE HIGHER POPS FROM THE NAM. IN ADDITION... THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW TO THE NW AND THE APPROACH OF THE TROUGH FROM THE NW WILL WILL RESULT IN INCREASING DEEP LAYER SHEAR (ESPECIALLY EASTERN ZONES) TO NEAR 30 KT. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE MID TO UPPER 90S AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON... WITH DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S NW TO E. THIS TYPICALLY WOULD BE ENOUGH TO SET OFF PULSE TYPE SCATTERED STRONG CONVECTION ALONG THE CONVERGENCE ZONE NEAR THE PIEDMONT TROUGH. HOWEVER... A MITIGATING FACTOR MAY BE THE FORECAST OF SLIGHTLY WARMER MID LEVELS WHICH MAY LIMIT COVERAGE IF IT VERIFIES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FORECAST WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED STORMS (SOME OF WHICH WILL LIKELY BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS) SUPPORTED BY THE INVERTED V TYPE SOUNDINGS DURING PEAK HEATING. BY FRIDAY NIGHT... WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH CONVECTION THAT MAY MAKE IT ACROSS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS INTO THE PIEDMONT DURING THE EVENING/NIGHT WITH THE APPROACH OF THE MID LEVEL TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT. WE WILL MAINTAIN LOW CHANCE POP...ESPECIALLY W-N PIEDMONT OVERNIGHT. LOWS WILL BE VERY WARM... MID TO UPPER 70S (PRE-FRONTAL). && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 230 AM THURSDAY... BOTH THE NAM AND THE GFS FORECAST MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...IN THE BROAD BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH...DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. AMPLE LIFT IS FORECAST SATURDAY... WITH THE FOCUS OF LIFT SHIFTING EAST AS DRIER AIR AND SUBSIDENCE SLOWLY MOVE INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA FROM THE WEST. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE AS HIGH AS AROUND 2.25 INCHES AT 18Z SATURDAY... DIMINISHING QUICKLY TO VALUES AOB AN INCH THROUGHOUT MOST OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...EXCEPT THE FAR SOUTHEAST...BY SUNDAY MORNING. WITH THE SURFACE TROUGH MOVING EAST AHEAD OF THE PRIMARY SURFACE FRONT... THERE SHOULD BE GOOD CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY. A PERFECT PROG OF THE GFS WOULD SUGGEST CHANCES IN THE FAR NORTHWEST MAY BE HIGHEST EARLY SATURDAY IN ADVANCE OF A MODERATELY STRONG MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE...WITH BETTER CHANCES CENTRAL AND EAST DURING MAX HEATING IN VICINITY OF THE EASTWARD-MOVING SURFACE TROUGH AND WHEN 0-6KM SHEAR IS BEST...BETWEEN 35 AND 40KT. JET SUPPORT IS LACKING...AND INSTABILITY PARAMETERS APPEAR LACKING ON THE GFS... LIKELY DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF MEAN MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER FORECAST BY THAT MODEL. WHILE THE NAM IS MORE UNSTABLE...WITH LIFTED INDICES AOB -3C EAST IN THE AFTERNOON...LIKE THE GFS ITS DOWNDRAFT CAPE IS LIMITED...BELOW 100J/KG UNTIL DRIER AIR MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. WIND FIELDS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF A SEVERE WEATHER CONCERN...WITH 850MB WINDS CENTRAL AND EAST OF 35-40KT IN THE AFTERNOON AND 925MB WINDS OF 30-35KT IN THE SAME LOCATION. WILL MENTION AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN THE HWO BASED ON THE SYNOPTIC FEATURES AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE. GOOD DIFFLUENCE ALOFT MOVING EAST...ALONG WITH THE MOISTURE MOVING EAST AND THE FRONT MAKING PROGRESS SOUTH...SHOULD RESULT IN DIMINISHING CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ESPECIALLY SATURDAY EVENING...WITH THE IMMEDIATE TRIAD LIKELY DRY BY THEN. ON SUNDAY...THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF A 75KT 250MB JET MOVES NEAR THE SOUTH CAROLINA BORDER DURING THE AFTERNOON. A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL BE NEARBY...FAR SOUTHEAST ZONES WILL BE THE ONLY LOCATION WHERE LIFTED INDICES WILL BE BELOW ZERO. GIVEN THE WEAK SURFACE FEATURE... SOME LINGERING MOISTURE...AND WEAK DIFFLUENCE ALOFT AS FORECAST BY THE GFS WITH ANOTHER PASSING SHORTWAVE IN THE BROAD TROUGH ALOFT... WILL CONTINUE THE MENTION OF A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM FAR SOUTHEAST ONLY IN THE AFTERNOON. BEYOND SUNDAY AFTERNOON...DRY CONDITIONS AND SUBSIDENCE ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY UNDER WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE...AS HEIGHTS START TO BUILD ALOFT ONCE AGAIN. LATER IN THE LONG-TERM PERIOD...MOISTURE RETURNS TO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ONCE AGAIN FORECAST TO CLIMB TO AROUND TWO INCHES FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURN TO THE FORECAST...WITH HIGHER CHANCES IN THE WEST ON TUESDAY WHERE THE MOISTURE RETURN IS EARLIEST AND NEARER TO THE EXPECTED LOCATION OF THE SURFACE TROUGH. HIGHEST CHANCES LATE IN THE PERIOD WILL BE CENTRAL AND EAST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE SURFACE TROUGH SHARPENS AND MOVES EAST IN ADVANCE OF FALLING HEIGHTS ALOFT. EXCEPT FOR HIGHS SATURDAY...WHICH SHOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO NORMAL...HIGHS WILL AVERAGE A CATEGORY OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL DURING THE LONG-TERM PERIOD...AROUND 90 TO THE MID 90S. && .AVIATION /12Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 705 AM THURSDAY... ASIDE FROM LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS IN LIGHT FOG OR HAZE EARLY...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THIS MORNING. AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES WEST TOWARD THE COAST TODAY AND TONIGHT...REACHING NEAR CAPE HATTERAS BY EARLY FRIDAY...MOISTURE WILL BE ON THE INCREASE ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE KRDU AND KFAY TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WITH A THUNDERSTORM IN THESE AREAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. A MENTION OF VCTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THESE TAFS FOR A FEW HOURS LATER TODAY. OTHERWISE...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE EVENING. OVERNIGHT...MVFR FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF KRDU/KFAY BETWEEN 09Z-12Z FRIDAY. WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE UNSETTLED ESPECIALLY LATER FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS A MID LEVEL TROUGH AND ITS ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT APPROACH CENTRAL NC FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE BEST CHANCE OF MVFR CEILINGS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS TO BE LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING FROM WEST TO EAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. DRIER MORE STABLE AIR OVERSPREADS THE REGION SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. && .CLIMATE... RECORD HIGHS FOR JULY 8TH... RDU: 103 IN 1977 GSO: 102 IN 1977 && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PWB NEAR TERM...KRR/PWB SHORT TERM...PWB LONG TERM...DJF AVIATION...PWB/DJF CLIMATE...BSD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 339 AM EDT THU JUL 8 2010 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-090745- 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- 339 AM EDT THU JUL 8 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. EVEN THOUGH THE TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER THIS AFTERNOON... HIGHS WILL STILL REACH WELL INTO THE 90S. HEAT INDICES WILL BE AROUND 100 FROM FAYETTEVILLE AND RALEIGH EAST THROUGH THE COASTAL PLAIN. ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON... ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM ROXBORO TO RALEIGH TO FAYETTEVILLE. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS TO NEAR 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH. IN ADDITION... HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 104 WILL BE COMMON DURING THE AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO PUSH ACROSS OUR REGION SATURDAY. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE... MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMMEDIATELY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. PWB/DJF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
236 PM EDT THU JUL 8 2010
NCZ040-075>077-088-081930-
CHATHAM-CUMBERLAND-HARNETT-LEE-MOORE-
236 PM EDT THU JUL 8 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS CHATHAM...LEE...HARNETT...
MOORE AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT...
AT 235 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SEMINOLE...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF LILLINGTON...
MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...SEMINOLE...
BROADWAY...OLIVIA...PINEVIEW.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HALF INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARLY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...
POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
&&
LAT...LON 3532 7929 3560 7900 3560 7898 3552 7880
3512 7897
TIME...MOT...LOC 1835Z 029DEG 21KT 3548 7895SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 238 PM EDT THU JUL 8 2010 NCZ007-081945- PERSON- 238 PM EDT THU JUL 8 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS PERSON COUNTY THROUGH 345 PM EDT... AT 238 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WEST AND NORTHWEST OF ROXBORO...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE BUSHY FORK. HAZARDS INCLUDE... HALF INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING. SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARLY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS... POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS. && LAT...LON 3626 7899 3626 7914 3652 7909 3651 7886 TIME...MOT...LOC 1838Z 026DEG 8KT 3638 7905
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:43 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Three trees were blown down near the intersection of Country Club Road, Community House Road and Charley Jay Road.
One tree was blown down across NC Highway 903 near Lake Gaston.
Power-lines down south of Raeford due to severe thunderstorm winds and downed trees.
Several trees were blown down along and across Blue Farm Road near X-Way Road.
Two trees were blown down.
A house was struck by lightning at 1052 Ridge Drive in Clayton. Damage was sustained by the house when fire damaged the attic and then proceeded to spread to a bedroom.
Multiple trees and power lines were blown down along Highway 210. There was also a report of structural damage when a tree fell onto a mobile home at 2314 Bethel Baptist Road. Another fell onto a home in the Anderson Creek area.
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, July 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: 247766, 247767, 247769, 247770, 247772, 247765, 247775.