Scattered thunderstorms developed over the mountains ahead of the cold front. The storms then moved southeast, into upstate South 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 GSP wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed over the mountains ahead of the cold front. The storms then moved southeast, into upstate South Carolina. The storms produced quite a bit of hail, some large, over the central part of the upstate.
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 31, 1:44 PM EST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 244 PM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CAROLINAS...REACHING THE COAST ON SUNDAY. DRIER AIR WILL THEN MOVE IN AND REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WHEN ANOTHER NORTHERN GULF WEATHER DISTURBANCE ENTERS THE PICTURE. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT 230 PM EDT SATURDAY...A MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL APPROACH FORM THE NW THIS AFTERNOON...DRIVING A COLD FRONT ACROSS OUR AREA. THIS FRONT AND INCREASING INSTABILITY AHEAD OF TI WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...EVEN IN A NW FLOW WITH DRYING BELOW 850 MB IN THE WAKE OF AN EXITING SYSTEM. NAM CAPE EXCEEDS 1000 J/KG IN THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY...AND UP TO 1000 J/KG APPEARS IN THE NC MOUNTAINS AND PIEDMONT. ENOUGH VERTICAL SPEED SHEAR IS PRESENT TO SUPPORT ORGANIZED CONVECTION...AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND. THE FRONT EXITS OUR AREA THIS EVENING. MODEL GUIDANCE SUPPORTS FOG BY DAYBREAK ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA...BUT NO MORE THAN PATCHY DENSE FOG IS SUPPORTED AT THIS TIME. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AS AN UPPER TROUGH AXIS PROGRESSES AWAY FROM OUR AREA...LEADING TO RISING HEIGHTS ALOFT. ON SUNDAY A WEAK UPPER IMPULSE MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS OUR AREA THROUGH THE DEPARTING TROUGH...AN MODEL TIME HEIGHTS SHOWS SOME BRIEF MOISTURE AT 850 MB WITH THIS FEATURE...WHILE MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW CAPE OF SEVERAL HUNDRED J/KG. MODEL GUIDANCE IS NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE OF PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME...WITH THE MAV CARRYING SLIGHT CHANCE POPS...AND THE NAM ONLY SINGLE DIGITS. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE WILL BE NEAR MID MAY NORMALS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 225 PM SATURDAY...THIS PERIOD BEGINS WITH NW FLOW ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A TROUGH AND EASTERN PORTION OF A MISS VALLEY RIDGE. MODELS SHOW A SHORTWAVE MOVING SE FROM GREAT LAKES SUNDAY AND OFF THE JERSEY COAST EARLY MONDAY. DISSIPATING ENERGY WILL LEAVE SOME CLOUDINESS OVER NC MOUNTAINS MONDAY. THE DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL RESULT IN RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR CLT AND GSP IF THE FORECAST HOLDS. MOUNTAIN HIGH TEMPS SHOULD BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW THE RECORD AT AVL OF 87 DEGREES...BUT HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S WOULD BREAK THE RECORD OF 84 AT GSP AND THE 86 RECORD AT CLT. THE RIDGE WILL BE MORE CENTERED OVER OUR REGION ON TUESDAY...BUT NO LONGER A WARMING DOWNSLOPE FACTOR. HIGHS ON TUESDAY SHOULD CERTAINLY BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW RECORDS OF 87 AT GSP AND 90 AT CLT. CLOUDINESS WILL BE INCREASING ON TUESDAY AS WE WILL HAVE A FRONT MOVING SOUTH FROM THE OHIO VALLEY AND A FRONT MOVING EAST ACROSS THE GULF STATES AHEAD OF THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW. GFS HAS CAPES IN THE 1500 TO 1600 RANGE LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS NE GA AND UPSTATE AND NOSING INTO THE SHELBY AND GASTON AREA OF NC. CONVECTION WILL BE SCATTERED LATE TUESDAY. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 2 PM SATURDAY...THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO TREND SLOWER ON THE PROGRESS OF THE CUT OFF UPPER LOW MOVING IN FROM THE WEST. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT AS OPPOSED TO FRIDAY WHEN THOSE WERE EXTREMELY DIFFERENT BY DAY 7. AT 00Z WED...BOTH HAVE THE LOW GENERALLY OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE GFS HAS IT MOVING FARTHER NORTH AND OPENING IT UP BY 00Z FRIDAY AS THE WAVE MOVES SE TOWARD OUR REGION FROM KENTUCKY. THE ECMWF MAINTAINS A CUT OFF LOW FROM OKLAHOMA TO REACH SAVANNAH GA AT 06Z SATURDAY. THERE ARE VARIOUS SMALL SCALE FEATURES THAT MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW OUT AHEAD OF THIS MAIN FEATURE WHICH AFFECTS OUR WEATHER IN MID TO LATE WEEK. HPC WENT CLOSER WITH THE GFS SOLUTION AND THAT ONE HAS MORE OF A DOMINANT SURFACE HIGH CENTERED EASTERN GREAT LAKES / PA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THE ECMWF HAS THE CUT OFF LOW BECOMING ALMOST STATIONARY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NEAR SAVANNAH. THIS BEING DISCOUNTED...WE SHOULD HAVE DRYING CONDITIONS NEXT WEEKEND...UNTIL THE NEXT SYSTEM REACHES OUR AREA FROM THE WEST. THAT NEXT SYSTEM APPEARS DELAYED UNTIL SOMETIME THE FOLLOWING WEEK. GOING WITH BEST CONVECTION FROM LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. INSTABILITY NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE THROUGH THE PERIOD AND SHEAR VALUES LESS THAN PREVIOUS RUNS. TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL MID WEEK AND CLOSE TO NORMAL BY WEEKEND. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT KCLT...LOW CLOUDS SHOULD DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON WITH DRYING IN A WESTERLY FLOW. ANOTHER ROUND OF LOW CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED WITH A FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE WEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS. CONVECTIVE CHANCES ALONG THE FRONT ARE TOO LOW TO MENTION MORE THAN CB. GUIDANCE LIKES VERY LOW CLOUD HEIGHTS AND FOG AROUND DAYBREAK SUNDAY...BUT CLOUDS AMOUNT IS EXPECTED TO BE INSUFFICIENT FOR A CIG. IFR VSBY IN FOG LOOKS MORE PROBABLE. VFR RETURNS BY MID SUNDAY MORNING.WINDS VEER FROM WNW TODAY...TO NE LATE TONIGHT. ELSEWHERE...A BAND OF SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS IS EXPECTED WILL SWEEP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA WITH A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THIS FRONT WILL BE TOO SCATTERED TO MENTION ANYTHING MORE THAN CB.WESTERLY WINDS WILL VEER TO NW TONIGHT AND NE ON ENE SUNDAY MORNING. THE LOW END OF GUIDANCE CONSENSUS SUPPORTS VERY LOW CLOUDS AND FOG TOWARD DAYBREAK SUNDAY...WITH MVFR VSBY... EXCEPT LIFR AT KHKY. CLOUD COVER IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE GREAT ENOUGH FOR CIGS HOWEVER. VFR RETURNS BY MID SUNDAY MORNING. OUTLOOK...DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SHRA AND TSTMS INTO THE REGION TUE AND WED. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND RESTRICTIVE CIGS AND VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. 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...JAT SHORT TERM...DEO LONG TERM...DEO AVIATION...JAT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 602 AM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-011015- 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- 602 AM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN UPPER LOW WILL CROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...TRIGGERING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE...PRODUCING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THE BEST CHANCE OF A SEVERE STORM WILL BE OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...AS WELL AS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
149 PM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012
NCZ037-057-311830-
DAVIE-ROWAN-
149 PM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL ROWAN AND DAVIE COUNTIES
THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 144 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF FARMINGTON...OR 8 MILES NORTH OF
MOCKSVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SPENCER...
SHEFFIELD...MOCKSVILLE...FORK CHURCH...FARMINGTON...COOLEEMEE AND
ADVANCE.
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3568 8033 3561 8043 3595 8071 3603 8070
3606 8065 3606 8051 3592 8036 3588 8037
3588 8041 3585 8038 3582 8046 3579 8047
3577 8045 3574 8045 3573 8034 3570 8032
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 456 PM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012 SCZ002-003-005>007-312130- GREATER GREENVILLE-GREATER PICKENS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-SPARTANBURG- 456 PM EDT SAT MAR 31 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL GREENVILLE...EASTERN PICKENS AND WESTERN SPARTANBURG COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 454 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF DACUSVILLE...OR 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... TRAVELERS REST... FURMAN UNIVERSITY... CHERRYDALE POINT... DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE... HAYWOOD MALL... PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3492 8266 3507 8254 3487 8208 3466 8225 RB
The Greer radar (KGSP), 24 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:10 UTC.
25 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Quarter size hail was reported from the west side of Travelers Rest to the intersection of Altamont Rd and Old Buncombe Rd about two miles south of town.
Dime to nickel size hail fell from the Paris Mountain area, across Taylors and to the west side of the GSP Airport.
A brief period of quarter size hail fell at the intersection of highways 183 and 133.
Quarter size hail fell at Southcreek Dr.
Multiple spotters and members of the public reported that hail up to penny size fell on the west and south side of Greenville.
Hail up to quarter size fell in the Pumpkintown area.
Quarter to golf ball size hail fell across much of the northwest side of Greenville.
Penny size hail was reported along North Martin Rd.
Quarter size hail fell on Lakeside Dr.
Nickel size hail was reported on Ashmore Bridge Rd.
Hail up to quarter size was reported near the intersection of highway 25 and I-185.
Hail up to quarter size fell along B Street in Greenville.
Penny size hail fell near the intersection of I-85 and White Horse Rd. A spotter also reported penny size hail at the intersection of I-85 and highway 276.
Penny size hail was reported along Holland Ford Rd. Penny hail was also reported on Cooley Bridge Rd about 8 miles south southeast of Piedmont.
Nickel size hail was reported on Robinson St in Donalds.
Quarter size hail was reported near the intersection of Williamson Hill Rd and highway 252.
Several reports of nickel size hail were received from northern Greenwood County.
Penny size hail was reported on Logan Rd, near the Abbeville County line. Penny size hail was also reported on Gatewood Dr on the south side of Greenwood.
Ping pong ball size hail fell on Hanover Rd.
Penny size hail was reported off highway 221 near Bradley.
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 372052, 372060, 372063, 372069, 372079, 372094, 372098, 372101, 372108, 372111, 372117, 372123, 372128, 372279, 372284, 372286, 372298, 372299, 372304, 372310, 372311, 372313, 372314, 372319, 372322.