Another hot and humid day helped to initiate scattered thunderstorms over western North Carolina. Some of the thunderstorms caused small areas of 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.
Another hot and humid day helped to initiate scattered thunderstorms over western North Carolina. Some of the thunderstorms caused small areas of 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 Jul 18, 1:55 PM EST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 255 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL WEAKEN AND SHIFT SOUTH OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS WILL ALLOW A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE OHIO VALLEY TO DROP SOUTH...INTO THE CAROLINAS LATE FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER OR JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND DISSIPATE ON MONDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT 230 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...THE WEAK UPPER LOW OVER GA WILL LIFT NORTH AND FILL OVER SC TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...WHILE A TROUGH TO THE NORTH AMPLIFIES. CONVECTION DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE...THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS EVENING AS HEATING ABATES. MODELS SOUNDINGS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF GUSTY WINDS A ND HAIL...WITH SLOW MOVING STORMS PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL IN A MOIST AIR MASS. IMPULSES MOVING THROUGH THE BASE DO THE AMPLIFYING TROUGH ON THURSDAY WILL SUPPORT GREATER POPS THAN IN PREVIOUS DAYS. ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO GET GOING EARLIER THAN USUAL IN THE MOUNTAINS...WITH SUBSTANTIAL COVERAGE BY MIDDAY. ONCE AGAIN... MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF PULSE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...AND LIGHT STEERING CURRENTS WILL SUPPORT HEAVY RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS. A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FORM THE NORTH WILL STILL BE IN VA...TOO FAR AWAY TO HAVE AN IMPACT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL AS TROUGH AMPLIFICATION AND FALLING HEIGHTS ALOFT TAKE PLACE LATER IN THE DAY. THE COMBINATION OF WARMTH AND MOISTURE WILL DRIVE THE HEAT INDEX TO NEAR 100 AGAIN ON THURSDAY IN THE PIEDMONT...SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW THE ADVISORY CRITERIA OF 105 DEGREES. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 250 PM WEDNESDAY...EXPECT CONVECTION THU NITE TO BE MAINLY DIURNAL...BUT ISOLATED CELLS COULD LINGER IN THE MTNS OVERNIGHT. LOWS WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL. A SHORT WAVE DIVES INTO THE OH VALLEY FRIDAY PUSHING A COLD FRONT SOUTH TOWARD THE AREA. THIS WAVE SLOWLY MOVES SOUTH AND EAST TOWARD THE VA TIDEWATER AND MID-ATLANTIC AREA. THE SFC FRONT WILL SLOWLY PUSH INTO THE AREA ON SATURDAY. MOISTURE WILL BE COPIOUS AHEAD OF AND ALONG THE FRONT. QG FORCING WILL BE WEAK...BUT LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT WILL BE DECENT...ALONG WITH UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER JET. THEREFORE...EXPECT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY...WITH NUMEROUS COVERAGE I-85 AND SOUTH AND GOOD CHC NORTH SATURDAY. CONVECTION WILL STILL SHOW A DIURNAL TREND...BUT WILL NOT DIMINISH UNTIL LATE AT NITE. WITH A VERY MOIST AIR MASS AND SLOW MOVING STORMS...HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. HIGHS FRIDAY STILL NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...THEN DROPS BELOW NORMAL SATURDAY. LOWS FRIDAY NITE ABOVE NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 1245 PM WEDNESDAY...THE LATEST GUIDANCE KEEPS A STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE AREA SUNDAY. THE FRONT BEGINS TO WASH OUT MONDAY AS THE BERMUDA HIGH POKES BACK INTO THE REGION FROM THE EAST. HOWEVER...A SHEAR AXIS AND A BAND OF DEEP MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA MONDAY IN THE WEAKNESS BETWEEN THE BERMUDA HIGH AND THE STRONG RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS. THE RIDGE AND THE BERMUDA HIGH MERGE TUESDAY AS A TROF MOVES OFF SHORE OF NEW ENGLAND...BUT THE DEEP MOISTURE AND A LEE TROF REMAIN OVER MUCH OF THE SERN US. THE CENTER OF THE RIDGE IS PUSHED SOUTH INTO THE GULF WEDNESDAY...BUT RIDGE AXIS REMAINS OVER OUR AREA...AS ANOTHER TROF DROPS FROM CANADA INTO THE NRN PLAINS. THIS HELPS PUSH A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TOWARD THE AREA DURING THE DAY. ALTHOUGH A GOOD CHANCE OF CONVECTION AGAIN ON SUNDAY...GUIDANCE DIFFERS ON BETTER CHANCES FOR ONE AREA OR ANOTHER. THEREFORE...HAVE GONE WITH CHC POP FOR NOW. OTHERWISE...MAINLY DIURNAL CHC POP MON THRU WED WITH THE MOISTURE AND WEAK FORCING IN PLACE. ABOVE NORMAL LOWS AND BELOW NORMAL HIGHS AGAIN SUNDAY...THEN THE HEAT BUILDS WITH THE RIDGE. HIGHS RISING INTO THE MID 90S BY WED WITH LOW TO MID 70S EACH MORNING. && .AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AT KCLT...SCATTERED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. BASED THE SLOWER THAN ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT...CONFIDENCE IS A LOWER FOR A RESTRICTION...AND NONE WILL BE CARRIED AT THIS TIME. TS WITH A LOW VFR CIG WILL BE CARRIED. LIGHT SW WINDS WILL PERSIST. A CONSENSUS OF GUIDANCE DOES NOT SUPPORT DAYBREAK FOG ON THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY MORNING AS A FRONT APPROACHES FORM THE NORTH...CHANCES ARE STILL TOO LOW MENTION A RESTRICTION. ELSEWHERE...CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE BEST COVERAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS. A TEMPO FOR THUNDERSTORM BASED MVFR RESTRICTIONS WILL BE CARRIED AT KAVL...WHILE FOOTHILLS SITES GET TS AND A LOW VFR CIG WITH CB. LIGHT WINDS WILL REMAIN FROM THE SW TO WSW...EXCEPT AT KAVL WHERE THEY WILL CHANNEL UP THE VALLEY FORM THE NW. AT THIS TIME GUIDANCE PLACES FOG IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS SW OF KAVL. BASED ON THE TRENDS FROM THIS MORNING...FOG WILL BE CARRIED AT KAVL AND KAND AS WELL. CHANCES FOR CONVECTION INCREASE ON THURSDAY AS A FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH...BUT CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW TO CARRY A RESTRICTION. OUTLOOK...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE LATE THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NC MOUNTAINS. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE AREA ON FRIDAY...REMAINING INTO THE WEEKEND...AND INCREASING THE CHANCE OF THUNDER...LOW CIGS...AND 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...PAT NEAR TERM...JAT SHORT TERM...RWH LONG TERM...RWH AVIATION...JAT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 533 AM EDT WED JUL 18 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-190945- 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- 533 AM EDT WED JUL 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION AGAIN TODAY. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE SMALL AREAS OF WIND DAMAGE AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS. LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS AND FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS MAY DEVELOP. MANY OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTING THIS AFTERNOON. THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SATURATED SOILS WILL ENHANCE THE THREAT OF TREES FALLING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. 14
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
304 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
NCZ064-181930-
TRANSYLVANIA-
304 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY
THROUGH 330 PM EDT...
AT 304 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20
MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3530 8262 3519 8260 3514 8258 3514 8261
3512 8263 3513 8265 3512 8266 3513 8268
3510 8269 3510 8270 3525 8283 3535 8268
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
312 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
SCZ007-182000-
SPARTANBURG-
312 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY
THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 312 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF ROEBUCK...OR 5 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF SPARTANBURG...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
ROEBUCK...
PACOLET...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3484 8216 3501 8202 3489 8173 3483 8179
3468 8182 3463 8184
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
315 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
NCZ505>508-181945-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD
MOUNTAINS-
315 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN RUTHERFORD AND
SOUTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 345 PM EDT...
AT 316 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF SUGAR HILL...OR 7 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MARION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
GLENWOOD...
THERMAL CITY...
DIME SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3542 8183 3541 8218 3552 8221 3553 8217
3555 8222 3564 8224 3571 8204
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
324 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
NCZ065-SCZ003-182000-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-HENDERSON-
324 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN
HENDERSON COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 324 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TUXEDO...OR 8 MILES SOUTH OF
HENDERSONVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
NORTH SALUDA RESERVOIR...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3526 8235 3524 8236 3523 8235 3519 8235
3519 8232 3520 8227 3519 8224 3508 8251
3519 8260 3522 8260 3534 8247
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
330 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
NCZ035-036-182015-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-
330 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT ALEXANDER AND WESTERN IREDELL
COUNTIES THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 330 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF TAYLORSVILLE...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
TAYLORSVILLE...
STONY POINT...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3592 8083 3571 8100 3579 8113 3583 8115
3582 8118 3593 8134 3596 8134 3603 8128
3604 8121 3604 8112
HGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
336 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
NCZ064-SCZ002-003-182000-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-TRANSYLVANIA-
336 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PICKENS...NORTHWESTERN
GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 336 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...OR 11
MILES SOUTH OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...
A SECOND STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING FROM CEDAR MOUNTAIN TOWARD
CAESARS HEAD.
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH BOTH OF THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3509 8289 3521 8272 3514 8258 3507 8249
3490 8272
HGThe Greer radar (KGSP), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:35 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down in the Sugar Hill Community with another blown down near Glenwood.
Multiple trees were blown down on Tomlinson Rd at Israel Chapel Rd and on Icard Rhodiss Rd about 1 miles northeast of Icard. A tree fell on a car on Icard Rhodiss Rd,|injuring an occupant.
Quarter size hail was reported near mile marker 60 on I-26.
Large tree limbs were blown down in the Landis area and a tree was blown down across Henderson Grove Church Rd, 3 miles southwest of Salisbury.
A tree was blown down on Cramerton Rd near Lowell-Bethesda Rd. A tree was blown down on power lines on Lane Rd at Hickory Grove Rd and a trees was blown down on highway 27 two miles northwest of Mt Holly.
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, July 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: 403758, 403754, 403755, 403762, 403763.