Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and early evening across Western North Carolina. A Couple of the storms produced brief damaging winds and hail.
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 GSP wrote it up.
Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and early evening across Western North Carolina. A Couple of the storms produced brief damaging winds and hail.
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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 21, 1:28 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
228 PM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
A BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE
VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION INTO SATURDAY. A BACK DOOR
COLD FRONT WILL THEN PUSH INTO THE AREA FROM NORTHEAST USHERING IN
COOLER TEMPERATURES STARTING SUNDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 215 PM EDT...A PROMINENT 500 MB RIDGE AXIS WILL PERSIST OVER
THE LENGTH OF THE MS RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT THROUGH FRI. CONVECTION
ARISING FROM IMPULSES RIDING OVER THE UPPER RIDGE HAS ALREADY FILLED
IN ON REGIONAL RADARS FROM SE KY TO WV THIS AFTN. HOWEVER...THE
CONVECTION ALLOWING MODELS STILL SHOW THE BEST AFTN TSTM TRIGGERING
OVER THE SRN MTNS WHERE LAPS SFC BASED CAPE VALUES ARE RUNNING 3000
TO 4000 J/KG. THEN...THE MESOSCALE MODELS DEPICT THE WEAK CONVECTIVE
SYSTEM TO THE N PASSING MAINLY NORTH OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. SOME
TRAILING CONVECTION FROM THIS NRN SYSTEM MAY BRUSH THE NRN TIER FROM
21Z TO 03Z. MAINLY MID AND HIGH DEBRIS CLOUDS SHOULD LINGER THROUGH
THE NIGHTTIME HOURS...WITH ANY FOG AND LOW CLOUD ISSUES CONFINED TO
THE SW MTN VALLEYS. EXPECT ANOTHER NIGHT OF MILD MINS...WITH MAINLY
LOW TO MID 60S IN THE MTNS AND AROUND 70 ELSEWHERE.
THE FLOW PATTERN BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND A NEW ENGLAND LOW PRES SYSTEM
WILL AMPLIFY ON FRI...WITH MORE NNW FLOW DEVELOPING ALONG THE
APPALACHIANS BETWEEN THESE FEATURES. THIS SHOULD BRING THE NRN TIER
OF THE FORECAST AREA A BIT MORE INTO THE PATH OF ANY UPSTREAM MCS
ACTIVITY FROM THE OH VALLEY LATE FRI. IN ADDITION...SFC BASED
INSTABILITY AND LAPSE RATES LOOK JUST A TOUCH MORE ROBUST FOR FRI
AFTN...BUT STILL RELATIVELY UNIMPRESSIVE FOR SEVERE WX COMPARED TO
UPSTREAM AREAS. OTHERWISE...WESTERLY DOWNSLOPING 850 MB FLOW THROUGH
THE PERIOD WILL MAKE IT A STRUGGLE TO GET MUCH CONVECTION GOING FROM
OTHER SOURCES...AND MAX TEMPS WILL LIKELY GAIN A DEGREE OR SO OVER
THU VALUES. SRN PIEDMONT HEAT INDEX VALUES COULD SURPASS 100 FRI
AFTN IF WE SEE SLIGHTLY LESS DEWPOINT MIXING.
&&
.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AS OF 210 PM THURSDAY...STRONG UPPER RIDGE WILL PERSIST OVER THE
MISS VALLEY THROUGH THE PERIOD...PLACING MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST AND
MID-ATLANTIC WITHIN MODERATE N/NW UPPER FLOW. OUR AREA WILL
THEREFORE REMAIN SUSCEPTIBLE TO /RING OF FIRE/ CONVECTION DEVELOPING
NEAR QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL ZONE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY/CTRL
APPALACHIANS REGION...WHICH COULD DROP INTO THE CAROLINAS IN
SOMEWHAT ORGANIZED FASHION DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES WILL REMAIN SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT ISOLATED
SEVERE WEATHER SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING.
BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...THE FRONTAL ZONE MAY BEGIN TO BACK DOOR
ITS WAY INTO THE AREA BY EARLY SUNDAY...AS THE STILL-BUILDING UPPER
RIDGE BEGINS TO SQUEEZE THE DOWNSTREAM UPPER LOW OFF THE EAST
COAST...ALLOWING WEAK SURFACE RIDGING TO BUILD DOWN THE EASTERN
SEABOARD. THEREFORE...IN ADDITION TO THE CONTINUED THREAT OF
MIGRATION OF UPSTREAM CONVECTION INTO THE AREA...THE BACKDOOR FRONT
MAY PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS FOR CONVECTION ON SUNDAY. HOWEVER...
EXACTLY WHERE THE BEST CHANCES WILL OCCUR IS STILL SUBJECT OF
DEBATE...AS THE AIR NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY MAY BE TOO STABLE TO
SUPPORT MUCH IN THE WAY OF PRECIP CHANCES. THE HIGHEST POPS WILL BE
FAVORED ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST ZONES...WHERE CONFIDENCE IN ADEQUATE
INSTABILITY IS HIGHEST...AND A WEAK EASTERLY FLOW MAY PROVIDE AN
ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF LIFT NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE. TEMPS WILL REMAIN
ABOVE NORMAL UNTIL SUNDAY...WHEN MAXES WILL LIKELY BE BELOW NORMAL
UNDER MORE EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER AND E/NE FLOW.
&&
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 1230 PM THURSDAY...THE MEDIUM RANGE MODEL CONSENSUS PROVIDES
GOOD CONTINUITY FROM INHERITED FCST TO START OFF THE WORKWEEK. STILL
EXPECTING SFC RIDGING TO BE NOSED SSWD INTO THE CWFA WHILE UPPER
RIDGE AXIS BUILDS INTO THE EASTERN CONUS. SENSIBLE WX WILL FEATURE
MAX TEMPERATURES ABOUT 5 DEG F BELOW CLIMO WITH POSSIBLY A FEW
SHOWERS FORCED BY THE EASTERLY LLVL FLOW. SUPPRESSED ORIENTATION TO
ATMOSPHERE LOOKS TO CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY WITH EFFECTIVELY MINIMAL
SHOWER CHANCES AND TEMPERATURES PERHAPS WARMING A FEW DEG F.
DEEPER LAYERED RIDGING IS PROGGED TO BREAK DOWN DURING THE LATTER
HALF OF THE PERIOD...ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB BACK TO NORMAL
AND PERHAPS THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURNING BY THURSDAY.
&&
.AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AT KCLT...THE MIXING OUT OF DEWPOINTS HAS LED TO A FAIRLY PALTRY
CUMULUS FIELD THIS AFTN. STILL ANTICIPATE THAT MOST OF THE LATE DAY
CONVECTION WILL PASS NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR ASSOCIATED
WITH AN MCS OR CLUSTER MOVING E FROM KY AND WV. WILL ADVERTISE JUST
A LITTLE INCREASE IN VFR CLOUDS THROUGH THE EVENING
HOURS...TRANSITIONING TO MID AND HIGH DEBRIS CLOUDS FOR THE
OVERNIGHT. NW SFC WINDS EARLY ARE EXPECTED TO TOGGLE TO WSW THIS
EVENING AND THEN RETURN TO NW THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING WITH SLOWLY
IMPROVING MIXING. ANY CONVECTIVE CHANCES FOR NW NC LOOK RELEGATED TO
THE AFTN PERIOD FRI AND WILL NOT BE MENTIONED IN THE CURRENT KCLT
TAF THROUGH 18Z.
ELSEWHERE...ANY ISOLD TO SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOPING ALONG THE
TRAILING END OF AN MCS OR CONVECTIVE CLUSTER PASSING N OF THE REGION
THIS EVENING SHOULD STAY MAINLY N OF KAVL TO KHKY. GIVEN THE
POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL RIDGE TOP CONVECTION ADVECTING E IN THE
WESTERLY STEERING FLOW...WILL RETAIN A VCTS MENTION AT THE NC
SITES...BUT KEEP THE SC SITES COMPLETELY DRY. EXPECT MAINLY FEW TO
SCT CUMULUS SOUTH...WITH LITTLE MORE THEN BRIEF VFR CIGS ACROSS THE
NRN TIER THROUGH EVENING...WITH LINGERING MID AND HIGH DEBRIS CLOUDS
OVERNIGHT. THE HIGH CLOUDS MAY HELP TO CURTAIL FOG FORMATION...AND
THE RELATIVELY DRY MIXING OF DEWPOINTS THIS AFTN ALSO SUGGESTS THAT
ANY IFR FOG WOULD BE CONFINED TO JUST THE SW MTN RIVER VALLEYS NEAR
DAYBREAK. WILL KEEP ALL TAFS DRY ON FRI THROUGH 18Z. EXPECT MAINLY
LIGHT W TO NW WINDS...BRIEFLY GUSTY AT KAVL THIS AFTN...TOGGLING SW
IN SC OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL COME UP FROM THE NW WITH MIXING
THROUGHOUT ON FRI MORNING.
OUTLOOK...A SIMILAR PATTERN TO LATE THU IS EXPECTED FRI AFTN AND FRI
NIGHT...WITH MAINLY FAR NRN TIER SCT CONVECTION POSSIBLE. A BACKDOOR
COLD FRONT WILL SAG INTO THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH
CHANCES OF RESTRICTIONS INCREASING AT KHKY AND KAVL. A MORE DIURNAL
PATTERN OF EARLY MORNING LOW CLOUDS/FOG AND SCATTERED AFTN TSTMS MAY
RETURN EARLY NEXT WEEK.
CONFIDENCE TABLE...
18-24Z 00-06Z 06-12Z 12-18Z
KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KAVL HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 85% HIGH 87%
KHKY HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KGMU HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KAND HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
THE PERCENTAGE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING
WITH THE SCHEDULED TAF ISSUANCE FLIGHT RULE CATEGORY. COMPLETE
HOURLY EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLES AND ENSEMBLE
FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: (MUST BE LOWER CASE)
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION_TABLES
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...CSH
NEAR TERM...HG
SHORT TERM...JDL
LONG TERM...CSH
AVIATION...HGHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1021 AM EDT THU AUG 21 2014 NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510-221430- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD- BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- 1021 AM EDT THU AUG 21 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON...STARTING IN THE MOUNTAINS. CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEAST FROM THE OHIO VALLEY MAY THEN CROSS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS LATER IN THE DAY AND BRUSH THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND FOOTHILL AND PIEDMONT LOCATIONS MAINLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 THROUGH MID EVENING. BRIEFLY HEAVY RAIN AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS...BUT A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE BEST CHANCE OF AN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUST WOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER LATE IN THE DAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..SATURDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001>014-019-221430- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1021 AM EDT THU AUG 21 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...WITH THE BEST CHANCE IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..SATURDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GERAPETRITIS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
935 AM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0620 PM HAIL 2 W CENTRAL 34.72N 82.82W
08/20/2014 E1.50 INCH PICKENS SC PUBLIC
MIXED WITH QUARTER SIZED HAIL...SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1018 AM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM HAIL 3 NE TOCCOA 34.61N 83.29W
08/20/2014 E0.75 INCH STEPHENS GA CO-OP OBSERVER
RELAYED PUBLIC REPORT OF DIME SIZED HAIL AND SMALLER
ALONG LAKE LOUISE ROAD.
&&SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
327 PM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
NCZ064-SCZ002-003-005-006-212030-
GREATER GREENVILLE-GREATER PICKENS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS
MOUNTAINS-TRANSYLVANIA-
327 PM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN PICKENS...
NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE AND EAST CENTRAL TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES
THROUGH 430 PM EDT...
AT 325 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF CAESARS HEAD...OR 8 MILES SOUTH
OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
CAESARS HEAD...
TABLE ROCK STATE PARK...
MARIETTA...
TRAVELERS REST...
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
PLEASE REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1...
800...2 6 7...8 1 0 1...OR BY POSTING ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET
IT USING HASHTAG NWSGSP. YOUR MESSAGE SHOULD DESCRIBE THE EVENT AND
SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE IT OCCURRED.
LAT...LON 3511 8281 3522 8264 3518 8259 3515 8258
3515 8255 3500 8234 3486 8260
CDGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
333 PM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
NCZ505-506-212030-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
333 PM EDT THU AUG 21 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MCDOWELL COUNTY THROUGH 430 PM
EDT...
AT 331 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MARION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
LAKE JAMES...
MARION...
GLENWOOD...
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
PLEASE REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1...
800...2 6 7...8 1 0 1...OR BY POSTING ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET
IT USING HASHTAG NWSGSP. YOUR MESSAGE SHOULD DESCRIBE THE EVENT AND
SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE IT OCCURRED.
LAT...LON 3582 8206 3574 8190 3571 8187 3559 8183
3556 8183 3554 8185 3552 8197 3555 8200
3553 8203 3568 8220
CDGThe Greer radar (KGSP), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:34 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Media reported a couple of trees blown down along Baldwin Ave.
Public reported brief 3/4 inch hail.
County comms reported two trees blown down and taking down a power lines along Old Mountain Rd at the Iredell County line.
County comms reported two trees blown down and taking down a power lines along Old Mountain Rd at the Alexander County line.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2014
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: 538297, 538298, 538295, 538296.