A cold front tracked across the region triggering high non-thunderstorms wind over the area on the 20th. The strongest wind occurred across the higher elevations where most of the wind damage reports were reported.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 the region triggering high non-thunderstorms wind over the area on the 20th. The strongest wind occurred across the higher elevations where most of the wind damage reports were reported. Wind gusts as high as 100 mph were reported. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed by the high wind. Several homes and buildings were also damaged by the wind. One person was injured in Camp Creek in Greene County when the tractor trailer he was driving on Camp Creek Road flipped on its side by the 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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 20, 6:38 AM EST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
638 AM EST THU DEC 20 2012
.AVIATION...A STRONG COLD FRONT TRACKING ACROSS THE AREA TODAY WILL
LOWER CLOUDS AND INCREASED WINDS. THE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO PICK
UP IN ADVANCE OF A LINE OF CONVECTION APPROACHES THE TAF SITES.
STRONG...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING BUT SHOULD DIMINISH SLIGHTLY OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...
OCCASIONAL SHOWERS WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TAF
SITES THIS AFTERNOON. MAY SEE BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS AS THE RAIN
MOVES THROUGH.
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
...
NC...WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: CHEROKEE...CLAY.
TN...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...COCKE SMOKY
MOUNTAINS...JOHNSON...MCMINN...NW BLOUNT...NORTH SEVIER...
NORTHWEST CARTER...NORTHWEST COCKE...NORTHWEST GREENE...
NORTHWEST MONROE...SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST
CARTER...SOUTHEAST GREENE...SOUTHEAST MONROE...UNICOI...
WASHINGTON TN.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...COCKE SMOKY
MOUNTAINS...JOHNSON...MCMINN...NW BLOUNT...NORTH SEVIER...
NORTHWEST CARTER...NORTHWEST COCKE...NORTHWEST GREENE...
NORTHWEST MONROE...SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST
CARTER...SOUTHEAST GREENE...SOUTHEAST MONROE...UNICOI...
WASHINGTON TN.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST
/6 PM CST/ FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: ANDERSON...
BLEDSOE...BRADLEY...CAMPBELL...CLAIBORNE...EAST POLK...
GRAINGER...HAMBLEN...HAMILTON...HANCOCK...HAWKINS...
JEFFERSON...KNOX...LOUDON...MARION...MEIGS...MORGAN...
RHEA...ROANE...SCOTT TN...SEQUATCHIE...SULLIVAN...UNION...
WEST POLK.
VA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: RUSSELL...WASHINGTON.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES: RUSSELL...WASHINGTON.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES: LEE...SCOTT...WISE.
&&
MJBHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 350 AM EST THU DEC 20 2012 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-210900- 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- 350 AM EST THU DEC 20 2012 /250 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES TODAY...A LINE OF SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. HOWEVER...THE MAIN CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF DAMAGING WINDS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS OF EAST TENNESSEE AND RUSSELL AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 4 PM EST TODAY AND A WIND ADVISORY IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA FOR TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ADDITIONALLY...SNOW SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORMALLY FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...THE NORTHEAST TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS...AND THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS. SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY WITH A WIND ADVISORY REMAINING IN EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE DAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. ADDITIONALLY...LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO EFFECT FAVORED UPSLOPE LOCATION INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. EARLY NEXT WEEK ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA THAT COULD BRING HEAVY RAINS TO THE REGION. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF THERE WILL BE MUCH OF A FLOOD THREAT FROM THIS SYSTEM...HOWEVER IT WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED. PEOPLE TRAVELING NEXT WEEK SHOULD MONITOR THIS SYSTEM'S FORECAST IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS AS WELL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY FOR DAMAGING WIND REPORTS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dispatch personnel reported a few trees downed by high wind in the Englewood and Etowah communities.
Dispatch personnel reported several trees downed by high wind 6 miles southeast of Greenback in the Sixmile area.
A gust was measured at 84 mph at the mesonet observation at the UT Knoxville Biology Field Station 2 miles southwest of Pittman Center.
Dispatch personnel reported several trees downed by high wind in the Tellico area and also toward the Monroe and Polk county lines.
Park Service personnel reported a measured wind gust at 100 mph from the observation 5 miles south of Gatlinburg at Cove Mountain.
Dispatch personnel reported many trees downed by high wind countywide but mainly south toward Route 107 and around West View. A portable carport along Route 107 was also blown over by the wind.
Dispatch personnel reported several trees downed by high wind countywide.
Dispatch personnel reported many trees downed by high wind countywide.
Dispatch personnel reported several trees downed by high wind across the southern end of the countywide.
Public reported several trees and numerous limbs downed by high wind around Chucky. A few roofs shingles were also blown off by the wind.
Newspaper personnel reported a few trees downed by high wind in the Greeneville area.
Dispatch personnel reported one person was injured when a tractor trailer he was driving flipped over by high wind on Camp Creek Road in Camp Creek. One residence on Sunnydale Road in Camp Creek was evacuated due to structural damage. Two other buildings were also damaged in Camp Creek. Power lines were downed.
A trained spotter reported several sheds downed by high wind in Camp Creek. The wind also blew the siding off a house.
Park service personnel reported numerous trees and large limbs downed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by high wind. Many park roads were closed by the wind.
Park service personnel reported numerous trees and large limbs downed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by high wind. Many park roads were closed by the wind.
Park service personnel reported numerous trees and large limbs downed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by high wind. Many park roads were closed by the wind.
Dispatch personnel reported several trees downed by high wind countywide.
Dispatch personnel reported several trees downed by high wind countywide.
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, December 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: 421080, 421081, 424177, 421082, 424182, 421084, 421085, 421086, 421087, 421088, 424213, 421089, 421090, 421099, 421100, 421101, 421102, 421103.