Pulse-type thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon hours over western North Carolina. A couple of the storms produced localized wind damage and hail in the foothills.
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.
Pulse-type thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon hours over western North Carolina. A couple of the storms produced localized wind damage and hail in the foothills.
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 Jul 7, 1:45 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 245 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011 .SYNOPSIS... ANOTHER WEAK FRONT WILL SLOWLY DROP DOWN FROM THE NORTH AND INTO THE AREA BY THE WEEKEND. THE FRONT WILL MAINTAIN A GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN THROUGH SATURDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE IN SUNDAY WITH DRIER CONDITIONS AND HOTTER TEMPERATURES FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT 230 PM EDT THURSDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS WILL REMAIN OVER THE OH AND TN RIVER VALLEYS THROUGH FRIDAY. A WEAK IMPULSE WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS TROUGH LATE TODAY. A SECOND AND STRONGER SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TROUGH ON FRIDAY....WHILE A COLD FRONT REACHES NC FROM THE NORTH. DEEP...RICH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER OUR AREA. SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL INCREASE TONIGHT...THEN DECREASE AND VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST BY FRIDAY. CAPE WILL PEAK AT AROUND 1000 J/KG BOTH AFTERNOONS. MOIST VERTICAL PROFILES WILL LIMIT DOWNBURST POTENTIAL TODAY. HIGH FREEZING LEVELS WILL LIMIT HAIL POTENTIAL. ON FRIDAY UPPER LEVEL WINDS INCREASE AS THE UPPER TROUGH AMPLIFIES SLIGHTLY...INCREASING SHEAR AND DOWNBURST POTENTIAL SOMEWHAT...DESPITE DEEP MOISTURE REMAINING. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE WILL REMAIN HIGH BOTH THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY...WITH LESS OF A LULL OVERNIGHT THAN LAST NIGHT AS HEIGHTS FALL WITH THE STRENGTHENING TROUGH. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 240 PM THURSDAY...GUIDANCE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THRU THE SHORT RANGE. SHORT WAVE CROSSES THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS RIDGING BUILDS FROM THE WEST. AT THE SFC...WEAK FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES IN ON SAT THEN STALLS ACROSS THE SRN CWFA FOR SUNDAY. EXPECT ANOTHER DAY OF NUMEROUS DIURNAL TSRA COVERAGE SATURDAY WITH THE COMBINATION OF UPPER AND SFC SUPPORT. THAT SAID...CONVECTION COULD LINGER THRU THE NITE GIVEN THE CONTINUED FORCING. DECENT INSTABILITY AND SHEAR DEVELOP SATURDAY...BUT PROFILES WILL BE RATHER MOIST. THEREFORE... HEAVY RAIN MAY BE MORE OF A THREAT THAN SVR STORMS. EVEN THO THE SHORT WAVE WILL STILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY...IT WILL BE SHEARING OUT AS THE RIDGING BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. WITH THE FRONT LINGERING NEAR OR OVER THE AREA...MOISTURE POOLING AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA...ALTHOUGH WEAKER THAN SATURDAY. WARMER MID LEVELS WITH THE RIDGE BUILDING IN SUGGEST LOWER INSTABILITY. HOWEVER...THE MOISTURE POOLING AND CONVERGENCE COULD BE ENUF TO KICK OFF DEEP CONVECTION...ESP ACROSS THE WRN CWFA. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE THE DIURNAL ISOLATED TSRA. ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS WILL SHOW A SLIGHT WARMING TREND WITH THE ABOVE NORMAL LOWS SHOWING A SLIGHT COOLING TREND. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT 1205 PM EDT THURSDAY...A DEEP LAYER RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION MONDAY. EVEN THO H5 TEMPS WILL BE AROUND -4C...SOME ISOLATED AFTN AND EVENING TSTMS OVER THE MTNS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE. ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS WILL CONTINUE AS WELL. GUIDANCE AGREES ON RIDGE RETROGRADING THRU THE PERIOD WITH A TROF FORMING IN THE ATLANTIC. THIS FLOW WILL PUSH A BOUNDARY ACROSS THE AREA TUE AND WED. THE BOUNDARY STALLS JUST TO OUR SOUTH THU. FORCING WILL INCREASE AS WEAK WAVES MOVE OVER THE AREA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE INCREASED LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE AS WELL INCREASING THE INSTABILITY. ALTHOUGH THE BOUNDARY WILL BE OVER/NEAR THE AREA...GFS ENSEMBLE AND ECMWF KEEP A DIURNAL TREND TO THE PRECIPITATION. THEREFORE...HAVE MAINLY DIURNAL CHC POP THRU THE PERIOD. HIGHS START OUT TUE ABOVE NORMAL BUT FALL TO NEAR NORMAL BY THU. LOWS REMAIN NEARLY STEADY ABOVE NORMAL THRU THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...HOWEVER IF AFTERNOON CONVECTION ACTUALLY OCCURS AT FIELD...ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS COULD BE IFR. GUIDANCE VARIES IN SUPPORT OF MVFR VSBY AND CIG BRIEFLY FRIDAY MORNING...WHICH WOULD BE WORSE IF RAIN FALLS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. VFR CIG WILL BE CARRIED FOR NOW WITH LOW CONFIDENCE. LIGHT SOUTH WINDS WILL PERSIST. ELSEWHERE...HIGH COVERAGE AFTERNOON CONVECTION MERITS MENTION OF VCTS AT ALL SITES WITH A LOW VFR CIG. ANY SITES UNDER A CONVECTIVE CORE WOULD SEE IFR CIG AND VSBY RESTRICTIONS...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER ROUND OF IFR AT DAWN FRIDAY IN RAIN MOISTENED AIR. KAVL STANDS A GOOD CHANCE OF IFR FOG AT DAWN BASED ON GUIDANCE....WITH MVFR AT KHKY. SC SITES EXPECTED TO REMAIN VFR UNLESS RAIN FALLS. FRIDAY CONVECTION SHOULD WAIT UNTIL AFTERNOON. OUTLOOK...A COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY...STALLING OVER STALLING INTO SUNDAY...BEFORE MOVING SOUTH ON MONDAY. AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE RESTRICTIONS POSSIBLE...FOLLOWED BY MORNING FOG RESTRICTIONS WHERE RAIN FEEL THE DAY BEFORE. IMPROVEMENT BY MONDAY. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RWH NEAR TERM...JAT SHORT TERM...RWH LONG TERM...RWH AVIATION...JAT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 330 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-081930- 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- 330 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH THE EVENING. THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE REGION REMAINS VERY MOIST...AND WITH LIGHT SHEAR...MANY OF THE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING. LOCALIZED AREAS OF FLOODING RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND LOCATIONS WHERE HEAVY RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE BRIEF...DAMAGING WINDS OVER SMALL AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY NIGHT. AREAS OF LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING...WILL DEVELOP AGAIN...ESPECIALLY OVER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAIN...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AS SHEAR COULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO CREATE ORGANIZED AREAS OF STORMS. DAMAGING WINDS...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT LARGE HAIL...WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. .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
408 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
NCZ071-072045-
MECKLENBURG-
408 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
THROUGH 445 PM EDT...
AT 408 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SOUTHPARK MALL...OR 4 MILES SOUTH OF CENTER
CITY CHARLOTTE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...
MATTHEWS...
EASTLAND MALL...
MINT HILL...
UNC CHARLOTTE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3515 8062 3506 8086 3522 8096 3535 8070
3533 8069 3527 8067 3523 8059 3521 8055
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
425 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
SCZ009-072100-
YORK-
425 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN YORK COUNTY THROUGH
500 PM EDT...
AT 425 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTH OF BULLOCK CREEK...OR 11 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF YORK...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3482 8117 3482 8147 3485 8146 3489 8148
3492 8147 3494 8149 3500 8148 3505 8120
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
436 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
NCZ035-056-502-504-072100-
ALEXANDER-CATAWBA-GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-
436 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN BURKE...SOUTHEASTERN
CALDWELL...SOUTHWESTERN ALEXANDER AND WESTERN CATAWBA COUNTIES
THROUGH 500 PM EDT...
AT 433 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF HICKORY...MOVING EAST AT 10
MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
LAKE HICKORY...
HICKORY...
ST. STEPHENS...
CONOVER...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3582 8108 3579 8109 3578 8111 3576 8110
3560 8116 3571 8148 3588 8142
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
437 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
SCZ013-072115-
UNION-
437 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN UNION COUNTY THROUGH
515 PM EDT...
AT 433 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF JONESVILLE...OR 5 MILES
NORTH OF UNION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
UNION...
LOCKHART...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3474 8178 3490 8170 3483 8146 3481 8148
3479 8146 3476 8145 3474 8149 3473 8149
3472 8145 3470 8146 3467 8144 3460 8148
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
444 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
NCZ072-072115-
CABARRUS-
444 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CABARRUS COUNTY THROUGH 515 PM
EDT...
AT 441 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF HARRISBURG...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF
CONCORD...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
CONCORD...
MOUNT PLEASANT...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3542 8035 3524 8046 3522 8058 3527 8067
3535 8069 3537 8073 3550 8037 3543 8034
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
SCZ012-072130-
LAURENS-
458 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN LAURENS COUNTY THROUGH
530 PM EDT...
AT 458 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF
CLINTON TO JOANNA...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
JOANNA...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3433 8199 3459 8183 3455 8173 3456 8168
3453 8164 3452 8164 3446 8169 3444 8173
3436 8179 3434 8183 3432 8185
HGThe Greer radar (KGSP), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:58 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down across the city, with some trees on power lines.
Quarter size hail was reported on Springs Rd.
Multiple trees were blown down in downtown Conover.
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, July 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: 339737, 339738, 339739.