An unseasonably warm airmass supported the development of isolated pulse-type thunderstorms over western North Carolina. One of the storms produced large hail.
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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.
An unseasonably warm airmass supported the development of isolated pulse-type thunderstorms over western North Carolina. One of the storms produced large hail.
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 Mar 20, 1:22 PM EST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 222 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL DOMINATE THE REGION THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. A COLD FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO PUSH EAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA SATURDAY...FOLLOWED BY DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN SUNDAY AND REMAINING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 215 PM...A HIGHLY AMPLIFIED PATTERN REMAINS IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A CUTOFF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING INTO W TX...AND A DEEP RIDGE OVER THE APPALACHIANS. SCATTERED AFTN CONVECTION HAS FIRED MAINLY NEAR THE NC BLUE RIDGE AND HIGHER MTN PEAKS...WHERE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND UPSLOPE FLOW ARE PROVIDING THE BEST FORCING...AND WHERE LAPSE RATES ALOFT ARE THE STEEPEST. THIS ACTIVITY COULD SPREAD ISOLD TO SCT COVERAGE INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT THROUGH THE EVENING ON THE STRENGTH OF ANY OUTFLOWS. THERE IS LITTLE STEERING FLOW UP THE SOUNDINGS AND ANY TSTMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. SFC BASED CAPE VALUES OF 1000 TO 2000 J/KG ACROSS THE REGION SHOULD YIELD SOME STRONG STORMS...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE POSSIBLE FROM ANY CELLS EXHIBITING 55 DBZ TO AROUND 22 KFT. AFTER THE MAINLY DIURNAL CONVECTION WANES A LITTLE BY MIDNIGHT...COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLD TSTMS MAY INCREASE AGAIN OVERNIGHT ACROSS NRN SECTIONS WITH A LIGHT SE UPSLOPE INTO THE NC BLUE RIDGE...AND ALSO FROM A VORT MAX MOVING SWD JUST E OF THE UPPER RIDGE. COVERAGE ACROSS THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR MAY THEN EXPAND THROUGH WED AS BETTER DEEP LAYER DPVA MOVES SWD ACROSS CENTRAL NC AND SC. MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES INCREASE A LITTLE ON WED...SO SFC BASED CAPE VALUES WILL LIKELY BE LESS THAN TUE. HOWEVER...STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE SLOW MOVERS AND POSE AN ISOLATED HYDRO THREAT. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOUT 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGHOUT. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT 220 PM EDT TUESDAY...ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT A HIGH AMPLITUDE UPPER RIDGE WILL BE OVER MOST OF THE EAST...WITH AN EMBEDDED UPPER LOW OVER THE MID ATLANTIC COAST...WHILE A CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL BE LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE ATLANTIC UPPER LOW WEAKENS AND DRIFTS SOUTH THROUGH FRIDAY...WHILE THE CLOSED LOW PROGRESSES NORTHEAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS...AND THE UPPER RIDGE NARROWS OVER THE APPALACHIANS. A SURFACE RIDGE WILL REMAIN CENTERED OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC... RESULTING IN A WEAK SOUTHERLY UPSLOPE FLOW INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ON FRIDAY. MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COASTAL UPPER LOW WILL LINGER ON THE COAST...AND MAY EXTEND AS FAR WEST AS THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR ON THURSDAY. ON FRIDAY THE COASTAL MOISTURE DEPARTS WITH ITS UPPER SYSTEM...WHILE GULF INFLOW INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS IMPROVES AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT REACHES THE MOUNTAINS LATE IN THE DAY ON FRIDAY. SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS WILL BE CARRIED ON THURSDAY...GREATEST DURING DAYTIME HEATING AND NEAR THE SOUTH FACING BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT...WHERE LIMITED INSTABILITY AND UPSLOPE FLOW COINCIDE. AS WARM MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW AND INSTABILITY INCREASE ON FRIDAY... GREATER POPS WILL BE CARRIED...ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST OVER TERRAIN. MODEL HELICITY VALUES APPEAR RATHER TAME ON FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL UNDER THE UPPER RIDGE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 220 PM TUESDAY...MODEL CONSENSUS IS COMING MORE IN LINE SINCE YESTERDAYS MORNING SOLNS. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW IS NOW WELL DEPICTED TO BE DROPPING SW INTO THE OH VALLEY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD AND TO CONTINUE SWEEP ACROSS THE CAROLINAS THROUGH SUN. THE LATEST CMC IS STILL A S/LY OUTLIER...BUT IT/S GOOD TO SEE THE TIGHTER AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF. OVERALL CONFIDENCE IS SOMEWHAT ABOVE AVERAGE. POPS WERE THUS ADJUSTED UP A BIT INTO THE LOW LIKELY CAT FOR SAT AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE NRN MOST ZONES. THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CARRIED BY HIGH END CHANCE POPS EARLY SAT. DONT ANTICIPATE A GREAT PRECIP THREAT AS MOST OF THE MOISTURE WILL BE ASSOCIATED SOLELY WITH THE INCOMING LOW. PROBABLY ABOUT 1/4 TO 3/4 OF AN INCH OF RAIN IN MOST PLACES THAT ACTUALLY RECEIVE RAINFALL BTW FRI NIGHT AND SUN MORNING. HOWEVER...ISOL HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE ADDED CONVECTIVE THREAT SAT. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL INCREASE AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH DECENT LLVL INSTABILITY...A FEW SHOWERS COULD BECOME FAIRLY STRONG. SFC WINDS WILL NOT SHIFT NW/LY UNTIL THE UPPER LOW IMPINGES UPON THE REGION...SO TEMPS ON SAT POST FROPA WILL STILL LIKELY REACH ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES F ABOVE NORMAL. SOME SMALL MEASURE OF AN AIRMASS MIX ON SUN WILL ONLY LOWER MAXES A FEW DEGREES AS INSOLATION BEGINS TO INCREASE WITH A STRENGTHENING SUBSIDENCE ZONE. MON AND TUE WILL COME UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANOTHER STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AND RELATIVELY DRY ATL SFC HIPRES...SO NO POPS WILL BE MAINTAINED THESE DAYS AND TEMPS SHOULD REBOUND TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL TO START THE NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT KCLT...ANY CONVECTION THREATENING THE AIRFIELD LATE TODAY WILL HAVE TO BE DRIVEN BY OUTFLOWS FROM MTN AND FOOTHILL STORMS...AND CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON THAT REACHING KCLT. WILL USE CB CLOUD TYPE AFTER 23Z...AND THEN KEEP CB GOING OVERNIGHT AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVES SWD TOWARD CENTRAL NC. WILL KEEP ANY CIGS VFR...AND ACCEPT MVFR CONSENSUS ON FOG TOWARD DAYBREAK. THUNDER CHANCES AT KCLT MAY BE A BIT BETTER JUST PAST THE CURRENT TAF PERIOD AS THE BEST UPPER SUPPORT MOVES BY. EXPECT LIGHT SE WINDS THROUGHOUT. ELSEWHERE...THUNDER CHANCES APPEAR THE BEST FROM KAVL TO KHKY LATE THIS AFTN THROUGH THIS EVENING. CANNOT RULE OUT TSTMS AT THE UPSTATE SITES...BUT THIS WILL RELY ON WELL TRAVELED OUTFLOWS TO TRIGGER ANYTHING. MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE SCT TO BKN VFR CLOUDS AT 5 KFT OR LESS...WITH MVFR FOG TOWARD DAYBREAK. THE FOG COULD BE WORSE AT LOCATIONS RECEIVING RAINFALL THIS EVENING. UPSLOPE TRIGGERING AND A WEAK SHORTWAVE ARRIVING IN NRLY FLOW ALOFT COULD INCREASE SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE EARLY WED...BUT UNCERTAINTY IS TOO HIGH TO FEATURE ANY PRECIPITATION ACROSS WRN NC AT PRESENT. OTHERWISE...EXPECT LIGHT SE FLOW. OUTLOOK...A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THE REST OF THE WEEK UNTIL A COLD FRONT ARRIVES FROM THE WEST LATE FRI INTO SAT. EXPECT MAINLY DIURNAL TSTM CHANCES...WITH FOG OR STRATUS POSSIBLE AROUND DAYBREAK EACH MORNING...ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS THAT SEE RAINFALL THE NIGHT BEFORE. 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...HG SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...SBK AVIATION...HG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 503 AM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-068-501>510- SCZ001>008-010-210915- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL- SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-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-ANDERSON- 503 AM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ029-NCZ035>037-056-057-069>072-082-SCZ009-011>014-019-210915- ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC- CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 503 AM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1237 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
NCZ033-501-201715-
AVERY-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
1237 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AVERY AND NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL
COUNTIES THROUGH 115 PM EDT...
AT 1231 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LINVILLE...OR 5 MILES EAST OF NEWLAND. THIS
STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LINVILLE...
EDGEMONT...SUGAR MOUNTAIN...NEWLAND...MINNEAPOLIS...GRANDFATHER
MOUNTAIN...ELK PARK...CROSSNORE AND BANNER ELK.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3616 8182 3612 8181 3612 8170 3595 8177
3598 8187 3600 8190 3597 8193 3598 8206
3621 8198 3621 8197
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
145 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
NCZ033-050-201830-
AVERY-MITCHELL-
145 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN MITCHELL AND
SOUTHWESTERN AVERY COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 144 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF LEDGER...OR 5 MILES NORTH OF
SPRUCE PINE. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SPRUCE
PINE...MINNEAPOLIS...LEDGER...INGALLS...CROSSNORE...BANDANA AND
BAKERSVILLE.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3600 8190 3595 8196 3592 8196 3586 8214
3593 8215 3595 8219 3601 8219 3602 8223
3600 8225 3601 8225 3611 8210 3613 8204
3615 8201
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
200 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
NCZ506-508-201830-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
200 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD AND
SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 156 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DYSARTSVILLE...OR 14 MILES
NORTHEAST OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SUNSHINE
AND DYSARTSVILLE.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3558 8182 3558 8180 3559 8180 3559 8178
3561 8176 3558 8169 3539 8170 3533 8172
3550 8197 3564 8185
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 221 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 NCZ051-052-059-201900- HAYWOOD-NORTHERN JACKSON-SWAIN- 221 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN SWAIN... NORTHWESTERN JACKSON AND WESTERN HAYWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT... AT 217 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES EAST OF SMOKEMONT...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF WAYNESVILLE...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 5 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SMOKEMONT...MAGGIE VALLEY AND CHEROKEE. SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3537 8328 3557 8346 3569 8318 3554 8305 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
239 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
NCZ048-049-201930-
MADISON-YANCEY-
239 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN MADISON AND WESTERN
YANCEY COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT...
AT 236 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FAUST...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARSHALL.
THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
WHITEROCK...SWISS...MARS HILL AND FAUST.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3603 8242 3581 8245 3580 8268 3603 8272
3603 8260 3597 8260 3596 8256 3598 8254
3598 8251 3603 8245
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
246 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
NCZ504-201930-
GREATER BURKE-
246 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN BURKE COUNTY THROUGH
330 PM EDT...
AT 246 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MORGANTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO VALDESE...
PLEASANT GROVE...MORGANTON...GLEN ALPINE AND DREXEL.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3568 8144 3556 8159 3557 8160 3556 8165
3558 8171 3561 8172 3560 8173 3561 8175
3571 8184 3584 8169
07The Greer radar (KGSP), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:52 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail fell for about 10 minutes over Morganton from a nearly stationary thunderstorm. The largest reported hail was quarter size.
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, March 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: 371331.