Scattered thunderstorms developed over the eastern Upstate of South Carolina during the afternoon hours ahead of a strong upper low. Large hail and localized wind damage was reported with a few of the storms.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed over the eastern Upstate of South Carolina during the afternoon hours ahead of a strong upper low. Large hail and localized wind damage was reported with a few of the 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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 24, 1:17 PM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 217 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING...THEN AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CROSSES THE REGION LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE NORTH SUNDAY NIGHT...AND LINGER THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PUSH IN FROM THE NORTH ON THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS UPPER LOW APPROACHES THE AREA FROM THE NW...MOIST LL S FLOW WITH A SFC BOUNDARY BISECTING THE AREA (N-S) WILL TRANSLATE E. EXPECT STRONGEST CONVECTION IN AREA OF BEST CAPE AND SHEAR E OF THE LINE AND SVR TSTM WATCHES HAVE BEEN ISSUED INTO THIS EVE FOR THAT AREA. DEW POINTS ARE FALLING W OF THE LINE...ESP IN UPSTATE SC AND NE GA SO CONVECTION WILL BE MORE LIMITED THERE...BUT ISOLD STRONG STORMS WILL BE PSBL THRU LATE AFTN. ONCE THE SFC BOUNDARY MOVES E OF THE CWA...CONVECTION WILL TAPER OFF AND SHOULD DIE DOWN WITH COOLING. A SHORTWAVE TROF ON THE FLANK OF THE UPPER LOW WILL AFFECT THE AREA SUN WITH SCT CONVECTION EXPECTED...MAINLY WITH DAYTIME HEATING. NW FLOW MOISTURE INTO THE NC MTNS WILL KEEP CHC POPS ALONG THE TN BORDER THRU THE AFTN. TEMPS WILL BE COOLER BUT STILL ABOVE AVG THRU THE PERIOD SO NO SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE MTNS ATTM. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 115 PM SATURDAY...SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE GREAT LAKES SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH RIDGING ACROSS THE NORTHERN APPALACHIANS AND MID ATLANTIC MONDAY THRU TUESDAY. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO PUSH THRU THE CWFA MONDAY EVE. WELL ABV NORMAL TEMPS ARE EXPECTED SUN NGT AND MON AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THEN COOLER...YET STILL ABV NORMAL TEMPS IN ITS WAKE WITH A SURGE OF NELY LLVL FLOW. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THRU THE PERIOD. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY...GUIDANCE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE LONGWAVE PATTERN IN THE LONG TERM...AND WITH LIMITED TIME TODAY TO DO GRIDS...I WENT WITH HPCGUIDE. A POTENT SHORTWAVE WILL TRACK THRU THE GREAT LAKES TO NEW ENGLAND WED-THU...FLATTENING THE SOUTHEAST CONUS RIDGE. AT THE SFC...HIGH PRES SHIFTS EAST OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC...BRINGING A RETURN FLOW ACRS THE CWFA. MEANWHILE...A CLIPPER SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE WILL REACH THE NEW ENGLAND WATERS BY 12Z THU. THIS SYSTEM WILL PUSH ANOTHER DRY BACKDOOR FRONT THRU THE AREA THU. TEMPS WILL RETURN TO MID-UPR 70S WED AND UPR 70S TO LWR 80S THU AHEAD OF THE FRONT (COOLER IN HIGH TERRAIN). TEMPS COOL 2-3 CATEGORIES BEHIND THE FRONT FRI AND SAT. AS FOR POPS...HAVE SLGT CHC FOR THE NC ZONES WED AFTN/EVE AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THEN LOW-END CHC POPS SAT WITH RETURN FLOW SETTING UP AGAIN. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT KCLT...MAIN CONCERN THIS AFTN-EVE WILL BE TSTMS WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL PSBL MAINLY 20-01Z. SOME STORMS MAY BE SVR. OTHERWISE S-SW WINDS G18KT WITH LOW VFR CIGS. CONVECTION WILL TAPER OFF BY LATE EVE AND TERMINAL SHOULD STAY VFR OVERNIGHT. NW WINDS LATE TONIGHT AND SUN. ELSEWHERE...SIMILAR TO KCLT WITH LESS OF A SVR THREAT IN MTNS AND SC. OUTLOOK...SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE SUN AFTN AS UPPER LOW CENTER MOVES SLOWLY ACROSS THE REGION. DRYING EARLY NEXT WEEK. 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...ARK NEAR TERM...RB SHORT TERM...ARK LONG TERM...ARK AVIATION...RB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 156 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ048>053-058-059-062>065-SCZ001>006-010- 011-251800- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MADISON-YANCEY- MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE- 156 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND ALSO THE WESTERN UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. SCZ007>009-012>014-019-251800- SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 156 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 106 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. NCZ033-035>037-056-057-068>072-082-501>510-251800- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-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- 156 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 105 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
223 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
NCZ036-056-057-069>071-241915-
CATAWBA-GASTON-IREDELL-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG-ROWAN-
223 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN LINCOLN...NORTHEASTERN
GASTON...NORTHERN MECKLENBURG...SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA...SOUTHERN
IREDELL AND SOUTHWESTERN ROWAN COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT...
AT 221 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF LOWESVILLE...OR 11 MILES EAST OF
LINCOLNTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
DENVER...
LAKE NORMAN...
DAVIDSON...
MOORESVILLE...
TROUTMAN...
LANDIS...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP 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 3550 8070 3551 8071 3550 8078 3546 8078
3534 8104 3545 8117 3580 8086 3557 8054
JOHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 251 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 SCZ007-012-013-241930- LAURENS-SPARTANBURG-UNION- 251 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN LAURENS...SOUTHERN SPARTANBURG AND WESTERN UNION COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT... AT 248 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAURENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CLINTON... ENOREE... CROSS KEYS... SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3473 8189 3456 8168 3441 8200 3456 8213 KRENTZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
316 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
SCZ008-009-242000-
CHEROKEE-YORK-
316 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN CHEROKEE AND
NORTHWESTERN YORK COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 312 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF SARATT...OR 14 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF GAFFNEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
HICKORY GROVE...
YORK...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3486 8148 3487 8153 3491 8160 3517 8137
3503 8116
KRENTZSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
317 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
NCZ036-056-069>071-242000-
CATAWBA-GASTON-IREDELL-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG-
317 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN LINCOLN...GASTON...
NORTHERN MECKLENBURG...SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA AND SOUTHERN IREDELL
COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 315 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BESSEMER CITY...OR 8 MILES WEST OF
GASTONIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
GASTONIA...
DALLAS...
STANLEY...
IRON STATION...
LOWESVILLE...
DENVER...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP 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 3519 8130 3522 8133 3526 8132 3529 8136
3534 8137 3569 8102 3545 8077 3544 8076
JOHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
328 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
NCZ036-037-242015-
DAVIE-IREDELL-
328 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN IREDELL AND
NORTHWESTERN DAVIE COUNTIES THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 326 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF TURNERSBURG...OR 8 MILES NORTH OF
STATESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
HARMONY...
FARMINGTON...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP 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 3579 8085 3591 8100 3606 8088 3605 8050
3605 8049 3607 8046 3603 8043 3602 8043
JOHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
401 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
SCZ009-242045-
YORK-
401 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN YORK COUNTY THROUGH
445 PM EDT...
AT 400 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BULLOCK CREEK...OR 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
YORK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
MCCONNELLS...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3482 8137 3482 8147 3483 8147 3485 8146
3487 8147 3491 8148 3504 8131 3488 8114
KRENTZThe Greer radar (KGSP), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:12 UTC.
3 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down power lines on Burris Rd about 4 miles south of Sharon.
Hail up to the size of quarters covered the ground.
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, 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: 371989, 371993, 371994, 371998.