A weak MCS moved out of upstate South Carolina and into the foothills and piedmont of western North Carolina during the evening hours. Steep low level lapse rates resulted in a high downdraft CAPE (DCAPE) environment.
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 weak MCS moved out of upstate South Carolina and into the foothills and piedmont of western North Carolina during the evening hours. Steep low level lapse rates resulted in a high downdraft CAPE (DCAPE) environment. This resulted in a gust front that produced scattered wind damage even after the storm largely dissipated.
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 Jun 22, 3:36 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 436 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP NORTHWEST OF THE AREA ON FRIDAY MOVE TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA THIS WEEKEND. THE LINGERING FRONT WILL KEEP THE WEEKEND UNSETTLED...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT 2030Z...FCST UPDATE TO FOCUS ON INCREASED TSTM PROBABILITIES INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS WIDESPREAD NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA ACTIVITY PROPAGATES ENEWARD. COLD POOL AIDED DEEP CONVECTION WILL REMAIN LIKELY...ESPECIALLY INTO NE GA AND THE WESTERN UPSTATE WHERE CHANCES FOR LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE SEEN WITHIN CLUSTERS...LEWPS AND BOWS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THE NEAR TERM PERIOD WILL SEE AN UPPER TROUGH BECOME ESTABLISHED OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WITH AN UPPER LOW CENTERED OVER THE GREAT LAKES. AS THIS OCCURS...A WEAK SURFACE COLD FRONT AND ATTENDANT MOISTURE BAND WILL MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION. THERE ARE TIMING DIFFERENCES AMONG THE MODELS WITH THIS FEATURE WITH THE NAM THE SLOWEST AND THE GFS FASTER. ACTUALLY THE SREF IS CLOSER TO THE FASTER GFS...SO THIS GIVES SOME SUPPORT UTILIZING THE FASTER GFS TIMING. IN REGARD TO SENSIBLE WEATHER...INSTABILITY RAMPING UP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH LAPS CAPES OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS IN THE 1500-2000J RANGE...EXTENDING INTO THE WESTERN NC MOUNTAINS. MESOSCALE MODELS LIKE HRRR AND LOCAL WRF ARW DEVELOP WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. WITH DCAPES OVER 1000J CAN'T RULE OUT A COUPLE ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS...BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE ANYTHING LIKE TUE EVENING. APART FROM THE INSTABILITY CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THE GFS DEPICTS A SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. THIS APPEARS TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE CONVECTIVE CLUSTER CURRENTLY OVER EASTERN MS AT MID AFTERNOON. THE UPSHOT IS THAT WE EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION IN THE 02Z-08Z TIMEFRAME. HENCE WILL MAINTAIN RATHER ROBUST POPS TONIGHT...WITH HIGHEST CONFIDENCE OVER WESTERN AREAS. FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THU MORNING. BEST MOISTURE AND WEAK FORCING OVER THE UPSTATE SHOULD PRODUCE SCATTERED AFTERNOON CONVECTION...WITH WEAK DOWNSLOPE WINDS DRYING THINGS OUT LATE. CAN'T RULE OUT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS LATE IN THE DAY AS ANOTHER SHORT WAVE APPROACHES. MAX TEMPS ON THU WILL BE CLOSE TO SEASONAL LEVELS USING A MOS BLEND APPROACH. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 130 PM WEDNESDAY...THE SHORT TERM FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON FRIDAY WITH THE UPPER TROF CENTERED OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND AN UPPER RIDGE MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS BEHIND THE TROF. OVER THE NEXT 48 HRS OR SO...THE UPPER TROF WILL LIFT TO THE NE AND DEAMPLIFY AS THE UPPER RIDGE SLIDES FARTHER EAST. LATE THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OVER THE FCST AREA FROM THE WEST THURS AND THURS NIGHT AND THEN STALL OUT AS IT REACHES THE COAST. ALTHOUGH SOME DRYING IS EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT...BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS SHOULD REMAIN WEST TO SWLY UNTIL SATURDAY AND KEEP SOME FAIRLY DECENT LOW LVL MOISTURE OVER THE AREA. THAT COUPLED WITH HEALTHY INSTABILITY OVER MOST OF THE CWA AND THE UPPER LVL SUPPORT FROM THE H5 TROF AND A DECENT LOW LVL JET IN THE RANGE OF 30 TO 40KTS...SHOULD PROVIDE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR SH AND TS IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH SOME DEGREE OF ORGANIZATION POSSIBLE. I ADVERTISE A SOLID CHANCE FOR SH AND TS FROM APPROX 12Z ONWARD WITH THE HIGHEST POPS OVER THE NC MTS. SPC CURRENTLY HAS MOST OF THE CWFA IN A SLIGHT SVR RISK THRU 12Z SAT...AND I AM THINKING THAT THE NC MTS WILL HAVE A HIGHER OVERALL RISK COMPARED TO THE LOWER TERRAIN ON FRI. ON SATURDAY...THE FCST REMAINS TRICKY WITH HEIGHTS BEGINNING TO RISE AS THE UPPER TROF PULLS AWAY TO THE NE. THE MODELS DIFFER ON THE STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THE UPPER SHWV ENERGY ON SAT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN TRIGGER FOR ANY CONVECTION. THE LATEST 12Z GFS HAS A SHWV APPROACHING THE CAROLINAS BY 12Z SAT WHILE THE ECMWF...CMC...AND NAM12 DONT HAVE THE FEATURE APPROACHING UNTIL EARLY SUN. OVERALL...THE LOW TO MID LVL MOISTURE FLUX INCREASES DURING THE DAY AS INSTABILITY GROWS...HOWEVER MID AND UPPER LVL SUPPORT DWINDLES AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS. HAVE SOLID CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTION...WITH THE THREAT OF SIGNIFICANT ORGANIZATION LESS LIKELY THAN FRI. TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOUT A CATEGORY ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS AROUND 90 FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND LOW TO MID 80S FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 130 PM WEDNESDAY...A FAIRLY LOW AMPLITUDE UPPER PATTERN WILL BE IN PLACE LATE THIS WEEKEND. WEAK UPPER JET MAXIMA WILL PASS MAINLY NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. AT THE SFC...A FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS THE REGION ON SUNDAY AND BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE WILL REMAIN FAIRLY HIGH. THIS WILL WARRANT SOLID CHANCE POPS FOR CONVECTIVE COVERAGE DURING THE AFTN AND EVENING HOURS. A DIGGING SHORTWAVE MAY CROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY AS THE SURFACE FRONT LIFTS SLOWLY NORTHWARD. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE SHOULD IMPROVE ON MONDAY AND IT COULD ARRIVE IN WRN MTN LOCATIONS DURING THE MORNING...DEPENDING ON THE SHORTWAVE TIMING. THE WARM SECTOR AIRMASS AND ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL THEN REMAIN IN PLACE TUE THROUGH WED...WITH WEAK AND HARD TO TIME SHORTWAVES LIKELY CROSSING THE REGION...OR AT LEAST THE NRN TIER OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL LEAD TO A RETURN TO MORE DIURNALLY FAVORED AFTN AND EVENING CONVECTION. MAX AND MIN TEMPS SHOULD REMAIN NEAR NORMAL...OR A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /21Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AT KCLT...MODEL SOUNDINGS AND MESOSCALE MODEL FORECASTS INDICATE THAT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS VICINITY THE AIRFIELD. HENCE INCLUDED A CB INTO THE EVENING HOURS. A WEAK FRONT AND ATTENDANT MOISTURE BAND WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THU MORNING. THEREFORE...EXPECT A LOW VFR CLOUD CEILING TO CONTINUE. CAN'T RULE OUT A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING THE AIR FIELD OVERNIGHT WITH THE MOISTURE INCREASE. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN NC AND UPSTATE SC DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS,. HENCE ALL AIRPORTS GET A CB MENTION. WEAK FRONT AND ATTENDANT MOISTURE BAND WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT THROUGH THU MORNING. BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WITH THIS WILL BE OVER THE MOUNTAINS...BUT ALL AIR FIELDS COULD SEE AN OVERNIGHT SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT A MVFR FOG RESTRICTION WILL OCCUR AT KAVL LATE TONIGHT. OUTLOOK...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO THE WEEKEND EXCEPT FOR LOCAL RESTRICTIONS IN THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND IN MOUNTAIN VALLEY FOG EACH MORNING TOWARD DAYBREAK. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JPT NEAR TERM...CSH/LG SHORT TERM...JPT LONG TERM...HG AVIATION...LG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 539 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-232145- 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- 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- 539 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 540 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. 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. NCZ082-232145- UNION NC- 539 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE LATE EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. 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
547 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
NCZ505>508-222230-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD
MOUNTAINS-
547 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN RUTHERFORD AND
SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT...
AT 547 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAKE LURE...OR 15 MILES NORTH OF COLUMBUS...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
THERMAL CITY...
GLENWOOD...
MARION...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3571 8187 3558 8183 3539 8213 3541 8215
3540 8225 3544 8228 3547 8226 3547 8224
3552 8222 3553 8217 3556 8225 3579 8196
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
559 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
NCZ051-052-058-059-062-063-222245-
GRAHAM-HAYWOOD-MACON-NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-SWAIN-
559 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT JACKSON...MACON...NORTHEASTERN
GRAHAM...SOUTHWESTERN HAYWOOD AND SWAIN COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM
EDT...
AT 559 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM TAPOCO TO 4 MILES
NORTHEAST OF TOPTON TO SCALY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
HIGHLANDS...
FONTANA LAKE...
ALARKA...
THORPE RESERVOIR...
BRYSON CITY...
SYLVA...
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3553 8388 3553 8383 3557 8377 3558 8360
3557 8349 3560 8347 3567 8334 3566 8330
3573 8324 3573 8320 3533 8290 3500 8321
3500 8339 3525 8368 3542 8402
HGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
612 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 S TOCCOA 34.56N 83.33W
06/22/2011 STEPHENS GA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE ON POWERLINE NEAR SWIFT RD
0605 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 NE EASTANOLEE 34.56N 83.21W
06/22/2011 STEPHENS GA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE ON A CAR NEAR BROOKHAVEN CIRCLE
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
618 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0605 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 SSE TOCCOA 34.56N 83.31W
06/22/2011 STEPHENS GA TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES UPROOTED ALONG ANDREWS RD
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
622 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0605 PM TSTM WND DMG TOCCOA 34.58N 83.32W
06/22/2011 STEPHENS GA TRAINED SPOTTER
THREE LARGE TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES AT ANDREWS ROAD AND
SKYLINE DRIVE. SEVERAL TREES ALSO REPORTED DOWN AROUND
THE COUNTY.
&&
KRENTZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
630 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0612 PM TSTM WND DMG CARNESVILLE 34.37N 83.23W
06/22/2011 FRANKLIN GA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES DOWN COUNTYWIDE.
&&
KRENTZThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:32 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree blown down on Coopers Creek Rd, about 6 miles northeast of Bryson City. A tree also fell on Old Soco Rd in Cherokee.
A tree blew down and blocked highway 191 in Mills River. There were also power lines blown down on Rugby Rd and power lines down on Naples Rd, both a few miles east of Mills River.
Multiple trees were blown down from Forest City to Ellenboro.
Trees were blown down along Brown Mountain Beach Rd.
Trees were blown down on Williamsburg Ct.
A tree was blown down onto Harmon Rd at highway 182. Multiple trees were also down along Del-Mar Rd.
Trees and power lines were blown down along highway 126 west of Lake James.
Trees were blown down at highway 18 and Bethel Rd. A trained spotter measured a wind gust in excess of 60 mph in this general area at around the same time.
Several trees and power lines were blown down in and around Newton. An outbuilding was blown into Dellinger St 3 miles south of town. Power lines were also blown down on Old Island Ford Rd in Claremont and multiple trees were blown down near Bunker Hill Covered Bridge.
A few trees, large limbs, and power lines were blown down around Charlotte.
A tree was blown down on Wood Bridge Rd and another on Snow Creek Rd.
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, June 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: 330345, 330344, 330352, 330353, 330354, 330355, 330356, 330357, 330358, 330359, 330360.