Hail and Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 29, 2012

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 29, 2012
Start: 2012-05-29T05:30
End: 2012-05-29T16:25
Location: Tennessee

May 29, 2012 · NWS MEG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A weak cold front approached the Mid-South from the north on May 29th, 2012. Showers and thunderstorms developed at various times throughout the day ahead of the front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

A weak cold front approached the Mid-South from the north on May 29th, 2012. Showers and thunderstorms developed at various times throughout the day ahead of the front. Some storms produced large hail and damaging winds. The storms died by late evening.

What forecasters said that day

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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 29, 5:21 AM CST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 29, 5:21 AM CST, 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
621 AM CDT TUE MAY 29 2012

.UPDATE...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED THIS MORNING ALONG A BAND OF
CONFLUENCE FROM THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH NORTH INTO
THE OHIO VALLEY. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH SEVERE
LIMITS WITH LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY CONCERN. PRETTY IMPRESSIVE
CONSIDERING LAPSE RATES ARE VERY POOR AND THERE IS LITTLE OR NO
WIND SHEAR. MLCAPE IS ALSO MEAGER...ABOUT 500 J/KG. THESE STORMS
SHOULD SLIDE EAST OF THE AREA BY LATE MORNING.

HAVE UPDATED POPS THIS MORNING TO ACCOUNT FOR THE FAIRLY ROBUST
ACTIVITY FOR THE EASTERN AREAS. ALSO INCLUDED SEVERE POTENTIAL IN
THE HWO FOR THIS MORNING. THE REST OF THE FORECAST REMAINS ON
TRACK.

BORGHOFF

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 410 AM CDT TUE MAY 29 2012/

DISCUSSION...FORECAST FOCUS ON CONVECTIVE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE
REST OF THE WEEK WITH A TEMPORARY COOLING TREND FOR LATE WEEK.

SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

A RELATIVELY WEAK COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN TO
CENTRAL MISSOURI AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA HAS BEEN PRODUCING SCT-
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG IT ALL NIGHT. THIS FRONT
WILL SLOW AND EVENTUALLY STALL ACROSS THE NORTHERN AREAS THIS
EVENING. CANNOT RULE OUT A COUPLE STORMS HERE AND THERE WITH A
NEARLY UNCAPPED ATMOSPHERE TODAY...BUT THE LACK OF A SIGNIFICANT
TRIGGER AND VERY LOW MOS POPS LEAVES ME VERY SKEPTICAL OF ANYTHING
HIGHER THAN 15 TO 20 PCT COVERAGE. THE GFS IS AGAIN WAY OVERDOING
ITS QPF DUE TO THE POOR CONVECTIVE PARAMETRIZATION SCHEME IT HAS.
ECMWF AND NAM REPRESENTATION IS MUCH MORE REASONABLE. TEMPERATURES
TODAY WILL BE HOT...SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY OR PERHAPS A DEGREE OR
TWO WARMER IN SPOTS WITH THE PRE FRONTAL THERMAL RIDGE SLIDING
OVERHEAD. AT 3 AM...IT WAS STILL 80 DEGREES AT MEMPHIS WHICH WAS 4
DEGREES WARMER THAN THE SAME TIME SUNDAY NIGHT.

THE FRONT WILL SAG SLOWLY SOUTHWARD WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS INTO THE GREAT LAKES. ALTHOUGH POPS ARE SOMEWHAT
HIGHER...WITH THE WEAK FRONT AND VERY LOW WIND SHEAR...NOT
EXPECTING COVERAGE TO BE ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE AGAIN.

A MORE IMPRESSIVE SYSTEM WILL EJECT NORTHEAST FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO SOUTHERN MISSOURI THURSDAY. CONSIDERABLE
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL BE ONGOING THURSDAY MORNING IN AREAS TO
THE WEST WHICH WILL SLIDE EAST THROUGH AFTERNOON. MODERATE
INSTABILITY SHOULD KEEP THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS CONTINUING BUT WEAK
WIND SHEAR WILL KEEP IT FAIRLY DISORGANIZED. STILL CANNOT RULE OUT
SOME SEVERE STORMS ESPECIALLY LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING
WITH THE APPROACH OF THE COLD FRONT AND STRONGER MID LEVEL WIND
FIELDS.

LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

GFS AND ECMWF DIFFER ON TIMING THE FRONT THROUGH LATE WEEK. ECMWF
IS MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE AND INDICATES RAPID DRYING EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING. NAM IS SIMILAR TO THIS SOLUTION. GFS CLOSES OFF THE LOW
AND LAGS IT WEST LONGER WITH SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUING ACROSS
THE EASTERN AREAS INTO EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. CANADIAN IS EVEN
MORE OUT TO LUNCH WITH THE LOW CLOSING OFF OVER THE GULF COAST.

MUCH COOLER AIR WILL FILTER SOUTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH BELOW
NORMAL TEMPERATURES. SOME EASTERN AREAS MAY FALL INTO THE 40S
FRIDAY NIGHT.

STRONG WAA RETURNS FOR LATE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE
NEXT RIDGE AGGRESSIVELY BUILDING OVER THE SOUTHERN STATES. 00Z
ECMWF INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGHS EXCEEDING 100F OVER THE
DELTA AS 925 MB TEMPS CLIMB INTO THE LOW +30S CELSIUS. SEEMS A BIT
TOO WARM SO KEPT TEMPS SIMILAR FROM LAST SHIFT.

BORGHOFF

&&

.AVIATION...

06Z TAF CYCLE

VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A WEAK
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE MID SOUTH TUESDAY AND THEN STALL
OUT ACROSS THE AREA. AT THIS TIME THINK BEST TIME FOR /VCTS/
SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP WILL BE MAINLY AFTER 29/14-16Z AS
OVERALL INSTABILITY INCREASES AS THE FRONT APPROACHES TAF SITES. WENT
WITH VCSH AFTER 30/00Z DUE TO TIMING/COVERAGE ISSUES OF ANY
ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. SOUTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 5-7 KTS
WILL VEER NORTHWEST WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT.

CJC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM  95  73  93  73 /  20  20  20  30
MKL  92  65  90  68 /  30  20  20  30
JBR  95  70  89  70 /  20  20  20  40
TUP  94  69  93  69 /  60  20  30  30

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
MO...NONE.
MS...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 29, 4:10 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
510 AM CDT TUE MAY 29 2012

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-301130-
ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA-
CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER-
FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY-
ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON-
MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT-
PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY-
ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-
UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA-
510 AM CDT TUE MAY 29 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING NEAR THE
TENNESSEE RIVER. LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

A FEW STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN
MISSISSIPPI AND EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. HAIL WOULD BE THE MAIN
THREAT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREATS...BUT A TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT
BE RULED OUT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS MORNING AND MAYBE THURSDAY
AND THURSDAY EVENING.

BORGHOFF

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 29, 5:14 AM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
614 AM CDT TUE MAY 29 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0607 AM     HAIL             1 S RIPLEY              34.72N 88.94W
05/29/2012  E1.00 INCH       TIPPAH             MS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS APPROX 60 MPH ALONG
            HWY 15 NEAR RIPLEY.

&&

MRM

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Henderson

When: May 29, 5:30 AM CST to 5:35 AM CST
Where: Henderson County, 0.91 mi WSW of Juno
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.695, -88.545

Penny size hail fell along Highway 412, west of Lexington.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: May 29, 4:10 PM CST to 4:25 PM CST
Where: Carroll County, Hollow Rock to 0.89 mi WNW of Bruceton
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.030, -88.280

Straight line winds knocked 3 to 4 power poles down in Hollow Rock.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, May 2012

Sources

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: 381118, 381119.