Isolated thunderstorms developed along the lee trough over the North Carolina foothills during the afternoon hours. The storms mainly produced large hail, including a report of tennis ball size hailstones.
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.
Isolated thunderstorms developed along the lee trough over the North Carolina foothills during the afternoon hours. The storms mainly produced large hail, including a report of tennis ball size hailstones.
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 May 23, 1:12 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 212 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 .SYNOPSIS... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING WELL ABOVE NORMAL. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL THEN PUSH A WEAK COLD FRONT OVER THE AREA LATE THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY. MORE SUMMER LIKE WEATHER IS EXPECTED AGAIN OVER THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... FLAT UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL RENMAIN OVER THE SE STATES THROUGH TUE. AT THE SURFACE...SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO RIDGE WESTWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. THEREFORE...THE UNSEASONALBY WARM TEMPS WILL CONTINUE. LATEST MESO-SCALE MODEL RUNS AND 12Z NAM/GFS ARE RATHER TEMPERED WITH CONVECTIVE RESPONSES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BEST INSTABILITY AND LEAST AMOUNT OF CIN IS FORECAST TO BE OVER THE NORTHERN NC MOUNTAINS/FOOTHILLS. THEREFORE...THE HIGHEST POPS FOR SCATTERED TYPE COVERAGE OF STORMS WILL BE IN THAT AREA IN THE VERY NEAR TERM. WITH DAPES RATHER HIGH AGAIN...ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS. EXPECT THAT ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS WILL DISSIPATE DURING THE EVENING LEAVING MOSTLY CLEAR AND WARM CONDITIONS FOR THE OVERNIGHT. SOME MOUNTAIN VALLEY FOG IS A GOOD BET AGAIN FOR LATE TONIGHT. MCS DEVELOPING IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI/NORTHERN ARK WILL MAKE A RUN E/NE OVERNIGHT AND COULD CLIP THE MOUNTAIN BORDER COUNTIES EARLY ON TUE. AFTER THAT...LOOKS LIKE CONVECTIVE CHANCES WILL BE RATHER LIMITED AS FORECAST SOUNDINGS STILL DEPICTING SUBSTANTIAL CIN...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NE GA/UPSTATE. BEST CHANCE FOR ANY CONVECTION TUE AFTERNOON WILL AGAIN BE OVER THE NORTHERN NC MOUNTAINS/FOOTHILLS. USED A MOS BLEND FOR OVERNIGHT MIN TEMPS...BUT STAYED CLOSE TO THE LOWER MET GUIDANCE TEMPS FOR TUE...BUT THIS STILL FEATURES LOWER 90S OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 2 PM MONDAY...THE SHORT TERM FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON WEDNESDAY WITH SUMMER-LIKE ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THURS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD...THE REGION WILL BE UNDER A RELATIVELY FLAT UPPER RIDGE WHILE AN UPPER TROF SPINS INTO A MORE COHERENT CLOSED H5 LOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THAT SYSTEM AND ITS ASSOCIATED SFC LOW WILL GRADUALLY APPROACH THE CWFA LATE IN THE PERIOD AND IS EXPECTED TO BE JUST TO OUR WEST BY THE END OF THE PERIOD ON 00Z FRI. DURING THE PAST 24 HRS OR SO...MODEL GUIDANCE HAS BEEN SLOWING THE PROGRESSION OF THIS SYSTEM. IT NOW APPEARS THAT THE SFC LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED WEAK COLD FRONT WILL NOT MOVE INTO THE FCST AREA UNTIL EARLY FRI. WITH THAT SAID...SUMMER TIME DIURNAL CONVECTION WILL BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY PRECIP ON WED AND THURS...HOWEVER THE HIGHEST POPS CURRENTLY ADVERTISED ARE JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OVER THE MTS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. POPS DO RAMP UP FAIRLY QUICKLY THURS EVENING WITH THE APPROACH OF THE LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED FRONT...HOWEVER THE TIMING FOR FROPA/PRECIP MAY HAVE TO BE PUSHED BACK EVEN FARTHER IF MODELS CONTINUE TO SLOW DOWN AND/OR PUSH THE SFC LOW FARTHER TO THE NORTH. IF ANY CONVECTION DOES FIRE UP ON WED AND THURS...SOUNDINGS INDICATE MODERATE TO HIGH SFC BASED CAPE OVER MOST OF THE FCST AREA...SO PULSE SVR TS ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF NOON MONDAY...ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME DETAIL DIFFERENCES IN THE MDLS...THE 23/00Z ECMWF AND THE 23/06Z GFS END UP WITH FAIRLY CLOSE SOLUTIONS FOR THE MEDIUM RANGE FCST. A MODERATE SHORT WAVE SLOWLY CROSSES THE AREA THRU THE FRIDAY TIME FRAME...WITH NEARLY ZONAL FLOW FOR SAT...THEN UPPER RIDGING BUILDS IN FOR SUN AND MON. EXPECT LIKELY TO GOOD CHC FOR DIURNAL CONVECTION ACROSS THE MTNS WITH LESSER BUT STILL DECENT CHANCES ELSEWHERE THU NITE AND FRI. WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVING THRU THE NEARLY ZONAL FLOW SAT WILL LEAD TO MAINLY DIURNAL CONVECTION AGAIN ON SAT WITH BEST CHC NC AND LESSER CHC NE GA AND UPSTATE. MAINLY DIURNAL CONVECTION WITH CHC MTNS SLIGHT CHC ELSEWHERE SUN AND MON. WITH THE RIDGING IN PLACE...TEMPS WILL BE MUCH WARMER THAN PREV FCST. LOWS NEARLY STEADY AND WELL ABOVE NORMAL THRU THE PERIOD. HIGHS ABOVE NORMAL FRI AND SAT BECOME WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR SUN AND MON. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THIS TAF PERIOD AS ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WELL NORTH OF THE AIR FIELD LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN SW. ELSEWHERE...NUNMERICAL MODELS RATHER LIMITED WITH CONVECTIVE RESPONSE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOOKS LIKE THE NC FOOTHILLS WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE. THEREFORE CARRIED A CB CLOUD GROUP AT KHKY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...TAFS WILL FEATURE LIGHT MAINLY SW WINDS WITH VFR CONDITIONS. THUNDERSTORM CHCS APPEAR TOO LIMITED TO MENTION AT KAVL AND SC AIRPORTS HAVE LITTLE IF ANY CHANCE FOR THUNDER. LOOKS LIKE RADIATION FOG WILL RETURN TO THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS LATE TONIGHT...SO HAVE INTRODUCED IFR CONDITIONS AT KAVL AFTER 09Z. OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH THU WITH ONLY LATE NIGHT FOG PRODUCING RESTRICTIONS IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MAINLY THE MOUNTAINS. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY BECOME MORE UNSETTLED LATE IN THE THE WEEK AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JPT NEAR TERM...LG SHORT TERM...JPT LONG TERM...RWH AVIATION...LG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 323 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 NCZ033-035>037-049-050-056-057-501>506-241930- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-YANCEY-MITCHELL-CATAWBA-ROWAN- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE- MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- 323 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 344 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND 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. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR. SOME OF THE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE MAIN THREATS. .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. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ048-051>053-058-059-062>065-068>072- 082-507>510-SCZ001>014-019-241930- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MADISON-SWAIN-HAYWOOD- BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- 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- 323 PM EDT MON MAY 23 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. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA...UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. ONE OR TWO OF THE STORMS THAT DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA COULD BECOME SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE MAIN THREATS. .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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1046 AM EDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0924 PM TSTM WND DMG HIDDENITE 35.90N 81.09W
05/22/2011 ALEXANDER NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
CHURCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION DESTROYED...NUMEROUS LARGE
TREES SNAPPED OFF AND POWER LINES DOWN.
&&
LGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1123 AM EDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0638 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 SSW BURNSVILLE 35.88N 82.32W
05/22/2011 YANCEY NC DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
SEVERAL TREES DOWN ON AND ALONG PRICES CREEK ROAD.
0645 PM TSTM WND DMG 8 SSW NEWLAND 35.98N 81.98W
05/22/2011 AVERY NC DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
5 TREES DOWN ON THREE MILE HWY/HWY 194.
&&
TBENTHALLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
332 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011
NCZ507-508-510-232015-
EASTERN POLK-GREATER RUTHERFORD-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
332 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL RUTHERFORD AND NORTHERN
POLK COUNTIES THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 331 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAKE LURE...OR 12 MILES WEST
OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3552 8197 3553 8194 3540 8190 3535 8222
3536 8223 3540 8219 3540 8223 3540 8225
3545 8228 3554 8198
KRENTZThe Greer radar (KGSP), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:35 UTC.
8 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were blown down in the Bills Creek area.
Quarter size hail was reported near the Cleveland County line.
Golf ball size hail fell in the Union Grove area and hail the size of a golf ball was also measured about 3 miles north of Harmony.
Numerous reports of quarter to golf ball size hail were received from the Sheffield|community to the city of Mocksville.
Penny size hail was reported to the north of Sheffield.
Tennis ball size hail was reported along Interstate 40, a little to the west of Mocksville.
Penny size hail was reported near Sheffield with a second thunderstorm.
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, May 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: 316683, 316684, 316686, 316692, 316694, 316695, 316696, 316697, 316698.