A strong cold front tracked through east Tennessee on the 22nd. The front triggered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours.
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 strong cold front tracked through east Tennessee on the 22nd. The front triggered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. The storm reports were for damaging thunderstorm wind and hail as large as golfballs.
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 Feb 22, 6:40 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 640 PM EST WED FEB 22 2012 .AVIATION...MAIN CONCERN FOR AVIATION IS THE DEVELOPING CONVECTION OVER MIDDLE TN AND THE NRN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH OR SO. ISOLATED CELLS SHOWING POTENTIAL FOR DIME SIZED OR LARGER HAIL...AND LATEST RADAR PICS SHOW A THREAT OF TSRA FOR GENERALLY ALL 3 TAF SITES AT LEAST THROUGH 23/04Z. AFTER 04Z...KEPT CONTINUITY AND LOWERED CEILINGS TO MVFR FOR REST OF TONIGHT. CONDITIONS IMPROVE GREATLY AFTER 12Z THURSDAY WITH CLOUDS SCATTERING OUT...WHILE THREAT OF CONVECTION AGAIN LOOKS TO BE AFTER 24/00Z. PLEASE NOTE THAT A GREATER RISK OF SEVERE STORMS IS ANTICIPATED THURSDAY EVENING...WHICH WILL AFFECT TAF SITES IN THE 24/00Z TO 24/06Z PERIOD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 51 74 50 58 32 / 60 10 70 30 10 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 49 71 49 56 31 / 70 10 70 30 10 OAK RIDGE, TN 49 71 47 56 31 / 70 10 70 30 10 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 44 69 46 54 28 / 70 10 70 50 30 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && TG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 304 PM EST WED FEB 22 2012 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-232000- 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- 304 PM EST WED FEB 22 2012 /204 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SWING ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA...WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO ALSO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE EASTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. WARM MOIST AIR AHEAD OF THIS FRONT SHOULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A ROUND OF STRONG CONVECTION THURSDAY EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN OVERNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT. LW/TD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 306 PM EST WED FEB 22 2012 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-230400- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MURPHY...HAYESVILLE...ONEIDA... LA FOLLETTE...TAZEWELL...SNEEDVILLE...ROGERSVILLE...KINGSPORT... BRISTOL...MOUNTAIN CITY...WARTBURG...CLINTON...OAK RIDGE... MAYNARDVILLE...RUTLEDGE...MORRISTOWN...NEWPORT...COSBY... GREENEVILLE...CEDAR CREEK...JOHNSON CITY...ERWIN...ELIZABETHTON... ROAN MOUNTAIN...KINGSTON...LENOIR CITY...KNOXVILLE...DANDRIDGE... MARYVILLE...CADES COVE...SEVIERVILLE...GATLINBURG...DUNLAP... PIKEVILLE...DAYTON...DECATUR...ATHENS...MADISONVILLE... COKER CREEK...JASPER...CHATTANOOGA...CLEVELAND...BENTON... DUCKTOWN...JONESVILLE...WISE...NORTON...GATE CITY...LEBANON... ABINGDON 306 PM EST WED FEB 22 2012 /206 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012/ ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SWING ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE...CENTRAL EAST TENNESSEE...AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO ALSO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. A GREATER POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CROSSES THE OHIO VALLEY...A STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AND TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE LOWER 70S IN THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. THE WARM MOIST AIR AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GENERATE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THURSDAY EVENING...MOVING EAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN THREAT...WITH A POTENTIAL FOR SOME TORNADOES AS WELL. SINCE THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AFTER SUNSET THURSDAY NIGHT...RESIDENTS OF EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ARE URGED TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF AWARENESS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. LW/TD
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:27 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement personnel reported one tree downed by thunderstorm wind on Pine Crest Road near Jacksboro.
High department personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind near Tazewell.
The public reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail near Norris.
High department personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind near Blaine.
Law enforcement personnel reported three to four trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Rogersville.
High department personnel reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail in the northwest portions of the county.
High department personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm wind near Jonesborough.
A trained spotter reported thunderstorms produced quarter-size hail near Cleveland.
Amateur radio personnel reported thunderstorms produced nickel-size hail in Bullet Creek.
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, February 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: 362295, 362296, 362297, 362298, 362300, 362301, 362302, 362305, 362307.