A cold front crossed the mountains during the late evening hours, triggering scattered thunderstorms. The wind shear was a little stronger than normal for the summer months, and a couple of the storms reached severe limits causing wind damage.
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 cold front crossed the mountains during the late evening hours, triggering scattered thunderstorms. The wind shear was a little stronger than normal for the summer months, and a couple of the storms reached severe limits causing wind damage.
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 10, 7:08 PM EST, 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 808 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON AND SHOULD GET HUNG UP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH LATE SATURDAY AND THEN SOUTH OF THE AREA ON SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE IN FOR THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE ANOTHER FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA BY MID WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 530 PM...A STRONG STORM HAS MOVED INTO RABUN COUNTY...AND A LINE OF CONVECTION IS ORGANIZING OVER THE GREAT VALLEY OF TN. HOWEVER...NOT MUCH IS HAPPENING OVER THE ERN FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT ZONES ATTM AND I/VE CUT BACK POPS IN THOSE LOCATIONS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. THERE CONTINUES TO BE GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT THAT CONVECTION WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THROUGH BOTH AN MCS MOVING INTO THE NC MTNS AND CONVECTION DEVELOPING IN STRENGTHENING LLVL CONVERGENCE ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS LATER THIS EVENING. AND THIS IS REFLECTED WELL IN THE GRIDS. AS OF MID AFTERNOON...VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS LOW CONVECTIVE CLOUDS SCATTERING SUFFICIENTLY E OF THE BLUE RIDGE TO ALLOW HEATING THAT HAS RAISED SFC-BASED CAPE INTO THE 1500-2000 J/KG RANGE ON THE LAPS ANALYSIS. SHOWER ACTIVITY HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE CLT METRO AREA AND ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE...WITH MORE ACTIVITY CLOSER TO THE FRONT OVER THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. EXPECT SHOWERS AND STORMS TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AND BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS AND FOOTHILLS...THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER REMAINS A CONCERN WITH SOME DRY AIR ABOVE 500 MB...ALTHO IN GENERAL THE SOUNDINGS DO NOT LOOK AS FAVORABLE AS YESTERDAY. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO...THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE EVOLUTION OF WEATHER FEATURES...AND IN PARTICULAR SHOW THE AXIS OF THE UPPER TROF AND THE UPPER JET REMAINING TO OUR WEST. THIS WILL ACT TO KEEP THE SURFACE FRONT HUNG UP PROBABLY OVER THE MTNS THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE TREND...THEREFORE...IS TO HOLD ON TO MORE OF A CHANCE OF SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY OVER A LARGER PART OF THE FCST AREA THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY. THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS WILL SLOWLY INCREASE AS BUOYANCY AND DCAPE SLOWLY BECOME MORE FAVORABLE...WITH JUST ENOUGH SHEAR TO PERHAPS ORGANIZE STORMS EARLY THIS EVENING. THE 4KM WRF DEVELOPS A LINE OF STORMS OFF THE BLUE RIDGE AROUND 23Z WHILE THE HRRR BRINGS THE LINE OF STORMS ACROSS TN AND INTO THE NC MTNS AROUND THAT TIME. ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND ENUF UPPER FORCING WILL EXIST TO WARRANT A LIKELY POP INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WILL KEEP POP IN THE CHANCE RANGE OVERNIGHT AS ADDITIONAL STORMS COULD REDEVELOP AT ANY TIME WITH THE SITUATION REMAINING UNCHANGED. TEMPS WILL REMAIN MILD. ON SATURDAY...EXPECT THE FRONT TO BE HUNG UP OVER THE MTNS AT SUNRISE. UNLESS EXTENSIVE CONVECTIVE DEBRIS PREVENTS IT...CONVECTION SHOULD RE-FIRE EARLY IN THE DAY CLOSE TO THE FRONT AS IT DID TO OUR WEST THIS PAST MORNING. UPPER DIVERGENCE...DPVA...AND PLENTY OF MOISTURE SUGGEST ANOTHER POP IN THE LIKELY RANGE BY AFTERNOON OVER THE PIEDMONT...AND A CHANCE UP TO THE BLUE RIDGE. A GUIDANCE BLEND WAS USED FOR HIGH TEMPS. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AT 200 PM EDT FRIDAY...12Z GFS AND NAM STILL SOMEWHAT AT ODDS AS TO HOW FAST THE FRONTAL BAND OF DEEP LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIP WILL EXIT THE FORECAST AREA OVER THE EAST. THE NAM STIL IS FASTER AND HAS THE DEEP LAYER FRONTAL MOISTURE EAST OF THE AREA BY 00Z SUN...WHILE THE GFS IS CONSIDERABLY SLOWER AND WETTER. THE SREF APPEARS TO CONTINUE TO BE A GOOD COMPROMISE FOR THE SOLUTION. THE SREF KEEPS PRECIP CHANCES OVER THE EASTERN MOST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY ON SAT NIGHT...AND THEN MOVES THE MOISTURE/PRECIP EAST BY MIDNIGHT. WILL ALSO SCATTER AND CLEAR THE CLOUDS FROM NW TO SE SAT NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA ON SUN WHICH SHOULD PRODUCE A VERY NICE DAY WITH DEWPOINTS MIXING OUT INTO THE 50S OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND LOW 60S ELSEWHERE. THE HIGH SHIFTS EAST OF THE AREA ON MONDAY...BUT ITS LINGERING INFLUENCE SHOULD ALLOW FOR ANOTHER DRY DAY ON MONDAY. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY BELOW CLIMO ON SUN AND NEAR CLIMO ON MON. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT 130 PM EDT FRIDAY...A SOMEWHAT PROGRESSIVE PATTERN APPEARS TO BE IN STORE DURING THE MEDIUM RANGE. THE UPPER AIR PATTERN WILL GENERALLY FEATURE A MEAN TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WITH INDICATIONS FROM THE LATEST 12Z GFS OF BUILDING HEIGHTS TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK OVER THE EAST. LATEST HPC/GFS GUIDANCE SUGGESTS A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION ON TUE ALONG WITH SCATTERED CONVECTION. THE GFS DRIVES THE FRONT SE OF THE AREA BY WED WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN THROUGH THU. THUS ONLY CLIMO TYPE POPS FOR AFTERNOON CONVECTION IN THE MOUNTAINS WED AND THU. ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA ON FRI AND PER HPC WILL FORECAST CHANCE TYPE POPS. TEMPS SHOULD BE NEAR CLIMO THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AT KCLT...AN AREA OF SHRA WAS ABOUT 40 MI WEST OF THE AIRFIELD AT ISSUANCE TIME. IF THEY DEVELOP FURTHER THEY COULD GET CLOSE ENUF TO WARRANT A VCTS IN ABOUT AN HOUR. STILL EXPECTING SHRA/TSTMS TO DEVELOP AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES...THOUGH I/VE PUSHED THE TEMPO GROUP FOR THUNDER BACK AN HOUR...TO 02-05 UTC. IFR STRATUS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN TONIGHT. HOWEVER...IF THERE ISN/T MUCH PCPN AROUND THE AIRFIELD...THEN THE LOW CLOUDS MAY STAY TO THE SOUTHEAST...DOWN ACROSS THE MIDLANDS. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE FROM THE S TO SW OVERNIGHT AND SATURDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE FOOTHILLS TMRW WITH MORE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE PIEDMONT IN THE AFTN AND EVENING HOURS. ELSEWHERE...AS A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING...SHRA/TSTMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE REGION. I STILL EXPECT ENOUGH COVERAGE THAT TEMPO GROUPS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AT ALL TAF SITES FOR VARIOUS PERIODS OF TIME INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THERE WAS AN AREA OF TSTMS NOT TOO FAR NW OF KGSP AND KGMU AT ISSUANCE TIME ALONG WITH OTHER STRONG STORMS ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF KAVL. LATER TONIGHT VALLEY FOG IS A GOOD BET ACROSS THE FRENCH BROAD VALLEY...ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS LATE NIGHT CLEARING. THE LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL VEER AROUND TO THE SW OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. THIS MAY CAUSE IFR CIGS TO DEVELOP SOUTH OF ALL THE TAF SITES...DOWN ACROSS THE MIDLANDS. HOWEVER...IF THERE IS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD RAIN WITH SHRA/TSTMS...THEN THE LOW CLOUDS SHOULD FORM CLOSER TO THE MTNS. I/M BANKING ON THIS AND HAVE INCLUDED IFR CIGS LATER TONIGHT...IN LINE WITH THE MODEL GUIDANCE. OUTLOOK...A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY CROSS THE AREA LATE SATURDAY... WITH DRIER HIGH PRES BUILDING IN FROM THE W THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEKEND. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. 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...PM NEAR TERM...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...LG LONG TERM...LG AVIATION...MCAVOY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 325 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-111930- 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-UNION NC- 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- 325 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. LG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
613 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
NCZ064-SCZ002-003-102245-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-TRANSYLVANIA-
613 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PICKENS...NORTHWESTERN
GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT...
AT 612 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAKE JOCASSEE...OR 15 MILES
NORTHWEST OF PICKENS...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN PICKENS...NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
LAKE JOCASSEE...ROCKY BOTTOM AND TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3515 8296 3515 8267 3494 8261 3492 8266
3495 8290 3502 8292 3505 8290 3505 8293
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
654 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
SCZ002-003-005-102330-
GREATER PICKENS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
654 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PICKENS AND
NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 730 PM EDT...
AT 651 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...OR 12
MILES NORTH OF PICKENS...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...
CAESARS HEAD...
MARIETTA...
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3505 8290 3508 8278 3507 8278 3507 8276
3510 8272 3510 8270 3511 8268 3513 8249
3499 8249 3497 8253 3490 8251 3497 8282
3502 8292
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
737 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
SCZ002-003-006-110015-
GREATER GREENVILLE-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
737 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN PICKENS AND
NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 815 PM EDT...
AT 735 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...OR 11 MILES NORTH OF
PICKENS...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...
CAESARS HEAD...
JONES GAP STATE PARK...
MARIETTA...
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3494 8252 3497 8253 3494 8261 3495 8280
3508 8280 3509 8278 3507 8278 3507 8276
3510 8270 3511 8268 3518 8231 3494 8229
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
747 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
NCZ053-110015-
BUNCOMBE-
747 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTY
THROUGH 815 PM EDT...
AT 743 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF WEAVERVILLE...OR 9 MILES
NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
BARNARDSVILLE...
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3579 8234 3575 8234 3574 8232 3563 8228
3561 8257 3578 8258 3580 8252 3580 8247
3581 8247 3582 8236
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
818 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
NCZ048-053-110045-
BUNCOMBE-MADISON-
818 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN BUNCOMBE AND
SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM EDT...
AT 816 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LUCK...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MARSHALL...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
MARSHALL...
LEICESTER...
WOODFIN...
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3586 8273 3579 8256 3565 8250 3557 8274
3561 8280 3563 8282 3562 8282 3565 8286
3582 8295 3583 8294
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 829 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012 SCZ007-110100- SPARTANBURG- 829 PM EDT FRI AUG 10 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY THROUGH 900 PM EDT... AT 828 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF INMAN...OR 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPARTANBURG...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR... BOILING SPRINGS SC... SPARTANBURG... PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3517 8191 3494 8185 3491 8215 3509 8219 NED
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:52 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees and large limbs were blown down along highway 197 near the Barnardsville community.
Two trees were blown down along Goose Creek Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 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: 409379, 409380, 409449.