Scattered thunderstorms developed along and east of a stationary front over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. One of the storms produced wind damage and large hail.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed along and east of a stationary front over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. One of the storms produced wind damage and large hail.
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 Sep 25, 1:18 PM EST, 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 218 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL LINGER ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION TODAY. A DEEP UPPER LOW OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL REMAIN THROUGH THE EARLY WEEK...A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... ADJUSTMENTS BEING MADE FOR CLOUDS AND POPS WITH SLOW EWD CLEARING AND CONVECTION TRYING TO DEVELOP ON DIFFERENTIAL HEATING AND ALONG ELONGATED S/W CROSSING THE FORECAST AREA. IN ADDITION OUR EASTERN FORECAST AREA SITS UNDER THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF A SLIGHTLY ANTICYCLONIC JET FOR LIFTING PURPOSES...HOWEVER BEST INSTABILITY MAY REMAIN WEST WHERE CLEARING CAN DESTABILIZE A BIT MORE. BELOW IS THE EARLIER FORECAST DISCUSSION. THE LATEST UPDATE KEEPS MORE SOLID CHC POPS ALONG THE ERN ESCARPMENT OF THE MTNS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS AS S TO SE UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUES. OTHERWISE...THE CLOSED UPPER LOW CENTER LINGERS OVER IL THIS MORNING. AN UPPER LEVEL JETLET EAST OF THE ASSOCIATED TROUGH HAS PERSISTED ALONG THE APPALACHIAN MTN CHAIN FOR DAYS...AND DIVERGENCE NEAR THE ENTRANCE REGION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY. SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR WILL ADVECT INTO THE REGION ON SW FLOW AT MID LEVELS TODAY. THIS SHOULD KEEP ANY PRECIP COVERAGE DOWN SOMEWHAT...BUT MAY ALLOW ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS TO GENERATE BETTER OUTFLOWS GIVEN THE STRONG SFC TO MID LEVEL THETA E LAPSE. SEVERE POTENTIAL STILL APPEARS QUITE LIMITED THOUGH. WILL ADVERTISE BETTER POPS ACROSS NRN AND ERN SECTIONS...AND THE LOWEST POPS IN THE DRIER AIR S AND SW. WILL LEAN STRONGLY TOWARD THE WARMER MOS GUIDANCE FOR MAX TEMPS. SRLY 850 MB FLOW WILL INCREASE TONIGHT...ALONG WITH SE BL FLOW...TO BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF NOCTURNAL UPSLOPE SHOWERS TO THE ERN SLOPES OF THE MTNS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL ALSO INCREASE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONT. WILL FOCUS SLIGHT CHC TO LOW END CHC POPS MAINLY ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE MTNS ONCE AGAIN. WILL ADVERTISE RELATIVELY WARM MINS...ABOUT 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 4 AM SUNDAY...ON MONDAY...A H5 CLOSED LOW WILL GRADUALLY LIFT NORTHEAST ALONG THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF LAKE MICHIGAN AS RIDGING CONTINUES OVER THE ROCKIES AND THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. SHORT RANGE MODELS INDICATE THAT A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS DURING THE DAY. BY MONDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE MTNS AND SLOW IF NOT STALL. CAPE VALUES ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT APPEAR TO RANGE BETWEEN 500 TO 1000 J/KG THROUGH THE PERIOD. I WILL INDICATE 30 TO 40 POPS ACROSS THE CWA ON MONDAY...HIGHER VALUES ACROSS THE MTNS. MONDAY EVENING...IT APPEARS THAT ISO TO SCT SHRA AND TSRA WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION AS THE FRONT SLOWS. HIGHS ON MONDAY MAY PEAK A COUPLE OF DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. LOWS SHOULD REMAIN BETWEEN 4 TO 6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL GIVEN THE PLACEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY. ON TUESDAY...THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SLIDE EAST DURING THE DAY. IT APPEARS THAT MID LEVEL SUPPORT WILL REMAIN WEAK...WITH WIDESPREAD WEAK INSTABILITY ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. I WILL TIE POPS TO THE FORECAST LOCATION OF THE SFC BOUNDARY...RESULTING IN SCHC POPS WEST TO 40 POPS ALONG AND EAST OF I-77 DURING THE HEART OF THE AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD VERIFY CLOSE TO MONDAY/S VALUES. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AT 120 PM SUNDAY...GOOD AGREEMENT IS SEEN IN THE OP MODELS WITH FINALLY BREAKING DOWN THE UPPER CLOSED LOW THU. A NRN PACIFIC S/W BREAKS THROUGH THE RIDGE AND DROPS DOWN ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST WHICH WILL EFFECTIVELY NUDGE THE UPPER LOW INTO THE WESTERLIES AND LIFT IT NE/LY. THE 12Z GFS IS QUICKER WITH THIS SCENARIO THAN THE OTHER MODELS...BUT BY 00Z FRI DECENT CONFIDENCE IS HAD IN THE UPPER PATTERN SHIFTING TO MORE OF A BROAD TROF OR QUASI/ZONAL CONFIG OVER THE CWFA. THIS WILL BREAK THE LONGITUDINAL BLOCK AND ALLOW A VERY STRONG RIDGE TO DEVELOP AND PROPAGATE EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL CANADA...INSTIGATING A S/LY DISPLACEMENT OF A CP AIRMASS OVER THE ERN CONUS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SO...WITH DEEP NW/LY FLOW SETTING UP BEGINNING LATE THU AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE PERIOD...A MAINLY DRY FCST IS IN PLACE. THE EXCEPTION BEING A WEAK COLD FRONT REACHING THE NC MTNS FRI...WHERE DUE TO LIMITED MOISTURE ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ARE ADVERTISED ATTM. TEMPS WILL STILL BE WARM THU AND FRI WITH HIGHS AND LOWS RIGHT AROUND NORMAL. HOWEVER MAXES WILL BE A COUPLE CATS BELOW NORMAL SAT/SUN WITH THE NEW AIRMASS MIXING AND LOWS WILL MOST LIKELY DROP INTO THE LOWER 40S ACROSS THE NC MTN VALLEYS. && .AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT KCLT...SHORT TERM MESO ANALYSIS SHOWS NOSE OF HIGHER THETA-E AIR PUNCHING INTO OUR EASTERN FORECAST AREA (FA) WHERE BREAKS IN THE LOW CLOUDS HAVE ALLOWED INSTABILITY TO BE REALIZED. WOULD EXPECT AN AXIS OF SCATTERED HEAVY CONVECTION TO RULE THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON FROM THE PARTS OF THE UPSTATE INTO THE I77 CORRIDOR IN NC. RESTRICTED CIGS AND VSBYS IN SHOWERS AND STORMS. ELSEWHERE CIGS HAVE CLIMBED ABOVE VFR THIS AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH WE WILL CARRY CB'S UNTIL THINGS SETTLE. ONCE AGAIN LOOK FOR LOWERING CIGS AND VSBYS TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY WHERE RAINFALL OCCURS WITH THE MOST LIKELY SITES HKY AND AVL. CIGS UNDER 1K AND VSBYS UNDER 1 MILE. AN EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED ISSUANCE CATEGORY IS AVAILABLE AT FOLLOWING LINK (USE LOWER CASE)... WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION/TABLES.HTM && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...NED NEAR TERM...HG/TS SHORT TERM...NED LONG TERM...NED AVIATION...HG/TS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 342 AM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 NCZ033-049-050-053-065-501>510-260745- AVERY-YANCEY-MITCHELL-BUNCOMBE-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS- GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD- POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- 342 AM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING REPEATEDLY ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE THIS MORNING COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED FLOODING. OTHERWISE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS. THE SHOWER MAY FOCUS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE AGAIN TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. NCZ035>037-048-052-056-057-059-063-064-068>072-082-SCZ002-003- 005>014-019-260745- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-HAYWOOD-CATAWBA-ROWAN- NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN- GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 342 AM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANY THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND BRIEFLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ051-058-062-SCZ001-004-260745- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-SWAIN-GRAHAM-MACON- OCONEE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- 342 AM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
141 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011
NCZ068>070-251830-
CLEVELAND-GASTON-LINCOLN-
141 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL CLEVELAND...NORTHWESTERN
GASTON AND WESTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 138 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR KINGSTOWN...OR 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF
SHELBY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
LAWNDALE...
CHERRYVILLE...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3537 8125 3524 8163 3536 8171 3542 8170
3557 8144 3556 8138
KRENTZSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
147 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011
NCZ071-251830-
MECKLENBURG-
147 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011
...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL WILL AFFECT CENTRAL
MECKLENBURG COUNTY THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 142 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
SOUTHPARK MALL...
PAW CREEK...
CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
ADDITIONALLY...HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES
AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS.
WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE
SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.
LAT...LON 3507 8090 3516 8101 3518 8100 3522 8101
3525 8101 3542 8088 3525 8065
KRENTZSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 201 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 SCZ007-012-013-251845- LAURENS-SPARTANBURG-UNION- 201 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL LAURENS...SOUTHEASTERN SPARTANBURG AND UNION COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 154 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF CROSS ANCHOR...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAURENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CROSS KEYS... BUFFALO... DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3484 8170 3464 8152 3445 8190 3460 8203 KRENTZ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
225 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0136 PM TSTM WND DMG LAURENS 34.50N 82.03W
09/25/2011 LAURENS SC TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN THE CITY OF
LAURENS.
&&
JPTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
227 PM EDT SUN SEP 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0140 PM HAIL LAURENS 34.50N 82.03W
09/25/2011 E1.25 INCH LAURENS SC TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL UP TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE REPORTED IN THE CITY OF
LAURENS BY SPOTTER.
&&
JPTThe Greer radar (KGSP), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:43 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down across the city. One tree fell on a post office building, while at least six roads were blocked by fallen trees.
Trees were blown down on Salem Rd and on Main St in Boger City.
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, September 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: 348021, 348022, 348023.