A cold front moved into central North Carolina and interacted with an unstable air mass to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some of these storms became strong to severe across portions of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of central North Carolina.
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.
A cold front moved into central North Carolina and interacted with an unstable air mass to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some of these storms became strong to severe across portions of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of central North Carolina.
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 May 9, 2:01 PM EST, 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 301 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD THROUGH THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL MOVE OFFSHORE THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD INTO THE AREA THROUGH SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM WEDNESDAY... ...THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS SHIFTED EASTWARD ALONG THE SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN/SANDHILLS REGION OF NORTH CAROLINA. ...ADDITIONALLY LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... OVERVIEW: A POSITIVE-TILTED SHORTWAVE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER GREAT LAKES THROUGH THE MIDDLE MS VALLEY WILL AMPLIFY AS IT PROGRESSES EASTWARD INTO THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD THROUGH THURSDAY. ATTENDANT SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS CENTRAL NC LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL EXIT THE COAST THIS EVENING. MODEST SUBTOPIC SCALE HEIGHT FALLS WILL INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER TROUGH...ACCELERATED BY A SHORTWAVE/VORT MAX OVER UPSTATE GA/SC IN THE SWLY FLOW ALOFT IN ADVANCE OF THE ENCROACHING TROUGH AND THEN LATER ENHANCED ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH INCREASING UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE UNDERNEATH A 80 TO 90 KT JET STREAK EXTENDING DOWN THE MID-ATLANTIC SEABOARD. THESE TRIGGERS WILL ACT ON A MOIST 1.5"-1.6"...200 PERCENT OF NORMAL PWAT ENVIRONMENT...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AND/OR MOVING INTO THE PIEDMONT AOA 16Z(NOON)...EXITING COASTAL AREAS BETWEEN 03 TO 06Z(AROUND MIDNIGHT). CATEGORICAL POPS CONTINUE TO LOOK IN ORDER FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... DIMINISHING WEST TO EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEVERE THREAT: WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUD COVER AND WEAK LAPSE RATES ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIGH PWATS HAS GREATLY LIMITED DESTABILIZATION ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SANDHILLS/SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN COUNTIES. AS SUCH...THE SLIGHT RISK AREA HAS BEEN SCALED BACK TO APPROXIMATELY THE I-95 CORRIDOR ALONG THE SANDHILLS AND SOUTHERN COASTAL COUNTIES WHERE TEMPERATURES HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CLIMBING TO AROUND THE 80 DEGREE MARK. PER SPC MESOANALYSIS... SFC CAPE HAS GROWN TO 1000 TO 1500 J/KG ACROSS THIS SE CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA. WE COULD SEE AN UPSWING IN CONVECTIVE INTENSITY AS THE CONVECTIVE BAND ACROSS THE WESTERN PIEDMONT PROGRESSES EASTWARD INTO THIS JUICER AIRMASS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AND AS THE WIND FIELD STRENGTHENS IN RESPONSE TO THE AMPLIFYING TROUGH. GREATEST THREAT WILL BE FROM THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE...AIDED BY PRECIP LOADING IN THE STRONGER CELLS. LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES IN AN HOUR WILL ALSO POSE A MINOR FLOODING THREAT...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AND/OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS. TEMPERATURES: MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE PRONOUNCED DRYING/SUBSIDENCE OVERNIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH PASSAGE...WITH SKIES BECOMING CLEAR ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL NC PRIOR TO DAYBREAK. THIS WEST TO EAST CLEARING ALONG WITH TIMING DIFFERENCES IN THE WEST TO EAST CAA WILL RESULT IN FAIRLY LARGE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT OVERNIGHT...RANGING FROM LOWER 50S NW TO AROUND 60 ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY... TO START THE SHORT TERM PERIOD...THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY...BUT A LACK OF MOISTURE WILL KEEP THE REGION DRY. AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA AND THEN REMAIN CENTERED OVER THE REGION UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN A PERIOD OF FAIR WEATHER FOR CENTRAL NC. WITH PERSISTENT NORTHERLY FLOW...TEMPS WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE MID 70S. AS THE SURFACE HIGH BEGINS TO SHIFT OFFSHORE ON SATURDAY...RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE AREA. ALSO...A MID LEVEL RIDGE WILL PROGRESS ACROSS THE REGION LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...RESULTING IN INCREASING THICKNESS VALUES. THEREFORE...WE SHOULD SEE A SLIGHT WARMUP ON SATURDAY...WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 70S TO NEAR 80 DEGREES. A SIMILAR TREND IS EXPECTED FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS...WITH MID/UPPER 40S TO START THE PERIOD AND MID 50S BY SATURDAY NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY... THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO THE NEXT SYSTEM THAT IS PROGGED TO IMPACT THE AREA...BUT OVERALL AM EXPECTING INCREASING PRECIP CHANCES BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND ESPECIALLY EARLY/MID NEXT WEEK. AS A SOUTHERN STREAM CLOSED LOW (CURRENTLY LOCATED NEAR THE BAJA PENINSULA) MOVES EASTWARD...IT IS PROGGED TO BECOME ABSORBED BY AN AMPLIFYING NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND AS IT PROGRESSES TOWARDS THE EAST COAST. UNCERTAINTY THEN INCREASES WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THIS TROUGH OVER THE EAST COAST FOR EARLY/MID NEXT WEEK. THEREFORE... WILL MAINTAIN THE CURRENT FORECAST THINKING AND WILL BEGIN TO GRADUALLY INCREASE PRECIP CHANCES MONDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES CURRENTLY LOOKING TO OCCUR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AND WILL THEREFORE CARRY CHANCE POPS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA COULD SEE SOME PRECIP ENTER THE REGION LATE SUNDAY...BUT WILL ONLY GO SLIGHT CHANCE FOR NOW DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY. HIGH TEMPS SHOULD BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH MOSTLY ABOVE NORMAL VALUES FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 113 PM WEDNESDAY... A COLD FRONT OVER WESTERN NC WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH CENTRAL NC THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL EXIT EAST OF THE AREA BETWEEN 03-06Z. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROGRESS WEST TO EAST IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT...PRODUCING A 2-3 HOUR WINDOW OF SUB-VFR CONDITIONS IN HEAVY RAIN. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT FROM RDU EASTWARD. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NWLY BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT BEFORE STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND CAA RESULT IN ABRUPT WEST TO EAST CLEARING BETWEEN 03Z TO 8Z. OUTLOOK: DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL RESULT IN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW LATE SUNDAY NIGHT/EARLY MONDAY WILL LEAD TO INCREASING PROBABILITIES FOR EARLY MORNING STRATUS/FOG. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...CBL NEAR TERM...CBL SHORT TERM...KRR LONG TERM...KRR AVIATION...CBL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 217 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 NCZ042-077-078-085-086-088-089-101830- JOHNSTON-HARNETT-WAYNE-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 217 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL NC THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND. LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN AN HOUR LEADING TO LOCALIZED OR MINOR FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMMEDIATELY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ007>011-021>028-038>041-043-073>076-083-084-101830- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-ANSON-RICHMOND- 217 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH CENTRAL NC THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE...WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN AN HOUR LEADING TO LOCALIZED OR MINOR FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMMEDIATELY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:00 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A Few trees were reported down near the intersection of New Salem Road and Bethel Church Road.
A few trees were reported down near the intersection of United States Highway 421 and Old Liberty Road.
A tree was reported down on a power line near Liberty Grove Road and Richland Church Road.
One tree was reported down across the intersection of Orange Grove Road and Dairyland Road.
Several trees were reported down in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
One 4 inch diameter tree was snapped in half and partially blocking Manning Drive.
Three trees were reported down near High Gate Drive and Hurdle Court.
One tree was reported down in the 100 Block of West Knox Street.
A large oak tree was reported down at Jenks Carpenter and Fryar Creek Roads.
One tree was reported down near Old Oxford Road and Red Mill Road.
One tree was reported on a house at 1119 Ralph Drive.
Several small trees and branches were blown down or snapped on the Eagle Ridge Golf Course. A vending machine and patio furniture was also blown over.
One tree was reported down near Timber Drive and North Carolina Highway 50.
A house was struck by lightning and caught on fire on Canolder Street.
Four trees were blown down around the Clinton area.
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: 385973, 385974, 385975, 385977, 385979, 385976, 385982, 385984, 385985, 385983, 385986, 385988, 385980, 385981, 385987.