Early morning thunderstorms over the northwest piedmont of South Carolina caused a lightning fire that damaged a home.
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.
Early morning thunderstorms over the northwest piedmont of South Carolina caused a lightning fire that damaged a home.
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 Aug 1, 1:03 AM EST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 203 AM EDT MON AUG 1 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION...THEN GRADUALLY DISSIPATE ACROSS SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE CAROLINA COAST ON MONDAY. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION LATE NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/... OUTFLOW/UPSLOPE AIDED DEEP CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS SOUTHWARD ACRS THE CWFA THRU LATE-EVENING FOLLOWED BY A STEADY DIMINISHING AND DECREASING TREND TONIGHT. WILL NOT TOTALLY DROP POP TO BELOW SLIGHT CHANCE UNTIL THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS PASSAGE OF WEAK VORT COULD STILL TRIGGER A FEW SHOWERS. OTHERWISE...FOR THE LATE NIGHT HOURS...A MIX OF VARIABLE BUT THINNING DEBRIS CLOUDS AND AREAS OF FOG...ESPECIALLY IN THE MTN VALLEYS...IS ON TAP. MONDAY MORNING MIN TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A TAD LESS WARM THAN THE PAST FEW MORNINGS. WITH THE INFLUX OF DEEP DRYING ON MONDAY...EXPECT THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME EFFECTIVELY CAPPED...PERHAPS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SW CWFA WHERE DIFFERENTIAL HTG AND UPSLOPE COULD PROMOTE ISOLATED DEEP CONVECTION. ALTHOUGH FTHL/PIEDMONT MAX TEMPS ARE PROGGED TO BE IN THE LOWER 90S...THE LOWERING OF SFC DWPTS SHOULD RESULT IN APPARENT TEMPS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURE. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 2 AM SUNDAY...THE SHORT RANGE LOOKS HOT AND RELATIVELY DRY. THE MODELS AGREE IN KEEPING A LARGE ANTICYCLONE AND UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SRN PLAINS...AND AN UPPER TROF OFF THE E COAST...THROUGH MIDWEEK. THE RESULTING NW FLOW AND DOWNSLOPE E OF THE MTNS SHOULD DRY OUT THE AIR MASS OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AND LEAD TO HIGH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 90S TO LOW 100S OUTSIDE THE HIGHER TERRAIN. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH...THE RECORD HIGH TEMPS AT GSP AND CHARLOTTE ARE ONLY IN THE 98-99 RANGE BOTH DAYS...SO THOSE RECORDS ARE DEFINITELY IN JEOPARDY. THE RECORD HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY 3 AUGUST GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1888 AT BOTH SITES. NOT SURE IF ANY HEAT ADVISORIES WILL BE REQUIRED AS THE AIR MASS WILL BE QUITE DRY...SO THE HEAT INDEX WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO THE AIR TEMPERATURE. THERE IS A VERY SMALL CHANCE THAT A STRAY SHOWER COULD POP UP IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING BECAUSE OF SOME LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE...BUT THIS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED RIGHT NOW. TUESDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AGAIN. ON WEDNESDAY...SOME SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE WILL DRIFT DOWN FROM THE N AHEAD OF A WEAK SHORT WAVE. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME LIMITED RIDGE TOP CONVECTION IN THE AFTERNOON...SO A SLIGHT CHANCE WAS KEPT OVER THE MTNS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 1210 PM SUNDAY...THE GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL REMAIN MORE OR LESS PARKED OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH THE MEDIUM RANGE....RESULTING IN PERSISTENT N/NW FLOW OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC. ALTHOUGH THE MODELS ARE ALSO IN AGREEMENT THAT A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SAG INTO THE REGION BY THURSDAY...NONE ARE PARTICULARLY BULLISH ON CONVECTIVE PRECIP THU AFTERNOON. THIS ISNT TOO SURPRISING... CONSIDERING THAT W AND NW LOW LEVEL FLOW IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT PROBABLY DICTATES THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A GREAT DEAL OF MOISTURE IN PLACE. NEVERTHELESS...ITS RARE TO SEE A SURFACE BOUNDARY MOVE OVER THE AREA THIS TIME OF THE YEAR WITHOUT AT LEAST SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION....SO CHANCE POPS WILL BE RETAINED ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA DURING THIS TIME. IN FACT...AT LEAST SLIGHT CHANCE DIURNAL POPS WILL LINGER INTO NEXT WEEKEND...AS THE MODELS ARE HINTING AT ANOTHER FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPPING INTO THE AREA LATE IN THE PERIOD. TEMPS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL...ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY COOLER THICKNESS VALUES MAY YIELD MAXES A LITTLE CLOSER TO CLIMO FRI AND SAT. && .AVIATION /06Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT KCLT...AT 6Z...A WESTERN EDGE OF A BAND OF MID LEVEL CLOUD WAS LOCATED OVER THE TERMINAL. BASED ON SATELLITE TRENDS...MID LEVEL CLOUDS SHOULD MOVE EAST OF THE TERMINAL BETWEEN 6Z TO 7Z. ONCE THE HIGHER CLOUDS PUSH EAST...IFR CEILINGS SHOULD BECOME WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE TERMINAL AND WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH SUNRISE. LOW DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS AND LIGHT TO CALM WINDS MAY SUPPORT AT LEAST MVFR VIS. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD DEVELOP SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE WITH A LIGHT NE WIND. DEEP DRY AIR WILL YIELD MOSTLY CLEAR TO CLEAR SKIES AFTER MID DAY. ELSEWHERE...LATEST FOG SATELLITE PRODUCT SHOWS WIDESPREAD STRATUS NORTH OF A BAND OF MID CLOUDS EAST OF I-85. THE MID CLOUDS SHOULD MOVE EAST DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. CLEARING MID LEVEL CEILINGS...LIGHT TO CALM WINDS...SATURATED SOILS SHOULD PROMOTE THE EXISTENCE OF MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS AND MVFR FOG THROUGH SUNRISE. RESTRICTIONS SHOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE WITH A LIGHT NE WIND. DEEP DRY AIR WILL YIELD MOSTLY CLEAR TO CLEAR SKIES AFTER MID DAY. OUTLOOK...A HOT AND DRY AIR MASS WILL SETTLE OVER THE REGION THROUGH MID WEEK...FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL LARGELY REMAIN UNRESTRICTED. LATE IN THE WORK WEEK...MOISTURE WILL SLOWLY INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION FROM DAY TO DAY. EXPECT A RETURN TO DIURNAL CONVECTION AND POSSIBLE MTN VALLEY MORNING FOG. 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...SBK NEAR TERM...CSH/RB SHORT TERM...SBK LONG TERM...JDL AVIATION...NED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 925 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001>014-019-020130- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 925 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE WILL REMAIN THE POSSIBILITY OF A GUSTY AND/OR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510-020130- 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- 925 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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
945 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011
SCZ007-012-010230-
LAURENS-SPARTANBURG-
945 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL SPARTANBURG AND NORTHERN
LAURENS COUNTIES THROUGH 1030 PM EDT...
AT 939 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF ROEBUCK...OR 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
SPARTANBURG...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
WOODRUFF...
ENOREE...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3463 8220 3471 8219 3477 8215 3480 8217
3494 8214 3494 8189 3467 8183 3464 8184
MCAVOYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1019 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011
SCZ006-012-010300-
GREATER GREENVILLE-LAURENS-
1019 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN LAURENS AND
SOUTHEASTERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 1100 PM EDT...
AT 1013 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FOUNTAIN INN...OR 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF
LAURENS...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
GRAY COURT...
HICKORY TAVERN...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3447 8229 3454 8239 3474 8226 3473 8208
3471 8206 3471 8207 3467 8202 3439 8208
MCAVOYThe Greer radar (KGSP), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:59 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a home on Mason Montgomery Rd, starting a fire that destroyed most of the home's interior.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 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: 340924.