A line of showers and thunderstorms entered the mountains of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia during the late afternoon hours. The line intensified and expanded northward as it moved out of the mountains.
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 GSP wrote it up.
A line of showers and thunderstorms entered the mountains of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia during the late afternoon hours. The line intensified and expanded northward as it moved out of the mountains. An environment of high shear and moderate instability supported several strong to severe storms within the line. Most the severe weather was the result of straight line winds, though a little large hail was also reported. The storms crossed the rest of the foothills and western piedmont during the early evening hours, a little ways ahead of a strong cold front.
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 Feb 28, 12:39 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1239 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS TODAY AND MOVE OFF THE
EAST COAST TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND IT ON
TUESDAY. A STRONGER AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD IN ALONG
THE EASTERN SEABOARD FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 1000 AM...MAIN ADJUSTMENTS TO GRIDS WAS TO TRY AND FINE TUNE
POPS/TIMING OF QLCS BASED ON LATEST MESOSCALE MODELS. THIS RESULTED
IN A MORE DETAILED POP GRID/WITH THE BIGGEST CHANGE SCALING BACK
POPS EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS FOR LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SOME
SCATTERED PRE-FRONTAL SHOWERS/THUNDERASTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE
MOUNTAINS/FOOTHILLS/WESTERN UPSTATE THIS AFTERNOON. LOCAL WRF AND HRRR
IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS NOW OVER EAST
CENTRAL TN WILL REACH THE TN/NC BORDER BETWEEN 20-21Z AND THEN
SWEEP EASTWARD AND MOVE THROUGH AREAS E OF THE MOUNTAINS GENERALLY
IN THE 23Z-03Z TIMEFRAME. MODELS STILL DEPICTING STRONG SHEAR/HIGH
HELICITY WITH CAPES PEAKING IN THE 500-600 J/KG JUST AHEAD OF THE
FRONT. MODEL COMP REFL OFF THE WRF/HRR/SPC 4KM INDICATES THAT A
QLCS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WITH SOME EMBEDDED/DISCREET
SUPERCELLS POSSIBLE. MAIN THREAT IS LOCALIZED DOWNBURST WINDS/BUT
ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE WITH BOWING SEGMENTS. ADJUSTED TEMPS
BASED ON LATEST LAV AND USED DEWPOINTS FROM THE 12Z NAM WHICH
SHOULD DO BETTER THAN THE MOS WITH THE ABNORMALLY HIGH DEWPOINTS
AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT.
COLD FRONT CLEARS THE AREA AFTER ABOUT 04Z AND EXPECT RAPID CLEARING
ALONG WITH A PERIOD OF GUSTY/POST FRONTAL WINDS IN THE COLD
ADVECTION REGIME THAT FOLLOWS. WILL CONTINUE THE WIND ADVISORY OVER
THE MOUNTAINS AND LAKE WIND ADVSRY ELSEWHERE.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 200 AM MONDAY...LOOKS LIKE A QUIET PERIOD THROUGH THE MIDDLE
PART OF THE WEEK AS THE MAIN BRANCH OF THE WESTERLIES RETREATS TO
THE NORTHERN TIER AND WE COME UNDER NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. THIS
WILL SUPPORT WEAK HIGH PRESSURE INITIALLY ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY
NIGHT...WHICH WILL BE REINFORCED BY A STRONGER HIGH MOVING ACROSS
THE GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY. HAVE FAVORED THE
SLIGHTLY WARMER GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY GIVEN
THE RECENT TRACK RECORD OF THE MOS BEING A BIT ON THE COOL SIDE.
AFTERNOON RH WILL DROP BELOW 25 PERCENT ON WEDNESDAY SO THAT COULD
BE A PROBLEM IF WE FAIL TO GET SOME DECENT RAINFALL TODAY...ALTHO
WINDS WILL NOT BE ABOVE ABOUT 10 KT. BY THURSDAY...EVEN THOUGH
THE HIGH WILL REMAIN TRANSITORY ACROSS NEW ENGLAND...IT WILL BE
RELATIVELY STRONG AND WILL WEDGE DOWN OVER THE MID ATLANTIC AND
CAROLINAS. THE RESULTING NE FLOW SHOULD DROP OUR HIGH TEMPS A
CATEGORY OR TWO FOR THURSDAY. MIN TEMPS WERE NUDGED TOWARD THE MAV
GUIDANCE.
&&
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 225 AM MONDAY...IT APPEARS AS THOUGH WE COULD HAVE TO DEAL
WITH A BRIEF COLD AIR DAMMING EVENT THURSDAY NIGHT AND THROUGH
FRIDAY. THE LARGE SURFACE HIGH OVER NEW ENGLAND DOES NOT LOOK LIKE
IT WILL GET LOCKED IN AND SHOULD KEEP DRIFTING OFF THE COAST ON
FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH SLOWLY. THE GFS AND ECMWF BOTH SHOW THE TELLTALE
SIGNS OF A WEDGE DEVELOPING LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. A MOIST EASTERLY
FLOW SHOULD FORCE UPSLOPE DRIZZLE NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE AND OVER THE
FOOTHILLS WHICH SHOULD CREATE A COOL POOL IN THE USUAL SPOT. WITH
THIS IN MIND...HAVE FINE TUNED THE LOW END POP NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE
AND ALSO ADDED DRIZZLE STARTING THURSDAY NIGHT AND EXPANDING FRIDAY.
A SLIGHT DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO HIGH TEMPS FRIDAY...BUT
WHAT WE HAVE MIGHT PROVE TO BE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC IF THE UPSLOPE
CREATES MORE LIGHT RAIN THAN DRIZZLE.
THE REST OF THE MEDIUM RANGE...THROUGH THE WEEKEND...IS LOW
CONFIDENCE OWING TO MODEL TIMING DIFFERENCES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE
NEXT STRONG COLD FRONT. THE FASTER GFS SHOWS THIS MOVING THROUGH
SATURDAY WHICH MIGHT ALLOW US TO SALVAGE SUNDAY...BUT THE SLOWER
ECMWF IS KEYING ON SUNDAY FOR ITS FRONTAL PASSAGE. WILL NOT MAKE ANY
CHANGES TO THE BROAD BRUSH CHANCE POP FOR THE WEEKEND.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AT KCLT...DEEP MIXED LAYER PROMOTING STIFF SW WINDS WITH GUSTS TO
AROUND 30KT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. MAIN WEATHER EVENT FOR THE
AIRFIELD WILL BE THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT ACCOMPANIED BY A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS EVENING. EXPECT A PERIOD OF
THUNDER/LOW MVFR CONDTIONS FROM ABOUT 23Z-01Z WITH THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE AND PERHAPS A PEAK NW GUST IN EXCESS OF 40KT. EXPECT RAPID
IMPROVEMENT (TO VFR) BY 05Z WITH WINDS VEERING TO THE NW AND THEN
TO THE NE AROUND 12Z TUE.
ELSEWHERE...NEARLY THE SAME STORY WITH STRONG SW WINDS THIS
AFTERNOON. EXPECT FRONTAL PASSAGE ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDER/LOW MVFR
CONDITIONS IN THE 22Z-01Z TIMEFRAME. SOME WIND SHEAR INDICATED
ACROSS UPSTATE SC LATE THIS AFTERNOON. COULD SEE A PEAK NW GUST WITH
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE IN EXCESS OF 40KT. RAPID IMPROVEMENT EXPECTED BY
05Z (VFR) WITH WINDS VEERING TO THE NW AND THEN NE ON TUE.
OUTLOOK...A DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMIANTE THRU THU. MOISTURE WILL
RETURN TO THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK AS A FLOW OFF THE ATLANTIC DEVELOPS.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR GAZ010.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR GAZ017-018-
026-028-029.
NC...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ033-048>053-
058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ035>037-
056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508-510.
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR SCZ001>014-
019.
&&
SYNOPSIS...TJB
NEAR TERM...LG
SHORT TERM...PM
LONG TERM...PM
AVIATION...LGHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 627 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 GAZ017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506- 508-510-SCZ001>014-019-011130- HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE- CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD- EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 627 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST TODAY AND WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS EVENING. OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT...STRONG WIND SHEAR AND SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WOULD MOVE EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE SOME TIME IN THE MIDDLE TO LATE AFTERNOON...AND THEN OUT ACROSS THE PIEDMONT IN THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE LINE OF STORMS...ALTHOUGH A FEW BRIEF TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT ALL OR PART OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA WILL BE INCLUDED IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WATCH AT SOME POINT LATER TODAY. THE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD END BY THE MIDDLE PART OF THE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. GAZ010-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509-011130- RABUN-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS- 627 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST TODAY AND WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS EVENING. OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT...STRONG WIND SHEAR AND SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WOULD REACH THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PART OF THE AFTERNOON. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE LINE OF STORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS... ALTHOUGH SOME LARGE HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT ALL OR PART OF THE MOUNTAINS WILL BE INCLUDED IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WATCH AT SOME POINT LATER TODAY. THE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD END BY THE EARLY PART OF THE EVENING OVER THE MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
125 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011
NCZ033-049-050-281900-
AVERY-MITCHELL-YANCEY-
125 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN MITCHELL...NORTHWESTERN
AVERY AND NORTHWESTERN YANCEY COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EST...
AT 120 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BANNER HILL...OR 5 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF ERWIN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
BULADEAN...
NEWLAND...
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN MITCHELL...NORTHWESTERN AVERY AND NORTHWESTERN
YANCEY COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
BULADEAN AND NEWLAND...
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3604 8186 3600 8247 3610 8239 3613 8230
3613 8227 3615 8222 3615 8217 3611 8212
3611 8207 3613 8205 3613 8203 3626 8195
3626 8191
BSHThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 140 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:50 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down in the Grandfather Mountain area, with one tree on a building.
Several trees were blown down from the Almond area to the Alarka area.
Several trees were blown down.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county.
Numerous trees were blown down along Mudcut Rd in the Glenwood community. Several trees fell on homes and automobiles.
Quite a few trees were blown down in Morganton, with one on a home on Avery Ave. A section of roof was blown off a large barn near the intersection of Bethel Rd and I-40. Other large trees were blown down along Bethel Rd, some of which fell on homes. Downburst damage continued east to the Connelly Springs and Icard area.
Hail up to penny size fell just to the north of an area of damaging winds.
Lightning struck a home|on Owenby Lane, igniting|a fire.
Trees were blown down in the Granite Falls area. A peak wind gust of 56 mph was measured at the Hickory Airport during this time.
Several trees were blown down from the Hickory area to the St. Peters Church Rd area north of Conover.
A tractor trailer was blown over and greenhouses were damaged at a plant nursery on Hannah Ford Rd.
Several large trees were blown down on the western shores of Lookout Shoals Lake. Several homes were damaged by falling trees.
A lightning strike damaged a home on Sandrock Trail.
Trees were blown down, some onto homes, from the Lookout Shoals Lake area, including Island Ford Rd and Cubs Paw Lane, to the city of Statesville. Numerous trees were blown down in and around the city of Statesville.
Hail ranging in size from pennies to quarters was reported on the north side of Statesville.
A sunroom and part of the roof was torn off a mobile home on Pilch Rd. Part of the metal roofing was torn off some buildings at a zoo on Ostwalt Amity Rd. Trees were also blown down near the Shiloh Rd, Amity Hill Rd intersection.
Hail ranging in size from pennies to quarters was reported in Turnersburg.
A scattering of trees were blown down, roughly paralleling Statesville Blvd west of Salisbury. A metal awning was also blown away and some power lines downed in the area as well.
Several trees were blown down a little ways south of Fairview.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, February 2011
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: 283779, 283780, 283781, 283782, 283783, 283784, 283785, 283786, 283787, 283788, 285457, 285462, 285484, 285487, 285490, 285459, 285505, 285460, 285514, 285520, 285521.