Thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front, aided by a moderately unstable air mass and strong deep layer shear. These storms produced damaging wind gusts and hail up to half dollar size.
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 RAH wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front, aided by a moderately unstable air mass and strong deep layer shear. These storms produced damaging wind gusts and hail up to half dollar size. Although several tornado warnings were issued for rotating storms, none were verified. As the cold front overtook these discrete cells, the primary threat became damaging wind gusts as it transitioned to a linear convective mode.
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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 1:55 PM EST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 255 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BRINGING WITH IT HEAVY RAIN AND THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BEHIND THE FRONT...COOLER AND DRIER CONDITIONS WILL MOVE IN FOR THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM FRIDAY... ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9PM FOR ALL COUNTIES IN THE CWA EAST OF I-95. THE THREAT IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE WITH ANOTHER WATCH POSSIBLE FOR THE REMAINING COUNTIES WITHIN THE CWA LATER THIS EVENING. TORNADO AND HAIL THREAT: ALTHOUGH THE PRIMARY THREAT THIS EVENING IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING WINDS...A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY HAS SET UP ACROSS THE CWA WHICH COULD BE A CATALYST FOR ROTATION ONCE STORMS EVOLVE THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION BRIEF SPIN UPS ALONG THE MAIN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION INCREASED INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH ALONG WITH MORE BACKING OF THE WINDS AT THE SURFACE THAN ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED WILL GIVE A SLIGHT BOOST TO THE TORNADO POTENTIAL. HODOGRAPHS CURRENTLY DEPICT HIGHER HELICITY VALUES IN THE 0-3 KM RANGE WITH HIGHEST TOTALS IN THE SOUTH AND EAST WHERE TEMPERATURES HAVE RISEN INTO THE MIDDLE 80S. CURRENT RADAR TRENDS DO SHOW SOME DISCREET CELLS BEGINNING TO FOR AHEAD OF THE LINE IN THE WESTERN PIEDMONT. IF WE ARE TO SEE ANY HAIL THIS EVENING...THESE DISCREET CELLS WOULD BE THE BEST CANDIDATES AS THEY DO HAVE HIGHER CAPE IN THE HAIL GROWTH ZONE. AS THE AFTERNOON WHERES ON THIS INSTABILITY WILL DIMINISH. DAMAGING WIND THREAT: THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO WITH THIS SYSTEM REMAINS A QLCS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY THREAT. MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW AN INVERTED V SIGNATURE WITH SOME MID LEVEL DRY AIR INITIALLY BECOMING MOIST THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN AS FRONTOGENESIS INCREASES. THE MID LEVEL CAP THAT WAS INDICATED EARLIER IN THE DAY HAS MOST LIKELY ERODED OR IS IN THE PROCESS OF ERODING AT THIS TIME...PAVING THE WAY FOR GREATER INSTABILITY MOVING FORWARD. MIXED LAYER CAPE OF 500-1000 J/KG IS MANIFESTING ITSELF OVER MUCH OF THE CWA AND SHOULD HELP TO STRENGTHEN THE LINE OF STORMS AS IT MOVES INTO THE WESTERN PIEDMONT. CURRENTLY THE BEST LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES REMAIN TO THE SOUTH BUT THEY ARE ALREADY GOOD AT 7.5 TO 8 DEG/KM OVER CENTRAL NC. MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE NOT AS IMPRESSIVE BUT SHOULD IMPROVE SLIGHTLY. EFFECTIVE SHEAR WILL BE 40-50 KNOTS ALONG THE LINE OF STORMS WITH LESSER VALUES OUT AHEAD OF THE LINE. TIMING EXCLUDING CELLS AHEAD OF THE LINE WILL BE 4-5 PM IN THE TRIAD...7-9 IN THE TRIANGLE AND 10PM-12AM IN THE EAST. PRECIPITATION THREAT: HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM SPC MESO-ANALYSIS SHOWS PRECIPITABLE WATERS OVER 1.5 INCHES AND VERY STRONG 850 MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT ASSOCIATED WITH THE 50 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET MOVING OVER CENTRAL NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. EXPECT PLUS OR MINUS AN INCH OF RAIN WITH THE SYSTEM DEPENDING ON RAIN RATES IN THE HEAVIER THUNDERSTORM AND THE FORWARD SPEED OF THE LINE. FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO BE A LARGE PROBLEM BUT IS WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON IN TRAINING CELLS OR IN THE USUAL URBAN FLOOD ZONES. BEHIND THE FRONT EXPECT LIGHT ANAFRONTAL STRATIFORM RAIN TO CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE FINALLY MOVING OUT DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FROM WEST TO EAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE HOLDING ON FOR UPPER 70S IN THE NW TO LOW TO MID 80S SE. DEWPOINTS WILL HOLD IN THE MIDDLE 60S BEFORE DROPPING OFF BEHIND THE FRONT. AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY AND LOW TEMPERATURES WILL DEPEND ON THE EXACT TIMING OF THE FRONT BUT WILL MOST LIKELY END UP MIDDLE 40S NW TO MIDDLE 50S SE. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 255 PM FRIDAY... ONCE THE COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED PREFRONTAL CONVECTION CLEAR THE AREA LATE TONIGHT...STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE COUNTRY AND EXTEND SOUTH INTO CENTRAL NC THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES ARE FORECAST TO FALL TO AROUND 1320M BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS...WHICH SUGGESTS HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 60S. THE BETTER RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR ON SATURDAY NIGHT..THOUGH THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER NC MAY STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR A LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY WIND. LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT WILL FALL INTO LOW TO MID 40S IN MOST AREAS...THOUGH UPPER 30S ARE POSSIBLE IN OUTLYING AREAS. LOWS SHOULD BE A FEW DEGREES WARMER SUNDAY NIGHT BUT STRENGTHENING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE SURFACE RIDGE AND A SHARPENING COASTAL TROUGH SHOULD CREATE A CHILLY 10-15MPH NORTHEASTERLY WIND OVERNIGHT. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 255 PM FRIDAY... ...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES NEXT WEEK... STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL DRIFT SLOWLY ACROSS NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND EARLY NEXT WEEK.. EXTENDING SOUTH DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD. MEANWHILE...A PAIR OF SHORTWAVES WILL TRAVERSE THE MEAN TROUGH DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CONUS. THE PASSAGE OF THE WEAKER LEAD SHORTWAVE SHOULD INDUCE WEAK CYCLOGENESIS ALONG A STALLED OUT FRONTAL ZONE OFF CAROLINA COAST...MOSTLY LIKELY LATE MONDAY BASED ON CURRENT MODELS PROJECTIONS. THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE WESTWARD EXTENT OF THE RAIN SHIELD ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURFACE WAVE AS IT LIFTS NORTH AND PARALLELS THE COASTLINE. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR RAIN...ESPECIALLY EAST...WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER AND THE PRESENCE OF THE STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE FAVOR COLD AIR DAMMING DEVELOPMENT AND HIGHS 10-15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL MONDAY. SOME MODERATION OF HIGHS BACK TOWARD NORMAL WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY...DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF THE CAD. THE LATTER OF THE TWO AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVES WILL THEN SWING ACROSS THE MIDWEST STATES WEDNESDAY AND SEND A COLD FRONT ACROSS OUR AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 110 PM FRIDAY... 24 HOUR TAF PERIOD: VERY HIGH CONFIDENCE OF SUB VFR CONDITIONS THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA. PRIOR TO FRONTAL PASSAGE MVFR CONDITIONS WILL LIFT OUT TO VFR FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS. AHEAD OF THE FRONT EXPECT BREEZY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AS OBSERVATIONS HAVE SHOW WINDS OF 15-20 KNOTS SUSTAINED GUSTING TO NEAR 30 KNOTS. EXPECT A WEST TO EAST ADVANCE OF DETERIORATING CONDITIONS WITH KINT AND KGSO AFFECTED BY THE FRONT BETWEEN 20Z AND 0Z. KRDU AND KFAY WILL SEE STORMS IN THE 22Z TO 2Z TIMEFRAME AND FURTHER EAST AT KRWI BETWEEN 0Z AND 4Z. WIND GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS AND POTENTIALLY HIGHER ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN STORMS. AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE EXPECT STRATIFORM RAIN TO CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AT ALL SIGHTS WITH CONDITIONS DETERIORATING AGAIN TO AT LEAST MVFR IF NOT LOWER. RAIN SHOULD MOVE OUT BY SATURDAY MORNING AND CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO VFR. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWESTERLY AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE NEAR 10 KNOTS. LONG TERM: SPORADIC SUB-VFR EPISODES ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...ELLIS NEAR TERM...ELLIS SHORT TERM...SMITH LONG TERM...SMITH AVIATION...ELLIS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 214 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 NCZ011-027-028-043-078-089-201815- HALIFAX-NASH-EDGECOMBE-WILSON-WAYNE-SAMPSON- 214 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AS A STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION...THERE WILL BE A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 8 PM AND MIDNIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ007>010-021>026-038>042-073>077-083>086-088-201815- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-ORANGE- DURHAM-FRANKLIN-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-STANLY- MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND- 214 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 ...TORNADO WATCH 130 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. AS A STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION...THERE WILL BE A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 4 PM AND MIDNIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
237 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
NCZ038-191915-
DAVIDSON-
237 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS DAVIDSON COUNTY THROUGH 315
PM EDT...
AT 237 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
HIGH ROCK...OR ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SALISBURY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...DENTON...
GORDONTOWN...THOMASVILLE.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 85 BETWEEN EXITS 91 AND 103.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...
POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
&&
LAT...LON 3601 8005 3565 8006 3554 8020 3555 8022
3558 8021 3563 8027 3563 8028 3565 8031
3567 8031 3568 8034 3569 8034
TIME...MOT...LOC 1837Z 220DEG 35KT 3560 8028
GIHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
322 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
NCZ022-192015-
GUILFORD-
322 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS GUILFORD COUNTY THROUGH 415
PM EDT...
AT 322 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
JAMESTOWN...OR ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF HIGH POINT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
50 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...GREENSBORO...LAKE
TOWNSEND...MCLEANSVILLE...AND MONTICELLO.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE
AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
&&
LAT...LON 3625 7954 3623 7953 3591 7973 3592 8004
3626 7987
TIME...MOT...LOC 1922Z 221DEG 42KT 3599 7988
10SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
342 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
NCZ038-039-192015-
DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-
342 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS RANDOLPH AND DAVIDSON
COUNTIES THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 341 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
HIGH ROCK...OR ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LINWOOD...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 45 MPH. STRONG WINDS ARE LIKELY IN AND NEAR THIS STORM.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...GORDONTOWN...
THOMASVILLE...TRINITY.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 85 BETWEEN EXITS 94 AND 108.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...
POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
&&
LAT...LON 3593 8015 3586 7976 3550 8017 3551 8019
3555 8022 3558 8021 3563 8027 3563 8028
3565 8031 3567 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 1941Z 217DEG 38KT 3563 8021
GIHThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:44 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A couple of trees were blown down in Winston-Salem.
Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported in Sophia.
Numerous trees were blown down in and around the Pleasant Garden area.
Several trees were blown down along a swath from near Oak Ridge to near Monticello.
Nickel to quarter size hail was reported near Pleasant Garden.
Numerous trees were blown down along Highway 15 between Stovall and Bullock and north to the North Carolina/Virginia state line. Also, a roof was blown off of a barn.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county.
Several trees were blown down in the western portion of the county.
Numerous trees were blown down along a swath from near Robbins to near Carthage. Near Eagle Springs, one tree fell on top of four cars, with one of the cars being totaled (value of the car is unknown). In addition, a trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 60 mph in Seven Lakes.
The top of a 15-20 foot pine tree was snapped off and several large limbs were blown down near Sanford.
Several trees were blown down near Olivia.
One tree was blown down on Highway 64 near Jordan Lake, blocking one lane of traffic.
Widespread trees and power lines were blown down along a swath from near Fuquay-Varina to Raleigh. In addition trees were reported to have fallen on 3 homes in the Apex and Cary areas (exact monetary damage is unknown).
One tree was blown down near Kerr Lake.
A couple of trees were blown down along a swath from several miles southwest of Bahama to near Bethesda, with one of the trees falling on the roof of a church (exact monetary damages are unknown).
The ASOS at the Raleigh Durham International Airport reported a peak wind gust of 59 mph. In addition, a trained spotter measured a 71 mph wind gust near the Interstate 540 on-ramp near Holly Springs 15 minutes earlier.
Multiple trees were blown down on Snow Hill Road several miles south of Bahama.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the town of Franklinton.
Quarter size hail was reported near Laurinburg.
Several trees were blown down near Clayton.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county.
Numerous large tree limbs were blown down and blocking a roadway near Rosemary. The DOT had to be dispatched to clear the road.
Several trees were blown down near Benson. Also, a shed was overturned.
One tree was blown down across Carroll Store Road near Salemburg.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 2013
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 440109, 440110, 440111, 440112, 440113, 440115, 440116, 440117, 440120, 440121, 440123, 440124, 440128, 440129, 440130, 440145, 440132, 440133, 440134, 440136, 440138, 440140, 440141, 440143.