Thunderstorms produced a little small hail over northeast Georgia.
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.
Thunderstorms produced a little small hail over northeast Georgia.
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 17, 1:29 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 229 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL FORM OVER SOUTH CAROLINA...AND WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...WHERE IT WILL LINGER INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE NORTH AND REMAIN THROUGH MONDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE WEST ON TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND THE LATEST RAP MODEL RUN SHOW A NE TO SW ORIENTED UPPER LOW STRETCHED OVER THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA...BACK ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. A SPOKE OF PVA ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LOW IS HELPING TO ORGANIZE STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE UPSTATE. ELSEWHERE...OTHER STORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE BLUE RIDGE OF NE GA AND SW NC. SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR HAS PUSHED INTO THE NRN PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS OF NE...BUT AREAS TO THE SOUTH REMAIN QUITE UNSTABLE WITH SB-CAPE VALUES RUNNING FROM 1500-2000 J/JG. OUR LOCAL WORKSTATION WRF...THE NCEP 4KM WRF AND THE HRRR ALL AGREE IN DEVELOPING CONVECTION OVER MUCH OF THE UPSTATE...SOUTHERN NC MTNS AND FOOTHILLS AND NE GA INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THIS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. CONFIDENCE IN THIS DEVELOPMENT IS FAIRLY HIGH...AND POPS WILL BE PUSHED UP TO 50 PERCENT ACROSS THE I-85 CORRIDOR AND UP INTO THE WRN NC FOOTHILLS FOR THE EVENING HOURS. COOL MID-LEVEL TEMPS AND DRY AIR ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SEVERE WIND AND HAIL EVENTS. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT. THE NAM MIXES DEWPOINTS INTO THE U40S TO L50S ACROSS THE NC FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AND THE ERN UPSTATE. THIS SHOULD FINALLY END THE THREAT OF STORMS FOR THESE AREAS. BACK ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE TN LINE...SCT CONVECTION SHOULD DEVELOP AGAIN TMRW WHERE LLVL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL BE MAXIMIZED. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT 1430 EDT THURSDAY...A CLOSED UPPER LOW...PART OF AN EAST COAST REX ...WILL BE LOCATED NEAR THE NC COAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. ON SUNDAY THIS FEATURE RETROGRADES SLIGHTLY INLAND. THE MODELS SHOW DRIER AIR MOVING SW INTO OUR AREA ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY....WHILE SOME MOISTURE LINGERS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE. ON SATURDAY NIGHT THE NAM SHOWS MOISTURE SPREADING WEST ACROSS THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR TO THE NC BLUE RIDGE...WHILE THE GFS REMAINS RATHER DRY UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT. POPS WILL INITIALLY BE QUITE LOW AND FOCUSED ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE...THEN WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY FROM THE EAST TOWARD SUNDAY... BUT REMAINING RATHER LOW AS CONFIDENCE IS LIMITED ON THE AMOUNT AND TIMING OF MOISTURE ENCROACHMENT FROM THE EAST. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE SLIGHTLY BELLOW NORMAL UNDER THE UPPER LOW HEIGHT ANOMALY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT 1430 EDT THURSDAY...A LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL PROGRESS ACROSS THE EASTERN USA FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PROGRESSING OFFSHORE ON THURSDAY WHEN A LONGWAVE RIDGE AXIS CROSSES THE MS RIVER VALLEY. A CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL REMAIN NEAR THE CAROLINA COAST ON MONDAY. THIS LOW FILLS AND DRIFTS NORTHEAST ON TUESDAY. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPS SOUTHEAST OVER THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS LATE TUESDAY...MOVING OFF TO THE EAST ON WEDNESDAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER OUR ARE ON MONDAY...BETWEEN A COASTAL LOW AND A COLD FRONT IN THE MS RIVER VALLEY. CONFIDENCE IS LIMITED ON THE WESTERN EXTENT OF MOISTURE THAT WILL WRAP AROUND THE COASTAL LOW TOWARD THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...AND THE RESULTANT POPS. THE COLD FRONT TO OUR WEST REACHES THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ON TUESDAY WHILE WEAKENING...WITH THE REMAINS OF THE BOUNDARY SUPPORTING LENDING SUPPORT TO AT LEAST SMALL POPS. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FIND OUR AREA UNDER WEAK HIGH PRESSURE...BUT THE MODELS DEPICT SOME AMOUNT OF LINGERING MOISTURE...OSTENSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMAINS OF THE FORMER FRONT. WITH GULF INFLOW EVENTUALLY SETTING UP TO OUR WEST...SMALL POPS WILL BE MAINTAINED INTO THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL IN MINOR HEIGHTS RISES BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AT KCLT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD...THEN DRIFT SOUTH FROM THERE...OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. HOWEVER...THE AIRMASS WILL BECOME MORE UNSTABLE BY LATE AFTN. MOST OF THE SHORT RANGE MODELS WANT TO DEVELOP TSTMS AROUND THE AIRFIELD STARTING IN A COUPLE HOURS AND THE NNE TO SSW ORIENTED BANDS OF CU ACROSS THE REGION WILL LIKELY START TO DEEPEN INTO CB/S WITH TIME. I/VE HELD ON TO VCSH TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS...BUT A PERIOD OF TEMPO TSRA WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE ADDED ONCE DEVELOPMENT STARTS TO OCCUR FARTHER NORTH. WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE NE THIS AFTN...THOUGH OUTFLOW BNDRYS MAY PLAY HAVOC WITH THE WINDS AT TIMES. MVFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT AS A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT SURGES THROUGH THE REGION. THE CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAR OUT BEFORE SUNRISE HOWEVER. ELSEWHERE...MUCH LIKE AT KCLT...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MORE UNSTABLE OVER THE UPSTATE...AND TSTMS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO DEVELOP ON OUTFLOW BNDRYS FROM STORMS EAST OF THE REGION NOW. THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE A COUPLE HOURS. VCHS IS IN THE TAFS NOW...BUT A PERIOD OF TEMPO GROUPS IS A GOOD BET ONCE THE NEW CELLS BEGIN TO FIRE. CONFIDENCE IN TIMING JUST ISN/T HIGH ENUF TO TEMPO YET. KAVL IS MORE STABLE...BUT SHRA MAY CONTINUE THERE FOR A GOOD BIT OF THE NIGHT. WINDS OVER THE UPSTATE WILL GENERALLY BE OUT OF THE EAST THE REST OF THE AFTN...TURNING NE LATE TONIGHT AS A BACK DOOR FRONT SURGES THROUGH. A PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT. OUTLOOK...EXPECT ISOLD LATE DAY SHOWERS AND TSTMS IN THE MTNS FRI AFTN....THEN DRYING OVER THE WEEKEND. MRNG FOG WILL BE PSBL...ESP MTN VALLEYS AND NEAR LAKES/RIVERS. 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...JAT NEAR TERM...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...JAT AVIATION...MCAVOY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 GAZ010-017-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068-069-501>510- SCZ001>003-181630- RABUN-HABERSHAM-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY- MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON- CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-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- 1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST WELL INTO THE EVENING HOURS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILL LOCATIONS. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ070>072-082-SCZ004>014-019-181630- STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON...LASTING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 85 THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY FOR SOME OF THE STORMS TO REACH SEVERE LIMITS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. MCAVOY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
115 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
SCZ014-171745-
CHESTER-
115 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN CHESTER COUNTY
THROUGH 145 PM EDT...
AT 113 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOWRYS...OR 5 MILES
NORTHWEST OF CHESTER...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
PEOPLE IN NORTHWESTERN CHESTER COUNTY...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
LOCATION...
LOWRYS...
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.
MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3468 8145 3470 8146 3482 8145 3482 8111
3467 8122
NEDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
158 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1202 PM HAIL 2 NNW BLACKSTOCK 34.58N 81.16W
05/17/2012 E0.88 INCH CHESTER SC POST OFFICE
NICKEL SIZED HAIL BETWEEN BLACKSTOCK AND CORNWELL. ENOUGH
WIND TO BLOW DOWN SMALL LIMBS.
0135 PM HAIL 6 SW LAURENS 34.44N 82.09W
05/17/2012 E0.75 INCH LAURENS SC PUBLIC
DIME SIZED HAIL.
&&
OUTLAWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
231 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0153 PM HAIL CLINTON 34.48N 81.87W
05/17/2012 E0.88 INCH LAURENS SC PUBLIC
NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN CLINTON.
0205 PM HAIL 3 W CLINTON 34.48N 81.92W
05/17/2012 E1.50 INCH LAURENS SC TRAINED SPOTTER
PING PONG BALL SIZED HAIL.
&&
OUTLAWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
258 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 PM TSTM WND DMG GREENWOOD 34.19N 82.15W
05/17/2012 GREENWOOD SC 911 CALL CENTER
TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGH
STREET AND WEST CAMBRIDGE AVENUE JUST WEST OF DOWNTOWN
GREENWOOD.
&&
OUTLAWSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
304 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
SCZ014-171945-
CHESTER-
304 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN CHESTER COUNTY
THROUGH 345 PM EDT...
AT 302 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FORT LAWN...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
LANCASTER...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
FISHING CREEK RESERVOIR...
GREAT FALLS RESERVOIR...
GREAT FALLS...
CHESTER...
BLACKSTOCK...
DIME SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3465 8089 3457 8087 3454 8090 3456 8129
3456 8131 3463 8140 3482 8093 3481 8088
3477 8086 3474 8087 3469 8085
ARKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
328 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
NCZ036-056-069-172015-
CATAWBA-IREDELL-LINCOLN-
328 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL IREDELL...EASTERN
CATAWBA AND NORTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 326 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR STATESVILLE...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
TROUTMAN...
TERRELL...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3579 8073 3571 8076 3547 8105 3565 8125
3590 8084
ARKThe Greer radar (KGSP), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:50 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Penny size hail fell along highway 72 near Flatwoods Rd and Pearl Mill Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2012
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: 385827.