Hail, Buncombe
- When
- May 17, 5:32 PM EST
- Where
- Buncombe County, 4 mi S of Weaverville
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 35.662, -82.570
An isolated thunderstorm produced a little large hail over the central French Broad Valley.
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.
An isolated thunderstorm produced a little large hail over the central French Broad Valley.
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 May 17, 1:29 PM EST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 229 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL FORM OVER SOUTH CAROLINA...AND WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...WHERE IT WILL LINGER INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE NORTH AND REMAIN THROUGH MONDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE WEST ON TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND THE LATEST RAP MODEL RUN SHOW A NE TO SW ORIENTED UPPER LOW STRETCHED OVER THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA...BACK ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. A SPOKE OF PVA ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LOW IS HELPING TO ORGANIZE STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE UPSTATE. ELSEWHERE...OTHER STORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE BLUE RIDGE OF NE GA AND SW NC. SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR HAS PUSHED INTO THE NRN PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS OF NE...BUT AREAS TO THE SOUTH REMAIN QUITE UNSTABLE WITH SB-CAPE VALUES RUNNING FROM 1500-2000 J/JG. OUR LOCAL WORKSTATION WRF...THE NCEP 4KM WRF AND THE HRRR ALL AGREE IN DEVELOPING CONVECTION OVER MUCH OF THE UPSTATE...SOUTHERN NC MTNS AND FOOTHILLS AND NE GA INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THIS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. CONFIDENCE IN THIS DEVELOPMENT IS FAIRLY HIGH...AND POPS WILL BE PUSHED UP TO 50 PERCENT ACROSS THE I-85 CORRIDOR AND UP INTO THE WRN NC FOOTHILLS FOR THE EVENING HOURS. COOL MID-LEVEL TEMPS AND DRY AIR ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SEVERE WIND AND HAIL EVENTS. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT. THE NAM MIXES DEWPOINTS INTO THE U40S TO L50S ACROSS THE NC FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AND THE ERN UPSTATE. THIS SHOULD FINALLY END THE THREAT OF STORMS FOR THESE AREAS. BACK ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE TN LINE...SCT CONVECTION SHOULD DEVELOP AGAIN TMRW WHERE LLVL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL BE MAXIMIZED. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT 1430 EDT THURSDAY...A CLOSED UPPER LOW...PART OF AN EAST COAST REX ...WILL BE LOCATED NEAR THE NC COAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. ON SUNDAY THIS FEATURE RETROGRADES SLIGHTLY INLAND. THE MODELS SHOW DRIER AIR MOVING SW INTO OUR AREA ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY....WHILE SOME MOISTURE LINGERS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE. ON SATURDAY NIGHT THE NAM SHOWS MOISTURE SPREADING WEST ACROSS THE INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR TO THE NC BLUE RIDGE...WHILE THE GFS REMAINS RATHER DRY UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT. POPS WILL INITIALLY BE QUITE LOW AND FOCUSED ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE...THEN WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY FROM THE EAST TOWARD SUNDAY... BUT REMAINING RATHER LOW AS CONFIDENCE IS LIMITED ON THE AMOUNT AND TIMING OF MOISTURE ENCROACHMENT FROM THE EAST. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE SLIGHTLY BELLOW NORMAL UNDER THE UPPER LOW HEIGHT ANOMALY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT 1430 EDT THURSDAY...A LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL PROGRESS ACROSS THE EASTERN USA FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PROGRESSING OFFSHORE ON THURSDAY WHEN A LONGWAVE RIDGE AXIS CROSSES THE MS RIVER VALLEY. A CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL REMAIN NEAR THE CAROLINA COAST ON MONDAY. THIS LOW FILLS AND DRIFTS NORTHEAST ON TUESDAY. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPS SOUTHEAST OVER THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS LATE TUESDAY...MOVING OFF TO THE EAST ON WEDNESDAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER OUR ARE ON MONDAY...BETWEEN A COASTAL LOW AND A COLD FRONT IN THE MS RIVER VALLEY. CONFIDENCE IS LIMITED ON THE WESTERN EXTENT OF MOISTURE THAT WILL WRAP AROUND THE COASTAL LOW TOWARD THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...AND THE RESULTANT POPS. THE COLD FRONT TO OUR WEST REACHES THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ON TUESDAY WHILE WEAKENING...WITH THE REMAINS OF THE BOUNDARY SUPPORTING LENDING SUPPORT TO AT LEAST SMALL POPS. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FIND OUR AREA UNDER WEAK HIGH PRESSURE...BUT THE MODELS DEPICT SOME AMOUNT OF LINGERING MOISTURE...OSTENSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMAINS OF THE FORMER FRONT. WITH GULF INFLOW EVENTUALLY SETTING UP TO OUR WEST...SMALL POPS WILL BE MAINTAINED INTO THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL IN MINOR HEIGHTS RISES BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AT KCLT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD...THEN DRIFT SOUTH FROM THERE...OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. HOWEVER...THE AIRMASS WILL BECOME MORE UNSTABLE BY LATE AFTN. MOST OF THE SHORT RANGE MODELS WANT TO DEVELOP TSTMS AROUND THE AIRFIELD STARTING IN A COUPLE HOURS AND THE NNE TO SSW ORIENTED BANDS OF CU ACROSS THE REGION WILL LIKELY START TO DEEPEN INTO CB/S WITH TIME. I/VE HELD ON TO VCSH TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS...BUT A PERIOD OF TEMPO TSRA WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE ADDED ONCE DEVELOPMENT STARTS TO OCCUR FARTHER NORTH. WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE NE THIS AFTN...THOUGH OUTFLOW BNDRYS MAY PLAY HAVOC WITH THE WINDS AT TIMES. MVFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT AS A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT SURGES THROUGH THE REGION. THE CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAR OUT BEFORE SUNRISE HOWEVER. ELSEWHERE...MUCH LIKE AT KCLT...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MORE UNSTABLE OVER THE UPSTATE...AND TSTMS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO DEVELOP ON OUTFLOW BNDRYS FROM STORMS EAST OF THE REGION NOW. THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE A COUPLE HOURS. VCHS IS IN THE TAFS NOW...BUT A PERIOD OF TEMPO GROUPS IS A GOOD BET ONCE THE NEW CELLS BEGIN TO FIRE. CONFIDENCE IN TIMING JUST ISN/T HIGH ENUF TO TEMPO YET. KAVL IS MORE STABLE...BUT SHRA MAY CONTINUE THERE FOR A GOOD BIT OF THE NIGHT. WINDS OVER THE UPSTATE WILL GENERALLY BE OUT OF THE EAST THE REST OF THE AFTN...TURNING NE LATE TONIGHT AS A BACK DOOR FRONT SURGES THROUGH. A PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT. OUTLOOK...EXPECT ISOLD LATE DAY SHOWERS AND TSTMS IN THE MTNS FRI AFTN....THEN DRYING OVER THE WEEKEND. MRNG FOG WILL BE PSBL...ESP MTN VALLEYS AND NEAR LAKES/RIVERS. 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...JAT NEAR TERM...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...JAT AVIATION...MCAVOY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 GAZ010-017-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068-069-501>510- SCZ001>003-181630- RABUN-HABERSHAM-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY- MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON- CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-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- 1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST WELL INTO THE EVENING HOURS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILL LOCATIONS. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ070>072-082-SCZ004>014-019-181630- STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON...LASTING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 85 THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY FOR SOME OF THE STORMS TO REACH SEVERE LIMITS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. MCAVOY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
425 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
SCZ009-014-172115-
CHESTER-YORK-
425 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CHESTER AND SOUTHEASTERN YORK
COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT...
AT 420 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF EDGEMOOR...OR 8 MILES SOUTH
OF ROCK HILL...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
RICHBURG...
LOWRYS...
CHESTER...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3455 8108 3456 8124 3465 8140 3494 8110
3483 8089
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
435 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
NCZ048-049-053-172115-
BUNCOMBE-MADISON-YANCEY-
435 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN MADISON...NORTHERN
BUNCOMBE AND YANCEY COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT...
AT 430 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BURNSVILLE...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
BURNSVILLE...
BARNARDSVILLE...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER
LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK
HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.
LAT...LON 3602 8227 3601 8228 3599 8225 3601 8226
3600 8224 3602 8223 3598 8219 3595 8219
3593 8215 3590 8215 3562 8243 3580 8264
3604 8230
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
547 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
NCZ049-053-505-172230-
BUNCOMBE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-YANCEY-
547 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN BUNCOMBE...SOUTHERN
YANCEY AND WESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT...
AT 545 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CELO...OR 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BURNSVILLE...
MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
BUSICK...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3595 8219 3593 8218 3593 8216 3591 8215
3585 8214 3563 8221 3565 8249 3596 8233
ARKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
612 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
NCZ059-062-063-172300-
MACON-NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
612 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN MACON AND SOUTHERN
JACKSON COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT...
AT 611 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAKE GLENVILLE...OR 11 MILES
EAST OF FRANKLIN...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
HIGHLANDS...
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3513 8350 3532 8318 3519 8303 3499 8325
3500 8336
ARKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
627 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
NCZ053-172315-
BUNCOMBE-
627 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BUNCOMBE COUNTY THROUGH 715 PM
EDT...
AT 625 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF WEAVERVILLE...OR 7 MILES
NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
WEAVERVILLE...
WOODFIN...
UNC ASHEVILLE...
DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE...
BILTMORE FOREST...
I-26 AT I-40...
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3572 8230 3549 8231 3550 8233 3546 8237
3547 8242 3545 8247 3544 8253 3543 8253
3544 8255 3544 8263 3546 8268 3555 8278
3557 8277 3562 8281 3580 8252
ARKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
630 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
NCZ049-050-172315-
MITCHELL-YANCEY-
630 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN YANCEY AND NORTHWESTERN
MITCHELL COUNTIES THROUGH 715 PM EDT...
AT 628 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF POPLAR...OR 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
ERWIN...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
RAMSEYTOWN...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3603 8214 3587 8243 3590 8245 3591 8248
3594 8250 3595 8248 3598 8251 3602 8245
3608 8242 3611 8237 3614 8230 3613 8227
3615 8222
ARKThe Greer radar (KGSP), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:31 UTC.
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
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, May 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: 385830, 385831.