A cold front tracked across east Tennessee during the overnight hours triggering scattered thunderstorms over the area. A few of the storms produced damaging thunderstorm wind and hail as large as quarters.
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 MRX wrote it up.
A cold front tracked across east Tennessee during the overnight hours triggering scattered thunderstorms over the area. A few of the storms produced damaging thunderstorm wind and hail as large as quarters.
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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 26, 2:26 AM EST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 326 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)...ACTIVE WEATHER DAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER ANTICIPATED. RADAR AND SATELLITE SHOWS AN AREA OF CONVECTION ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND SOUTHERN INDIANA. THESE STORMS ARE IN RESPONSE TO A 90-100KT UPPER JET MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY. THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET IS PRODUCING DIVERGENCE ALOFT. ALSO...WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS SITUATED ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. THIS BOUNDARY ALONG WITH AN INCOMING WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN CONCERN BEING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAINFALL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE GIVEN THE EXPECTED SHEAR...BUT MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH BOW FEATURES. THIS BOUNDARY WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT ENDING THE CHANCE OF CONVECTION. PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO KEEP SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY OVERNIGHT. GENERALLY FOLLOWED GFS MOS THROUGH THE PERIODS. .LONG TERM (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...OVERALL...THE DAYS IN THIS PART OF THE FORECAST WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE SIGNIFICANT UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS PASSING THROUGH THE REGION...BUT AT THE SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARIES WILL BE IN THE AREA QUITE A BIT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AT THE START OF THIS PERIOD A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE CWA...ORIENTED W-E ACROSS N GA. DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY THE BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO LIFT NORTHWARD INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. HOWEVER...THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SURGE SOUTHWARD AGAIN AS A SURFACE LOW ZIPS EASTWARD TO OUR NORTH AROUND SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY STARTS TO BUILD INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT THEN SHIFTS TO BUILD MORE EAST OF THE APPALACHIANS...RESULTING IN MORE OF A BACKDOOR FRONTAL SITUATION FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. RETURN FLOW STARTS IN THE MISS VALLEY QUICKLY...AND BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD ON WENDESDAY...THE RETURN FLOW SHOULD BE GETTING ESTABLISHED HERE AS WELL. WITH GOOD AGREEMENT ON THIS RETURN FLOW...BUMPED UP DEW POINTS IN THE SOUTHERN AREAS AS KCHA SEEMED TOO LOW FOR LAST 24-36 HOURS OF FORECAST. ALSO BUMPED UP MIN TEMP SLIGHTLY FOR TUE AND WED NIGHTS IN THE SOUTH. ALTHOUGH THUNDER IS POSSIBLE IN SOME OF THESE PERIODS...LOOKS LIKE SEVERE THREATS WILL BE LOW. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 80 59 82 60 85 / 60 30 40 20 30 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 77 56 79 60 84 / 70 30 40 20 30 OAK RIDGE, TN 77 56 79 59 84 / 70 20 30 20 40 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 76 50 75 51 84 / 70 20 30 40 40 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 352 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-270800- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- 352 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012 /252 AM CDT THU APR 26 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS EAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY PRODUCING WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...BRINGING THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. FIRST ROUND OF STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA SOON AFTER DAYBREAK THIS MORNING. THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. A SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE STORMS. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE IN THE REGION FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. WHILE THE FRONT IS IN THE AREA...THERE IS AT LEAST A RISK OF A FEW SEVERE STORMS IN THE AREA...BUT THE OVERALL THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE LIMITED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. SPOTTERS MIGHT BE NEEDED FOR A SHORT PERIOD IN SOME LOCATIONS FRIDAY...SATURDAY...OR SUNDAY.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1232 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1211 AM HAIL 4 ESE EMORY-MEADOW VIEW 36.75N 81.78W
04/26/2012 E0.50 INCH WASHINGTON VA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KGUILLETPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1259 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1210 AM TSTM WND DMG GLADE SPRING 36.79N 81.77W
04/26/2012 WASHINGTON VA TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED LARGE TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES DOWN AND
PENNY-SIZE HAIL NEAR GLADE SPRINGS.
&&
KGUILLETSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 139 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012 VAZ006-260615- RUSSELL VA- 139 AM EDT THU APR 26 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN RUSSELL COUNTY UNTIL 215 AM EDT... AT 136 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR DAVENPORT...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...HONAKER...DYE AND ROSEDALE. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DH
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:30 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management personnel reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail near Rugby.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm wind countywide.
A trained spotter reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind near Lake City.
A trained spotter reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail in Knoxville.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees downed by thunderstorm wind near Mooresburg.
Amateur radio personnel reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail near Kodak.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Newport near Northport.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Rogersville.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Del Rio.
Emergency management personnel reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail near Pikeville.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Johnson City.
A trained spotter reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail 4 miles west of Niota near Marshall Hill.
A trained spotter reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail in Madisonville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, 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: 374964, 374965, 374966, 374991, 374970, 374972, 374974, 374975, 374977, 374968, 374978, 374979, 374980.