A cold front slowly worked its way toward the area during the day. A weak mid-level vorticity center approached from the southwest and provided additional lift.
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 ILM wrote it up.
A cold front slowly worked its way toward the area during the day. A weak mid-level vorticity center approached from the southwest and provided additional lift.
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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 2:11 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 311 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL DROP SLOWLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT...STALLING ALONG THE COAST ON THURSDAY. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON FRIDAY. A STRONGER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED SUNDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF IT. COOL AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... AS OF 2:30 PM WEDNESDAY...LATEST OBS AND SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW FRONT NOW WRAPPING AROUND THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN BORDER OF OUR CWA. THE FORECAST AREA IS RAIN-FREE FOR THE MOMENT...BUT RADAR LOOPS DO SCATTERED SHOW SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. AN EXTENSIVE CU FIELD HAS DEVELOPED UNDER A CIRRUS CANOPY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE REMNANTS OF A FORMERLY STRONG MID LEVEL INVERSION HAS SO FAR RESTRICTED VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT THE FRONT WILL VERY SLOWLY DROP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA AS A SHARP UPPER SHORT WAVE TRACKS EAST FROM THE APPALACHIANS. FRONT WILL LIE ROUGHLY ALONG THE COAST BY DAYBREAK ON THURSDAY. THE SHORT WAVE WILL DAMPEN AS IT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS...WITH ITS AXIS MOVING OFFSHORE BY DAYBREAK. STRONGEST LIFT WILL THUS BE FOUND OVER OUR INLAND COUNTIES...WHERE POPS AND QPF WILL BE THE HIGHEST. EXPECT LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL POPS INLAND...WITH HIGH CHANCE ALONG THE COAST OVERNIGHT. POPS WILL GRADUALLY RAMP UP BETWEEN THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING AS SHORT WAVE TRACKS EAST. EXPECT PRECIP CHANCES TO TAPER OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS AS SHORT WAVE AXIS MOVES OFFSHORE. EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER WILL HELP KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL OVERNIGHT...WITH MODEL CONSENSUS SHOWING UPPER 50S MOST LOCATIONS FOR MINIMUMS. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...COMPLEX AND SLIGHTLY UNSETTLED WEATHER THROUGH THE SHORT TERM AS A WARM MOIST AIRMASS SITS OVER THE CAROLINAS. WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BE EXITING THE COAST AT THE START OF THE PERIOD...BUT WILL STALL RIGHT ALONG...OR JUST OFF...THE COAST DURING THURSDAY. THE BAROCLINIC GRADIENT ALONG THIS FRONT WILL DISSIPATE...BECOMING AN INVERTED COASTAL-TYPE TROUGH ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST. THIS BOUNDARY WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR POTENTIAL CONVECTION DURING THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST...AND BEST CHANCE FOR TSTMS WILL BE ALONG ANY SEA BREEZE RESULTANT. INSTABILITY PARAMETERS FAVOR TSTMS...BUT THERE IS VERY LIMITED UPPER SUPPORT...IN FACT WEAK NVA MAY OCCUR HERE BEHIND A DEPARTING S/W TROUGH. STILL...WILL CARRY CHC POP ALONG THE COAST ALL DAY WHERE SREF PROBS EXCEED 50%...AND SCHC INLAND THROUGH THE AFTN WITH SHOWERS/TSTMS IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH PWATS STAYING ABOVE 1 INCH. FAVOR THE MET NUMBERS THURSDAY DUE TO CLOUD COVER...WITH LOW TO MID 70S ACROSS THE AREA. E/NE FLOW AT NIGHT WILL PERMIT TEMPS TO FALL INTO THE MID/UPPER 50S EVEN WITH SUBSTANTIAL CLOUD COVER CONTINUING. COASTAL TROUGH RETURNS NORTH AS A WARM FRONT DURING FRIDAY. ONCE AGAIN...ENOUGH INSTABILITY WILL BE PRESENT...ESPECIALLY IN A MOISTENING AIRMASS BEHIND THE WARM FRONT...TO CARRY CHC POP ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE AFTN...FOCUSED PRIMARILY ALONG THE LIFTING WARM FRONT. EXPECT LESS COVERAGE ON FRIDAY THAN THURSDAY...AND MUCH OF THE DAY WILL LIKELY BE JUST PARTLY CLOUDY. WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL WARM TEMPS INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S...WITH MINS AT NIGHT ONLY FALLING INTO THE LOW 60S WITH CONTINUED WARM WINDS. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...ALL EYES REMAIN ON THE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM TO MOVE ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE EAST COAST FOR THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. STILL SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE DETAILS AND TIMING AS THE ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN...WHICH HPC PREFERS...IS A BIT SLOWER. OVERALL THIS WARRANTS FEW CHANGES IN THE INHERITED FORECAST. I HAVE INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY FOR SUNDAY AND EXTENDED THE POPS SLIGHTLY IN TIME FOR MONDAY. THE BEST FORCING APPEARS TO MANIFEST ITSELF IN AREAS OF 500-700MB DEFORMATION AND WITH A SIGNIFICANT SUBTROPICAL PLUME OF MOISTURE...PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1.70 INCHES...SOUTH TO NORTH LINES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...NOT UNLIKE WHAT WE SEE TO OUR WEST CURRENTLY ARE LIKELY. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THIS COULD BRING THE AREA BENEFICIAL RAINS. A QUICK LOOK AT WIND FIELDS SHOW LOW LEVEL WINDS...925MB TO 850MB WINDS NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE...THIRTY KNOTS. HOWEVER WITH AMPLE INSTABILITY AND THE MID LEVEL LOW/TROUGH GOING NEGATIVE TILT...AS WITH HPCS OFFICIAL FORECAST...ENHANCED HELICITY COULD DEVELOP AND IF THE TIMING WERE COUPLED WITH DAYTIME HEATING POCKETS...A THREAT COULD DEVELOP. WILL LET LATER SHIFTS ADDRESS THIS THREAT. FINALLY...THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST REQUIRED LITTLE EDITING MAINLY TO COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT WITH ADJACENT OFFICES. && .AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 18Z...TERMINALS ARE CURRENTLY VFR. A COLD FRONT WAS CLEARLY SEEN ON VISIBLE SATELLITE FROM OAJ-MEB THEN SOUTHWEST TOWARDS CAE. ALONG THE SEA BREEZE ENHANCED CUMULUS HAD DEVELOPED BUT NO PRECIPITATION WAS BEING DETECTED. SOME LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING WELL SOUTH OF FLO. AS THE COLD FRONT TO THE WEST OF FLO MOVES SLOWLY EAST SHOWERS CURRENTLY TO THE SOUTHWEST OF FLO SHOULD DEVELOP FURTHER THIS AFTERNOON AND SPREAD NORTH TOWARD THE FLO/LBT TERMINALS. THE CHANCES OF TEMPO MVFR CONDITIONS WILL INCREASE AT BOTH FLO/LBT BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS EVENING THERE WILL BE A HIGHER CHANCE OF TEMPO IFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWERS AT BOTH FLO/LBT...WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORM OCCURRENCE AT FLO. OVERNIGHT IFR WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY AT BOTH TERMINALS AS LIGHT RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL INTO THE COOLER AIRMASS BEHIND THE FRONT. AS PRECIPITATION MOVES INTO THE COASTAL TERMINALS THIS EVENING THE CHANCES OF MVFR CONDITIONS WILL INCREASE. TEMPO IFR WILL BECOME POSSIBLE MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY AT THE MYR/CRE TERMINALS. TOWARDS SUNRISE IFR WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY AS THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE SATURATED BEHIND THE FRONT. GENERALLY MVFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED AFTER SUNRISE WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE TO LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS. ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE BY LATE MORNING. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...PREDOMINATELY VFR WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. INTERMITTENT MVFR/POSSIBLE IFR CONDITIONS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS SATURDAY. NUMEROUS SHOWERS POSSIBLE SUNDAY. VFR MONDAY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 2:30 PM WEDNESDAY...A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL DROP VERY SLOWLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS THROUGH THE NEAR TERM...LYING ROUGHLY ALONG THE COAST BY DAYBREAK ON THURSDAY. WINDS WILL STAY GENERALLY SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AND LIGHT AT 10 KTS OR LESS. SEAS WILL LIKEWISE STAY BENIGN...IN THE 2 FT RANGE THROUGH THE PERIOD. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE WATERS OVERNIGHT. SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...WEAKENING COLD FRONT/INVERTED COASTAL TROUGH WILL BE OVER THE WATERS EARLY THURSDAY. THIS CREATES LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW MUCH OF THURSDAY...BEFORE THIS BOUNDARY GETS SUPPRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO THE SOUTH FOR WINDS TO BECOME E/NE BY THURSDAY NIGHT. THE WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL KEEP WINDS LESS THAN 10 KTS THOUGH...SO THE 2-4 FT SEAS WILL BE FROM A COMBINATION OF A 2-3FT/12SEC EASTERLY SWELL AND BACKING WIND WAVES. BOUNDARY LIFTS BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT EARLY FRIDAY...TURNING WINDS TO THE SOUTH AND INCREASING TO AROUND 10 KTS BY LATE FRIDAY. LONG PERIOD SWELL DECAYS ON FRIDAY...BUT INCREASING SOUTHERLY WIND WAVES KEEP OVERALL WAVE HEIGHTS AT 2-4 FT. LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...LOWER CONFIDENCE IN THE WIND FORECAST AT LEAST FROM A DIRECTION STANDPOINT AS A SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING SLOWLY UP THE EAST COAST. CONTINUED TO ADVERTISE SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15-20 KNOTS FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR THAT MATTER. LOW MOVING UP THE COAST ALLOWS WINDS TO SHIFT TO WEST TO NORTHWEST MONDAY. WITH THE STRONG AND PROLONGED SOUTHERLY FETCH SEAS WILL BE MORE OF A CONCERN FOR MARINERS AND VALUES WILL QUICKLY RAMP UP FROM 2-4 FEET TO 7-10 FEET SUNDAY. HIGHER SEAS WILL PREVAIL INTO MONDAY ALTHOUGH OFFSHORE FLOW WILL KNOCK THEM DOWN SOMEWHAT. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...REK SHORT TERM...JDW LONG TERM...SHK AVIATION...REK/MRR MARINE...REK/JDW/SHK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 239 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012 NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-191845- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-INLAND PENDER-COASTAL PENDER- INLAND NEW HANOVER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER-INLAND BRUNSWICK- COASTAL BRUNSWICK-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION- WILLIAMSBURG-INLAND HORRY-COASTAL HORRY-INLAND GEORGETOWN- COASTAL GEORGETOWN- 239 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-254-256-191845- SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 239 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE BOTH POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
251 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012
SCZ023-181945-
DARLINGTON-
251 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS DARLINGTON COUNTY THROUGH
345 PM EDT...
AT 251 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
KELLYTOWN...OR ABOUT OVER HARTSVILLE...MOVING EAST...NORTHEAST AT 20
MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE DARLINGTON...HARTSVILLE...AUBURN...
CLYDE...DOVESVILLE...FLOYD...KELLYTOWN...LAMAR...LYDIA...
MECHANICSVILLE...MONT CLARE AND NORTH HARTSVILLE.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
PEA SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...
SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
&&
LAT...LON 3450 8005 3449 7988 3454 7984 3451 7983
3449 7979 3452 7976 3449 7972 3444 7975
3440 7972 3440 7968 3437 7967 3436 7969
3434 7968 3409 8008 3419 8013 3423 8012
3441 8021
TIME...MOT...LOC 1851Z 271DEG 18KT 3437 8012
15SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
346 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012
SCZ017-023-182045-
DARLINGTON-MARLBORO-
346 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS MARLBORO AND DARLINGTON
COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT...
AT 347 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
DARLINGTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE BENNETTSVILLE...DARLINGTON...
BROWNSVILLE...CLIO...DOVESVILLE...DUNBAR...FLOYD...MCCOLL...
MECHANICSVILLE...MONT CLARE AND BLENHEIM.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HALF INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...
SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
&&
LAT...LON 3475 7962 3461 7945 3460 7946 3440 7958
3416 7995 3430 8002
TIME...MOT...LOC 1947Z 230DEG 13KT 3430 7986
15SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
403 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012
SCZ023-032-182100-
DARLINGTON-FLORENCE-
403 PM EDT WED APR 18 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS FLORENCE AND EASTERN
DARLINGTON COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT...
AT 403 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SARDIS...OR ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FLORENCE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 20 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE FLORENCE...CARTERSVILLE...CLAUSSEN...
EFFINGHAM...EVERGREEN...MARS BLUFF...NEW HOPE...QUINBY...SARDIS...
TIMMONSVILLE AND OLANTA.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HALF INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...
SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
&&
LAT...LON 3409 8009 3433 7968 3430 7965 3429 7960
3425 7956 3421 7955 3418 7957 3414 7954
3388 7994 3392 7997 3395 7998 3399 7990
3404 7999 3407 8003
TIME...MOT...LOC 2003Z 229DEG 19KT 3404 7992
WEISSThe Columbia radar (KCAE), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:03 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was reported down along Highway 52 near Lake Darpo. The tree was partially blocking the road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, April 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: 373458.