Isolated pulse-type thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. A couple of the storms produced small areas of damaging wind.
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.
Isolated pulse-type thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. A couple of the storms produced small areas of damaging wind.
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 Jul 17, 4:12 PM EST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 512 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS... BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO CONTROL OUR WEATHER THROUGH MID-WEEK. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE OHIO VALLEY IS EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTH...INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES LATE FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER OR JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 430PM EDT...POCKETS OF MODERATE TO STRONG CONVECTION CONTINUE TO POP UP OVER NC MTS AND NC AND SC PIEDMONT. A FEW OF THESE STORMS HAVE BECOME SEVERE PRODUCING STRONG DOWNBURSTS. ADDITIONAL SH AND TS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THRU 00Z OR SO WITH THINGS QUIETING DOWN ONCE DAYTIME HEATING STOPS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... AT 200 PM EDT TUESDAY...THE CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER FL IS EXPECTED TO OPEN UP AND DRIFT SLOWLY NORTHWEST INTO GA TONIGHT...WHILE A FLAT RIDGE REMAINS FORM THE TN VALLEY TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. CONVECTION DEVELOPING OVER THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON WILL DRIFT SLOWLY SE INTO THE FOOTHILL. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE PIEDMONT LATE THIS AFTERNOON. MODEL SOUNDINGS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR GUSTY WINDS. ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING THIS EVENING. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BR AROUND CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS. ON WEDNESDAY THE UPPER LOW OVER GA OPENS UP AND DRIFTS FARTHER NORTH...BUT THE MODELS ARE NOT CLEAR ON WEATHER UPPER IMPULSES ROUNDING THIS LOW REACH THE OUR AREA. MODEL SOUNDINGS REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF CONVECTION...WITH CAPE IN EXCESS OF 1000 J/KG. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE SHOULD BE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS TODAY...AND EVEN GREATER IF THE UPPER LOW CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL AS THE UPPER RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE AREA. THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH 100 DEGREES IN AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 77...BUT SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA OF 105 DEGREES. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 200 PM TUESDAY...THE SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL GRADUALLY SEE SOMEWHAT OF A PATTERN CHANGE BY THE CLOSE OF FRIDAY. THE WEAK UPPER LOW IS FORECAST TO BE OVER THE MIDLANDS OF SC AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD WHICH THEN SHOULD MOVE EASTWARD AS HEIGHTS FALL SOMEWHAT ALONG THE EAST COAST THANKS TO A DIGGING UPPER TROUGH OVER NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...A WEAK NW FLOW REGIME IS FORECAST TO PREVAIL. AT THE SURFACE...A VERY WEAK PRESSURE PATTERN WILL PERSIST WITH GENERALLY WEAK HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS WITH A LEE TROUGH TO THE EAST. WITH BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE REMAINING HIGH...EXPECT THAT DIURNALLY ENHANCED CONVECTION WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH THU. LATE DAY CONVECTION ON WED SHOULD WANE DURING THE EVENING PER LOW LEVEL CIN ADVERTISED IN BUFKIT SOUNDINGS. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE SHOULD RAMP UP AGAIN ON THU. SEE NO REASON TO DEVIATE FROM THE RATHER ROBUST AFTERNOON POPS WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE MOUNTAIN AREAS. WILL BACK OFF POPS AGAIN THU NIGHT AS LOW LEVEL CIN DEVELOPS. THE NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO DIG INTO FRI WITH SHEAR GRADUALLY INCREASING TO ALMOST 20KT IN THE SFC-6KM LAYER. A WEAK FRONT IS FORECAST TO ENTER THE AREA ON FRI. WITH THE SURFACE CONVERGENCE AND INCREASING SHEAR EXPECT GOOD CONVECTIVE COVERAGE WITH LIKELY POPS JUSTIFIED. SOME ORGANIZED CONVECTIVE CLUSTERS COULD GET GOING ON FRI AND POSE AN ENHANCED SEVERE THREAT. USED A BLEND OF BIAS CORRECTED MOS TO GENERATE TEMP FIELDS. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 215 PM TUESDAY...A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY SAG SOUTHWARD FRIDAY NIGHT WITH A CONTIUING SHOWER/THUDNERSTORM THREAT ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN AREAS. THE FRONT WILL STALL OVER OVER...OR JUST SOUTH OF THE FA ON SATURDAY. THE PRESENCE OF THE BOUNDARY WILL SERVE TO GENERATE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE BEST COVERAGE OUTSIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS SAT AND SUN AFTERNOONS. THE BOUNDARY GRADUALLY WASHES OUT BY MON WHICH MEANS WE SHOULD RETURN TO A MORE TYPICAL JULY PATTERN...WHICH MEANS SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION BOTH MON AND TUE. STAYED CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE. MAX TEMPS ARE FORECAST TO BE A COUPLE CATEGORIES BELOW AVERAGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND THANKS TO ENHANCED CLOUD COVER AND WEAK CAD REGIME. TEMPS ARE FORECAST TO WARM TO NEAR NORMAL MON AND THEN A LITTLE ABOVE AVERAGE ON TUE. && .AVIATION /21Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT KCLT...SCATTERED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY...BUT UNLESS IT OCCURS OVER THE TERMINAL...A RESTRICTION IS NOT LIKELY. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ENOUGH TO CARRY TS AND A LOW VFR CIG WITH CB. A GUIDANCE CONSENSUS DOES NOT FAVOR MORNING FOG...AND MODEL TIME HEIGHTS SUGGEST LESS CUMULUS AND MORE CIRRUS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LIGHT WINDS REA EXPECTED TO FAVOR THE SW BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE...CONVECTION WILL HAVE THE MOST COVERAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS...MAKING KAVL MOST VULNERABLE...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR RESTRICTIONS. WILL CARRY TS AND LOW VFR CIG WITH CB THIS AFTERNOON. LATE TONIGHT LOW CLOUDS SHOULD DECREASE...WHILE ANVIL DEBRIS REMAINS. GUIDANCE STILL LIKE DAYBREAK FOG AT KAVL...BUT IS NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE AT FOOTHILL SITES. GIVEN THAT GUIDANCE HAS BEEN OVERDONE AT KAVL...VFR WILL BE MAINTAINED THERE AT THIS TIME. LIGHT WINDS WILL TAKE ON A WESTERLY COMPONENT...EXCEPT AT KAVL WHERE THEY WILL CHANNEL UP VALLEY FROM THE NW. OUTLOOK...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE LATE WEDNESDAY... ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. A COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE AREA THURSDAY...REMAINING INTO THE WEEKEND...AND INCREASING THE CHANCE OF THUNDER...LOW CIGS...AND FOG. 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...PAT NEAR TERM...JPT SHORT TERM...LG LONG TERM...LG AVIATION...JPT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 345 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-181945- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER- IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA- ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- 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-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 345 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL AREAS OF WIND DAMAGE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS AND FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS MAY DEVELOP. WHILE AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE NEARLY ANYWHERE...THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SATURATED SOILS WILL ENHANCE THE THREAT OF TREES FALLING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. LG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
359 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
NCZ049-172030-
YANCEY-
359 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL YANCEY COUNTY THROUGH
430 PM EDT...
AT 355 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MICAVILLE...OR 3 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF BURNSVILLE...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
BURNSVILLE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3595 8219 3593 8216 3582 8215 3581 8213
3578 8234 3580 8234 3582 8236 3582 8241
3583 8242 3586 8242 3596 8246 3599 8219
RBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
407 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
SCZ014-172045-
CHESTER-
407 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY THROUGH
445 PM EDT...
AT 405 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF BLACKSTOCK...OR 13 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHESTER...MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
BLACKSTOCK...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3456 8133 3457 8133 3471 8132 3464 8097
3454 8098
RBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
417 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
NCZ071-082-172045-
MECKLENBURG-UNION-
417 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN UNION AND SOUTHEASTERN
MECKLENBURG COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT...
AT 416 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR UNIONVILLE...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF MONROE...
MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
UNIONVILLE...
FAIRVIEW...
STALLINGS...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3499 8041 3499 8077 3521 8075 3518 8047
3517 8046 3517 8043 3517 8039
RBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
423 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
NCZ082-172100-
UNION-
423 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY THROUGH
500 PM EDT...
AT 422 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTH OF TRINITY...OR 6 MILES SOUTH OF
MONROE...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
MONROE...
MINERAL SPRINGS...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3481 8048 3481 8073 3499 8075 3500 8042
3482 8039
RBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
NCZ071-082-172130-
MECKLENBURG-UNION-
458 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN UNION AND SOUTHEASTERN
MECKLENBURG COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT...
AT 457 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FAIRVIEW...OR 9 MILES NORTH
OF MONROE...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
MINT HILL...
STALLINGS...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3505 8050 3507 8082 3523 8080 3520 8053
3518 8049
RBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
533 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
GAZ028-029-172200-
ELBERT-HART-
533 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN ELBERT AND
SOUTHWESTERN HART COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT...
AT 530 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BOWMAN...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HARTWELL...
MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
BOWMAN...
VANNA...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3410 8303 3414 8306 3417 8311 3420 8310
3422 8308 3426 8312 3428 8310 3431 8310
3435 8298 3420 8287
RBThe Greer radar (KGSP), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:38 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few large tree limbs were blown down at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site.
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, July 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 403321, 403323.