Scattered pulse-type thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. One of the storms produced localized 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.
Scattered pulse-type thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. One of the storms produced localized 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 3, 4:33 PM EST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 533 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... CIRCULATION AROUND HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WILL KEEP THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION WARM AND HUMID THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SWEEP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA EARLY NEXT WEEK...POSSIBLY BECOMING STATIONARY AND LINGERING INTO LATE IN THE WORK WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... 2130 UTC UPDATE...POPS WERE LOWERED ALONG THE TN BORDER IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NC MOUNTAINS PER RADAR TRENDS...AND RAISED IN THE NORTHERN NC MOUNTAINS. QPF WAS LOWERED IN THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. SKY COVER WAS UPDATED FORM THE LATEST VISIBLE IMAGERY. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...CONVECTION HAS BEGUN TO DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL NC MTNS. LAYER RH VALUES ARE THE HIGHEST IN THIS PART OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND IT/S CLOSET TO THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE TROUGH WHICH CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL KY TO ERN TN. THE FEATURE ITSELF IS QUITE WEAK AND THE EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR ACROSS THE REGION IS WELL UNDER 20 KTS. THEREFORE DIFFERENTIAL HEATING AND LLVL MASS CONVERGENCE SHOULD BE THE MAIN DRIVERS FOR CONVECTION THIS EVENING. THE LATEST HI-RES NUMERICAL MODEL RUNS ARE MORE VARIED THAN WHAT I SAW THIS MORNING. THE WRF-ARW AND THE HRRR BOTH DEVELOP CONVECTION OVER PARTS OF THE FA...BUT IT/S NOT LOOKING AS ORGANIZED AS EARLIER. THE 12 UTC 4KM SPC WRF ON THE OTHER HAND HAS A LARGE AREA OF CONVECTION OVER THE WESTERN UPSTATE AND NE GA THIS EVENING. THE 12 UTC NAM HAS STRONG LLVL CONVERGENCE THIS EVENING AND ALSO DEVELOPS INTENSE SLOW MOVING CONVECTION OVER THE UPSTATE. OVERALL...THE IDEA OF LIKELY POPS SLOWLY SPREADING FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE FA THE REST OF THE AFN AND EVENING STILL LOOKS GOOD. DCAPE VALUES ARE WELL OVER 1000 J/KG ACROSS THE UPSTATE AND NE GA...AND PULSE SEVERE STORMS ARE A GOOD BET AGAIN THIS EVENING. PULSE SEVERE WON/T BE LIKELY OVER THE NC MTNS AND FOOTHILLS...BUT EVEN THOUGH CURRENT DCAPE VALUES AREN/T THAT GREAT...I STILL SUSPECT WE/LL SEE A FEW SEVERE STORMS ALONG THE I-77 URBAN CORRIDOR. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE IS SPOTS AND ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. LATER TONIGHT WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUDS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS MOST OF THE FA. ON SATURDAY THE UPPER TROUGH WEAKENS QUICKLY AS THE ATLANTIC RIDGE STARTS TO BUILD BACK INTO THE REGION. THE WEAKENING OF THE TROUGH IS A LITTLE FASTER THAN WHAT WE/D BEEN EXPECTING. LAYER RH/S WILL REMAIN HIGH AND EVEN WITH VERY WEAK FORCING...THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF CONVECTION OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN AND A LITTLE LESS OUT ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. THE SEVERE AND FLOODING RISK DON/T LOOK AS GREAT TOMORROW. INTERESTINGLY...THE STRONGEST FORCING OF THE DAY COULD COME IN THE FORM OF THE SEA-BREEZE FRONT WHICH THE NAM BRINGS INTO THE SE ZONES EARLY IN THE EVENING. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 145 PM EDT...EXPECT SOME ONGOING SCATTERED CONVECTION SATURDAY EVENING TO WANE RATHER QUICKLY AS SUBTROPICAL RIDGE BUILDS WESTWARD INTO THE AREA SAT NIGHT. HENCE...THE SAT OVERNIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING IS EXPECTED TO BE TRANQUIL. ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON...UPSLOPE FLOW AND THE APPROACH OF A WEAK COLD FRONT FROM THE NW SHOULD TRIGGER SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. ONLY ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE. THE MODELS BRING THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT WHICH NECESSITATES MAINTAINING AT LEAST SCATTERED POPS THERE. ON MONDAY...THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO LAY OUT ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS INTO NE GA WHICH SHOULD BE A FOCAL POINT FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR CLIMO WITH MIN TEMPERATURES ABOUT A CATEGORY ABOVE AVERAGE. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 1 PM EDT FRIDAY...THE MEDIUM RANGE IS EXPECTED TO FEATURE SOME DEGREE OF BROAD UPPER TROFFING OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WITH PERHAPS SOME AMPLIFICATION IN THE TROUGH TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD. THE PERSISTENT TROUGH AND THE PRESENCE OF THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TUE...WITH AN UPTICK DURING THE FAVORED AFTERNOON AND EVENING TIME PERIOD. THERE IS SOME DIVERGENCE IN THE GUIDANCE IN REGARD TO HOW FAR SOUTH THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT GOES. THE ECM CAMP TAKES THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA ON WED AND BRINGS SOMEWHAT DRYER INTO THE REGION FOR WED INTO THU. THIS WOULD PRODUCE A DECREASE IN SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR WED INTO THU. ON THE OTHER HAND... THE GFS HANGS UP THE BOUNDARY OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH A CONTINUATION OF ENHANCED SHOWER AND THUDNERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. HPC SIDED WITH THE ECM FRONTAL POSITION. WE GENERALLY STAYED CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE WITH HIGHER THAN CLIMO POPS FOR TUE AND THEN SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN CLIMO...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS FOR WED. BASICALLY CLIMO POPS RETURN FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. USED A BLEND OF HPC/GMOS FOR TEMPS WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS CLOSE TO CLIMO. && .AVIATION /22Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AT KCLT...SHOWERS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP OVER THE FOOTHILLS ABOUT 80 MI WEST OF THE AIRFIELD. WHILE CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BUILD OVER THE FOOTHILLS THE REST OF THE AFTN...IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR STORMS TO DEVELOP OUT ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. HOWEVER...MANY NUMERICAL MODELS ARE BULLISH ON DEVELOPING CONVECTION...AND I THINK THAT BY 22 UTC TSTMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP IN PLACE OVER THE REGION. THE TEMPO GROUP FOR CONVECTION FROM 22-02 UTC STILL LOOKS GOOD FOR THIS REASON. THE MODEL GUIDANCE ALSO IS STRONGLY SUGGESTING THAT STRATUS WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT. WITH DEWPOINTS GETTING UP INTO THE LOW 70S AND EXPECTED WIDESPREAD UPSTREAM PRECIPITATION THIS LOOKS REASONABLE AND AN 800 FOOT CIG HAS BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE TAF VERY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MID MORNING ON SATURDAY. AND ELSEWHERE...SHRA/TSTMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN THE VCNTY OF THE KAVL AIRFIELD. VCTS HAS BEEN ADDED FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS WITH PREVAILING THUNDER FROM LATE AFTN INTO THE EARLY EVENING AS IT LOOKS TO BE A STORMY EVENING IN THE MTNS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING UPPER LOW. ONCE CONVECTION ENDS LATER TONIGHT LOW CLOUDS AND VALLEY FOG SHOULD DEVELOP. THE TIMING WILL DEPEND UPON HOW MUCH RAIN FALLS AT THE AIRFIELD AND HOW QUICKLY MID AND HIGH CLOUDS THIN. THE SAME APPLIES TO THE REST OF THE REGION...THOUGH IT WILL TAKE TSTMS A FEW HOURS YET TO BEGIN TO DEVELOP OUTSIDE THE MTNS. TEMPO OR PREVAILING GROUPS WILL PROBABLY BE NEEDED AT MOST AIRFIELDS...BUT CONFIDENCE ISN/T HIGH ENOUGH TO DO THAT YET OUTSIDE THE MTNS. WITH LOW 70S DEWPOINTS...15 KTS OF SLY LLVL FLOW AND MORE RAIN THIS EVENING...STRATUS IS A GOOD BET TONIGHT. BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MIXING AND 800 FOOT DECK SEEMS REASONABLE. OUTLOOK...ISO/SCT AFTN-EVE TSTMS ACROSS THE AREA EACH DAY. MTN VLYS WILL SEE BEST CHANCE OF MORNING LOW CLOUDS/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...NED NEAR TERM...JAT/MCAVOY SHORT TERM...LG LONG TERM...LG AVIATION...MCAVOY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 247 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-041900- 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- 247 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 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. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON AND SLOWLY MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SOME OF THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE WITH SMALL AREAS OF DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS POSSIBLE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR WIND DAMAGE WILL BE OVER THE UPSTATE...NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WILL ALSO BE SLOW MOVING...AND A FEW LOCATIONS WILL SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY IF HEAVY RAIN AFFECTS URBAN AREAS OR A LOCATION THAT HAS SEEN HEAVY RAIN IN RECENT DAYS. IN ADDITION...NEARLY CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTING WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. MCAVOY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
136 PM EDT FRI AUG 03 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0620 PM HAIL 5 SW NEW SALEM 35.07N 80.43W
08/02/2012 E1.25 INCH UNION NC TRAINED SPOTTER
0620 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 SW NEW SALEM 35.07N 80.43W
08/02/2012 UNION NC TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES DOWN ALONG NEW SALEM ROAD...NEAR THE INTERSECTION
OF NC200 AND TARTON MILL ROAD AT THE POLK MOUNTAIN
MARKET.
&&
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
241 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012
NCZ051-062-031915-
MACON-SWAIN-
241 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN MACON AND SOUTHERN
SWAIN COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT...
AT 238 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WESSER...OR 11 MILES EAST OF ROBBINSVILLE...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
PEOPLE IN NORTHWESTERN MACON AND SOUTHERN SWAIN COUNTIES...INCLUDING
THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
ALARKA...
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 3533 8368 3541 8345 3525 8330 3522 8365
3532 8369
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 245 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 NCZ048-052-031915- HAYWOOD-MADISON- 245 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN HAYWOOD AND SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT... AT 241 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF LUCK...OR 16 MILES NORTH OF WAYNESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN HAYWOOD AND SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTIES... 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 3572 8278 3563 8299 3574 8309 3584 8287 NED
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
339 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012
NCZ048-052-053-032030-
BUNCOMBE-HAYWOOD-MADISON-
339 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MADISON...NORTHEASTERN HAYWOOD
AND NORTHWESTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTIES THROUGH 430 PM EDT...
AT 336 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF
SPRING CREEK TO 3 MILES NORTH OF CANTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
HOT SPRINGS...
LEICESTER...
LEICESTER...
MARSHALL...
WEAVERVILLE...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.
HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE...SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER
LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK HIGHER
GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.
LAT...LON 3604 8259 3597 8260 3597 8257 3570 8255
3553 8294 3580 8297 3584 8292 3591 8291
3594 8284 3593 8281 3596 8279 3605 8261
KRENTZThe Greer radar (KGSP), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:11 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Four trees were blown down at a nature preserve near Mountain Island Lake.
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: 409089.