An amplifying northern stream trough resulted in the rapid development of an intense surface low pressure system over the Midwest, which tracked northeastward into the Great Lakes Region, producing widespread damage, including some long tracked, intense tornadoes. As the trailing cold front moved through central North Carolina during the overnight hours, a line of showers and isolated…
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 RAH wrote it up.
An amplifying northern stream trough resulted in the rapid development of an intense surface low pressure system over the Midwest, which tracked northeastward into the Great Lakes Region, producing widespread damage, including some long tracked, intense tornadoes. As the trailing cold front moved through central North Carolina during the overnight hours, a line of showers and isolated thunderstorms crossed the region. Some isolated wind damage occurred across the western half of the forecast area with the stronger storms.
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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 3, 2:08 AM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 208 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT NEAR THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST TONIGHT BEFORE MOVING OFFSHORE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 200 AM SATURDAY... OVERVIEW: AN AMPLIFYING UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES AT 06Z WILL TRACK NORTHEAST INTO QUEBEC TODAY. AN ATTENDANT (AND IMPRESSIVE) SURFACE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AS IT TRACKS NORTHEAST THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES INTO QUEBEC...WITH A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE BETWEEN 975-980 MB. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AT 06Z WILL PROGRESS EAST THROUGH CENTRAL NC BETWEEN 12-18Z TODAY... THEN TEMPORARILY STALL ALONG OR JUST OFFSHORE THE CAROLINA COAST TONIGHT AS AN AMPLIFYING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PROGRESSES THROUGH THE DEEP SOUTH INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES. A WARM FRONT EXTENDING SW-NE ROUGHLY FROM CHARLOTTE-RALEIGH-HENDERSON AT 06Z WILL SLOWLY PUSH NORTHWARD INTO THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT THROUGH 12Z THIS MORNING...WITH A COLD AIR DAMMING WEDGE LIKELY PERSISTING OVER THE FAR NW PIEDMONT AND NC FOOTHILLS UNTIL THE COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST. TEMPERATURES: CHALLENGING TEMP FCST. COLD ADVECTION IN THE WAKE OF THE MORNING COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE WEAK GIVEN THAT THE PARENT LOW WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY SEPARATED FROM THE FRONT AT THIS LATITUDE AND THAT THERE IS NO COLD SFC HIGH UPSTREAM OF THE AREA DUE TO AN AMPLIFYING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH/PERSISTENT HEIGHT FALLS ALOFT WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. SO...COLD ADVECTION SHOULD BE INSUFFICIENT FOR TEMPS TO FALL IN THE WAKE OF FROPA THIS MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON...NOT TO MENTION THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLDER SURFACE AIRMASS WILL BE TEMPORARILY DELAYED BY THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...EXPECT THAT PRECIP ASSOC/W THE FRONT WILL BE ONGOING AS THE DRIER SURFACE AIRMASS ADVECTS INTO THE AREA...AND FEEL THAT TEMPS WILL LIKELY FALL INTO THE 50S VIA WETBULBING THIS MORNING. THIS AFTERNOON...TEMPS SHOULD EVENTUALLY INCREASE SEVERAL DEGREES BACK INTO THE UPPER 50S (PERHAPS LOWER 60S IN SOME LOCATIONS) IF SUFFICIENT INSOLATION IS PRESENT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT DURING PEAK HEATING. WITH THIS IN MIND...EXPECT HIGHS TODAY TO GENERALLY OCCUR PRIOR TO 15Z THIS MORNING (LOWER/MID 60S). PRECIP CHANCES: EXPECT NEAR 100% CHANCES FOR SHOWERS/STORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT PROGRESSING INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING. THE MOST LIKELY TIME-FRAME FOR SHOWERS/STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN 09-18Z (4AM-1PM) AS THE FRONT PROGRESSES THROUGH CENTRAL NC...ENDING FROM WEST-EAST BETWEEN 12-18Z. PRECIPITATION CHANCES MAY LINGER INTO MID AFTERNOON IN FAR EAST/SE PORTIONS OF THE AREA...HOWEVER...THE LATEST GUIDANCE AND OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS SUGGEST THAT THE FRONT SHOULD PROGRESS JUST OFFSHORE THE CAROLINA COAST BEFORE STRENGTHENING HEIGHT FALLS ALOFT IN ADVANCE OF THE AMPLIFYING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SLOW AND TEMPORARILY STALL THE FRONT. AS A RESULT...EXPECT THAT PRECIP CHANCES SHOULD END IN THE COASTAL PLAIN BY ~18Z. SEVERE THREAT: CONVECTION WAS ONGOING AT 06Z AHEAD OF THE FRONT OVER UPSTATE SC AND SOUTHWEST NC. IN THE NEAR TERM...EXPECT AN INCREASING THREAT FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS IN THE WEST/SW PIEDMONT BETWEEN 06-08Z AND THE SANDHILLS/TRIANGLE BY 08-10Z. 06Z SPC MESOANALYSIS INDICATED A MARGINALLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER CENTRAL NC...WITH MLCAPE VALUES ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT (WHERE TEMPS WERE IN THE MID 60S AND DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 50S/LOWER 60S) IN THE 100-250 J/KG RANGE. WIND SHEAR IS VERY STRONG THIS MORNING...WITH 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES ~60 KNOTS...0-1 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES OF 40-50 KT...AND EXTREME 0-1 KM SRH VALUES RANGING FROM 400-600 M2/S2...PARTICULARLY IN VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT BISECTING THE AREA SW-NE FROM CHARLOTTE-RALEIGH-HENDERSON. FEEL THAT THE NEAR-TERM SEVERE THREAT IS LOW DUE TO RELATIVELY WEAK FORCING CONSISTING OF SHALLOW LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE WARM FRONT AND WEAK/BROAD H5 HEIGHT FALLS. HOWEVER...LIGHTNING ACTIVITY PRESENT WITH CURRENT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY PROGRESSING THROUGH STANLY INTO RANDOLPH COUNTIES...WITH ECHO TOPS IN THE 30-35 KFT RANGE...SUGGESTS SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY AND FORCING ARE PRESENT TO INTERACT WITH AND SURVIVE THE STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND...EXPECT AT LEAST A LOW-END THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS OR AN ISOLD TORNADO WITH ANY LIGHTNING-PRODUCING CONVECTION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. AS THE COLD FRONT PROGRESSES EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND WESTERN PIEDMONT BY 09-12Z...EXPECT THE SEVERE THREAT IN THE NW PIEDMONT TO BE MINIMAL AND ELEVATED IN NATURE DUE TO THE STABLE WEDGE AIRMASS LIKELY TO REMAIN LOCKED IN PLACE PRIOR TO FROPA. FURTHER EAST...PRIMARILY EAST OF HIGHWAY 1 AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 64...EXPECT A SEVERE THREAT ASSOC/W BROKEN LINE SEGMENTS ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT BETWEEN ROUGHLY 12-15Z..WITH A PRIMARY THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS OR AN ISOLD QLCS TORNADO DUE TO THE CONTINUED PRESENCE OF STRONG LOW AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL END BY 15-17Z IN THE COASTAL PLAIN AS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT PROGRESSES INTO EASTERN NC LEAVING A CAPPED/STABLE AIRMASS IN ITS WAKE. -VINCENT && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 105 AM SATURDAY... THE CONVECTIVE LINE THAT MOVES EAST ACROSS OUR REGION TO THE COAST TODAY IS EXPECTED TO PUSH WELL OFFSHORE INTO THE GULF STREAM OR BEYOND THIS EVENING. AN ADDITIONAL WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN RESPONSE TO THE MID-UPPER HEIGHT FALLS WITH THE APPROACH OF THE H5 TROUGH. HPC BELIEVES THAT THE OPERATIONAL MODELS CONTINUE TO BE TOO FAR WEST (OR TOO CLOSE TO THE COAST) WITH THE SURFACE WAVE DEVELOPMENT... AND AS NOTED IN LAST NIGHTS DISCUSSION THIS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE RAINFALL FORECAST FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. ALMOST ALL OPERATIONAL MODELS SPREAD SIGNIFICANT RAIN (0.25+ INCH) ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE NORTH AND WEST INTO THE RDU AND ROANOKE RAPIDS AREAS TONIGHT... WITH UP TO AN INCH FROM FAY TO RWI. IF THE MAIN CONVECTIVE LINE MOVES OFFSHORE BY EARLY EVENING AND REMAINS STRONG AS EXPECTED... THEN WE AGREE WITH HPC THAT THE OPERATIONAL MODELS ARE TOO FAR WEST WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE. THE WAVE SHOULD FORM ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE INSTABILITY WHICH MAY BE WELL OUT IN THE GULF STREAM BY THAT TIME. THEREFORE... WE WILL TRIM BACK QPF AND POP OVER THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS... AND GO WITH LIKELY POP ONLY OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN. EVEN THERE... THE QPF SHOULD BE LIMITED AND MAY END UP BEING LESS THAN 0.25 INCH. TO THE WEST AND NORTH... NO RAIN IS EXPECTED BUT THE SKIES SHOULD REMAIN PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS WILL BE MOSTLY IN THE 40S WITH SOME UPPER 30S NW. SUNDAY...THE CHANCE OF MORNING RAIN WILL BE CONFINED TO THE SE COASTAL PLAIN... WITH GOOD DRYING BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST THROUGHOUT THE DAY. DEW POINTS ARE FORECAST TO FALL RAPIDLY INTO THE 20S WITH A DEEP WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW AT 10-20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH. EXPECT PARTLY SUNNY SKIES ALL AREAS BY AFTERNOON. HIGHS SHOULD TOP MOS GUIDANCE BY A FEW DEGREES GIVEN THE EXPECTED MORE ROBUST DRYING TREND THAN THE OPS MODELS CURRENTLY DISPLAY. HIGHS SHOULD REACH THE MID TO UPPER 50S. TOTAL SOLID CLEARING IN THE EAST AND SOUTH SHOULD BE HARD TO COME BY DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE SW TO NE UPPER JET JUST TO OUR SE... AND THE PLENTIFUL UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY: MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A VIGOROUS CLIPPER SHORTWAVE MOVING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST AND DIVING SE ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES MONDAY. THE TRENDS OF THE MODELS APPEAR TO HAVE CURRENTLY SETTLED IN A TRACK NEAR THE NC/VA BORDER. THIS WOULD STILL BE TOO FAR NORTH OF OUR REGION TO BRING ANY THREAT OF EVEN AN LOW IMPACT WINTERY PRECIPITATION EVENT. SINCE THE STRENGTH AND TRACK OF THIS CLIPPER WILL ULTIMATELY DETERMINE IF WE WILL BE ON THE WARM OR COOL SIDE OF THE SYSTEM... WE WILL CONTINUE TO HEDGE ON THE WARM SIDE GIVEN THE MODELS BIAS IN BEING A BIT TOO STRONG/TOO FAR SOUTH WITH THESE CLIPPERS MORE THAN 2-3 DAYS OUT. WE WILL NOT MAKE ANY CHANCES TO THE FORECAST FOR MONDAY WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND HIGHS AT LEAST IN THE MID 40S TO MID 50S N TO S. QPF SHOULD REMAIN INSIGNIFICANT (LESS THAN 0.10 OF AN INCH). SENSIBLE WEATHER... PARTLY CLOUDY/PARTLY SUNNY SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY. LOWS IN THE 30S. HIGHS 45-55. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 120 AM SATURDAY... A LONGWAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WITH CORRESPONDING UPPER RIDGING TO DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS WILL MEAN A DRY PATTERN FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK FOR NC. WE SHOULD START CHILLY AS A STRONG (1035+ MB) SURFACE HIGH IS FORECAST TO BUILD INTO THE REGION FROM THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THE HIGH IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY MOVE OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER... UPPER RIDGING WILL HOLD TIGHT KEEPING STRONG SURFACE RIDGING BACK ACROSS THE SE STATES FROM OFF THE ATLANTIC WELL INTO THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. THERE WILL BE MODERATION IN TEMPERATURES BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SENSIBLE WEATHER... CLEARING AND COLD MONDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S. SUNNY/CLEAR/SUNNY TUESDAY, TUESDAY NIGHT, AND WEDNESDAY. CONTINUED CHILLY. HIGHS TUESDAY 50-55. LOWS 25-32 WEDNESDAY, WITH HIGHS 55-60. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY... MOSTLY CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO LOWER 40S. HIGHS IN THE 60S EXCEPT SOME LOWER 70S FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 130 AM SATURDAY... THE WARM SECTOR AND ASSOCIATED VFR CONDITIONS AND INCREASINGLY BREEZY SSW SURFACE WIND HAS EXPANDED ACROSS ALL CENTRAL NC TERMINALS EXCEPT KGSO/KINT THIS MORNING...AND THOSE SITES ARE APT TO REMAIN LOCKED IN THE LOW OVERCAST WITH ONLY TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOWERS...WHOSE RAINDROPS WILL SWEEP OUT THE LOW CLOUD AND FOG DROPLETS...THROUGH 09-10Z. MORE APPRECIABLE CEILING AND PARTICULARLY VISIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS WILL OCCUR WITH THE PASSAGE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH THE TRIAD BETWEEN 11-14Z. ELSEWHERE AT KRDU/KFAY/KRWI...VFR CONDITIONS WILL HOLD UNTIL SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS -- AND ASSOCIATED SUB-VFR CONDITIONS -- AFFECT THOSE LOCATIONS FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 08-15Z. A 2-4 HOUR PERIOD OF MVFR CONDITIONS AND LIGHT RAIN WILL THEN OCCUR BEHIND THE FRONT AT ALL CENTRAL NC TAF SITES...WITH AN ACCOMPANYING ABRUPT SHIFT OF THE SURFACE WINDS TO NORTHWEST WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...WITH SOME INITIAL GUSTINESS BEFORE SUBSIDING THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS. PERIODS OF VFR CEILINGS BETWEEN 4 AND 12 THOUSAND FT WILL THEN OCCUR THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD...THOUGH LIGHT RAIN AND ASSOCIATED MVFR CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY REDEVELOP MAINLY FROM KRDU EASTWARD TO KRWI AND KFAY TOWARD THE END OF...AND ESPECIALLY JUST AFTER...THE 06Z TAF PERIOD...IN RESPONSE TO SECONDARY LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPMENT JUST OFFSHORE THE EAST COAST. LOOKING AHEAD: THE THREAT OF LIGHT RAIN AND MVFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND ESPECIALLY EASTERN NC (MAINLY FROM KRDU EASTWARD TO KFAY/KRWI) INTO EARLY SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...THE PASSAGE OF A COUPLE OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SPRINKLES OR RAIN SHOWERS...SOME OF WHICH COULD MIX WITH A FEW WET SNOW FLAKES AT KRDU AND MORE SO KINT/KGSO...SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND AGAIN ON MONDAY. BREEZY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO OCCUR BOTH DAYS. && .FIRE WEATHER... AS OF 130 AM SATURDAY... WNW WINDS AT 10-20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE 25-30 PERCENT RANGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. CHILLY TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S ARE EXPECTED. THE COOL TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH RECENT RAIN SHOULD KEEP FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS DOWN. WE WILL CLOSELY MONITOR THE RAIN THAT FALLS WITH THIS EVENT WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY BE A DETERMINING FACTOR IN WHETHER AN ENHANCED FIRE DANGER STATEMENT WILL BE NEEDED SUNDAY. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR NCZ007-008-021>025-038>040. && SYNOPSIS...VINCENT NEAR TERM...VINCENT SHORT TERM...BADGETT LONG TERM...BADGETT AVIATION...MWS FIRE WEATHER...BADGETT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1209 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012 NCZ007-021>025-038>040-040515- PERSON-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-ORANGE-DURHAM-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH- CHATHAM- 1209 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EST SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH 9 AM THIS MORNING. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. DENSE FOG ADVISORY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING. A COLD FRONT WILL PROGRESS EAST FROM THE MOUNTAINS INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT BETWEEN 3 AM AND 9 AM. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH A PRIMARY THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS OR AN ISOLATED TORNADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS MORNING. SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY TUNED AND REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ009>011-026>028-041>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-040515- VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON- STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND- HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 1209 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH NOON TODAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING. A COLD FRONT WILL PROGRESS EAST FROM THE MOUNTAINS INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 3 AM AND NOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH A PRIMARY THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS OR AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE HIGHEST BETWEEN 3 AM AND 9 AM WEST OF HIGHWAY 1...AND BETWEEN 6 AM AND NOON EAST OF HIGHWAY 1. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS MORNING. SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY TUNED AND REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ008-040515- GRANVILLE- 1209 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EST SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH NOON TODAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. DENSE FOG ADVISORY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING. A COLD FRONT WILL PROGRESS EAST FROM THE MOUNTAINS INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 3 AM AND NOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH A PRIMARY THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS OR AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE HIGHEST BETWEEN 3 AM AND 9 AM WEST OF HIGHWAY 1...AND BETWEEN 6 AM AND NOON EAST OF HIGHWAY 1. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS MORNING. SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY TUNED AND REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. VINCENT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
139 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012
NCZ038-039-073-074-030730-
DAVIDSON-MONTGOMERY-RANDOLPH-STANLY-
139 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS STANLY...RANDOLPH...
MONTGOMERY AND DAVIDSON COUNTIES THROUGH 230 AM EST...
AT 139 AM EST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
PLYLER...OR ABOUT 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALBEMARLE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 65 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...NEWSOM...BADIN
LAKE...NEW HOPE...ULAH...RAMSEUR...STALEY.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH.
DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. WINDS OF THIS
MAGNITUDE ARE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND
TRASH CANS...POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR
OBJECTS.
&&
LAT...LON 3551 8029 3551 8019 3561 8024 3591 7968
3590 7955 3551 7956 3551 7976 3539 7974
3520 8034 3538 8038
TIME...MOT...LOC 0639Z 243DEG 58KT 3542 8027
VINCENTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
256 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012
NCZ023>025-040>042-076-077-030845-
ALAMANCE-CHATHAM-DURHAM-HARNETT-JOHNSTON-LEE-ORANGE-WAKE-
256 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012
...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST
ACROSS EASTERN CHATHAM... WAKE... SOUTHERN DURHAM... AND FRANKLIN
COUNTIES THROUGH 330 AM...
AT 251 AM EST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM MONCURE TO PITTSBORO... OVER EASTERN CHATHAM
COUNTY... MOVING EAST AT NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...APEX... CARY...
RALEIGH... WAKE FOREST... RDU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
MORRISVILLE... KNIGHTDALE...NEW HOPE...WENDELL.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING.
VERY HEAVY RAIN FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND TREE LIMBS. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.
&&
LAT...LON 3612 7880 3609 7881 3607 7879 3608 7873
3582 7826 3576 7824 3544 7914 3584 7937
3624 7907 3624 7903
TIME...MOT...LOC 0751Z 252DEG 52KT 3573 7875
BADGETTThe Columbia radar (KCAE), 166 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:10 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two old barns were blown down and one home on Substation Road sustained minor damage.
Several trees were uprooted and blown down along a swath from near Seagrove to near Coleridge. Also, a tree was blown down onto a home on Emmanuel Church Road near Seagrove. No damage estimate was available.
Multiple trees were blown down along a swath from several miles southeast of Coleridge to several miles northwest of Harpers Crossroads. Also, a small section of tin was blown off of a barn roof and one a home on Glovers Church Road sustained minor damage from a downed tree. No damage estimate was available.
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: 360396, 360397, 360398.