Hail, Macon
- When
- June 18, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Macon County, Franklin
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.200, -83.400
Spotter reported hail near Franklin.
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed over the mountains and foothills during early-to-mid afternoon and moved into the Piedmont by late afternoon and early evening. A few storms produced large hail and/or damaging winds, mainly over the foothills and Piedmont.
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.
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed over the mountains and foothills during early-to-mid afternoon and moved into the Piedmont by late afternoon and early evening. A few storms produced large hail and/or damaging winds, mainly over the foothills and Piedmont.
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 Jun 18, 9:54 AM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1054 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
DEEP LAYERED HIGH PRESSURE WILL PERSIST ATOP THE SOUTHEAST REGION
THROUGH LATE WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP A RELATIVELY WARM AIR MASS IN
PLACE ACROSS THE AREA INTO THE WEEKEND. THE RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN ON
FRIDAY AND SHOULD ALLOW FOR GREATER COVERAGE OF STORMS OVER THE
WEEKEND.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 1045 AM...FCST LOOKS ON TRACK. THE 12Z GSO/FFC SNDGS SHOW ONLY
SUBTLE CHANGE FROM YESTERDAY. BROAD HIGH PRES SYSTEM...PERHAPS
SHIFTING SLIGHTLY TO THE WEST...RESULTING IN LLVL FLOW VEERED MORE
OUT OF THE W/NW. THIS MAY RESULT IN SFC DWPTS MIXING OUT A BIT EAST
OF THE MTNS...AND LIMITING CONVECTIVE COVERAGE THIS AFTN. WITH THAT
SAID...STRONG INSOLATION SHUD RESULT IN ANOTHER MOD-HIGH CAPE DAY
WITH LITTLE IF ANY CIN. CONVERGENCE ALONG A PIEDMONT TROF MAY
ENHANCE COVERAGE IN SPOTS...BUT THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN. I
WILL LEAVE THE CHC POP MTNS AND SLGT CHC POP PIEDMONT AS IS FOR THIS
AFTN WITH THIS UPDATE. A FEW PULSE SEVERE STORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS
AND QUARTER-SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED.
AS OF 635 AM...I WILL UPDATE THE FORECAST TO TRIM THE FOG MENTION
FROM MOST OF THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...PRESERVING WITHIN THE MTN
VALLEYS. OTHERWISE...THE UPDATE WILL FEATURE UPDATED MORNING HOURLY
TEMPS AND DEWPOINTS.
AS OF 340 AM...THE REGION WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN UNDER DEEP RIDGING
TODAY. LATEST W/V IMAGES INDICATED VERY WEAK FEATURES UPSTREAM OF
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS...WEST OF AN INTERESTING SWIRL OFF THE GA
COAST. IT APPEARS THAT CONVECTION WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL LLVL CIN
ERODES THIS AFTERNOON. CLEAR CONDITIONS SHOULD ALLOW FOR QUICK
WARMING THROUGH MID DAY...WITH HIGHS EXPECTED NEAR OR SLIGHTLY
HOTTER THAN OBSERVED ON TUES. BY MID AFTERNOON...CAPES SHOULD RANGE
BETWEEN 1500-2500 J/KG...WITH LFC ABOVE 5 KFT. NEAR TERM MODELS
INDICATE THAT DEEP CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH ISO COVERAGE ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT.
LEVELS OF HAIL GROWTH TEMPERATURES...VALUES OF DCAPE...AND WEAK
SHEAR SHOULD RESULT IN ONE TO TWO SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS THIS
AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...LINGERING CONVECTION WILL DISSIPATE ONE TO TWO HOURS
FOLLOWING SUNSET. DEBRIS CLOUDS SHOULD LINGER THROUGH THIS
EVENING...CLEARING DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. LOW TEMPERATURES ARE
FORECAST TO RANGE FROM THE MID 60S ACROSS THE MTNS TO NEAR 70 EAST.
&&
.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 300 AM WEDNESDAY...THERE REMAINS A CONSENSUS AMONG THE MODELS
THAT THE UPPER RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN ACROSS THE CAROLINAS AS THE
CENTER OF AN UPPER ANTICYCLONE RETROGRADES TO THE MS DELTA REGION
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. IN SPITE OF THIS SLOW EVOLUTION...AT THIS
POINT...IT APPEARS THAT A SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL NOT GET ENOUGH OF A
PUSH TO DROP DOWN FROM THE MID ATLANTIC REGION TO THE CAROLINAS...AT
LEAST NOT THROUGH FRIDAY. THAT SHOULD LEAVE US WITH A CONTINUATION
OF MAINLY DIURNAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BOTH DAYS...WITH PERHAPS
AN INCREASE IN COVERAGE ON FRIDAY AS THERE MIGHT BE A BIT MORE LOW
LEVEL FORCING WITH THE BREAKDOWN OF THE RIDGE. TEMPS WILL CONTINUE
TO BE ABOVE NORMAL.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 330 AM EDT WEDNESDAY...NO MAJOR CHANGES SUGGESTED BY THE
LATEST ROUND OF MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE. STILL EXPECT A GENERAL WNW
FLOW ALOFT STARTING SATURDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE IS REPLACED BY A
BROAD UPPER TROF ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND NORTHEAST. AS IN
PREVIOUS THINKING...THIS IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE MCS TRACK FARTHER
SOUTH...OR AT LEAST PROVIDE THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NE GEORGIA
WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP CONVECTION ON OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES
FROM MCS MOVING PAST TO THE N. THE DIURNAL TREND IN THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES WAS KEPT...BUT THE POP WAS BUMPED UP INTO THE CHC RANGE
ACROSS THE WHOLE FCST AREA EACH AFTERNOON BASED ON THE LATEST HPC
GUIDANCE AND NEIGHBORING FCSTS. NO OTHER CHANGES WERE MADE.
&&
.AVIATION /15Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AT KCLT...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE 12Z TAF PERIOD. THE
REGION WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN UNDER DEEP RIDGING. LATEST W/V IMAGES
INDICATE VERY WEAK FEATURES UPSTREAM OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. IT
APPEARS THAT CONVECTION WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL LLVL CIN ERODES THIS
AFTERNOON. THE GREATEST COVERAGE SHOULD OCCUR ACROSS THE
MTNS...POSSIBLY DEVELOPING OVER THE PIEDMONT DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON. AT THIS TIME...CHCS APPEAR LOW TO WARRANT A PROB30. I
WILL KEEP THE TAF DRY WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS...SCT CU BASES
BETWEEN 050-060 KFT.
ELSEWHERE...CONDITIONS WILL BE SIMILAR TO KCLT. MVFR TO VFR FOG IS
POSSIBLE AT KAVL AND KHKY EARLY THIS MORNING...KAVL COULD SEE A
PERIOD OF BKN005. I WILL HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL FOR SHRA/TSRA OVER
WESTERN CAROLINA TERMINALS WITH A PROB30 18Z-24Z AND VCTS AT KAVL
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...I WILL KEEP THE TAFS DRY WITH SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS...SCT CU BASES AROUND 060 KFT.
OUTLOOK...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE ACROSS
THE MTNS. RESTRICTIONS MAY OCCUR DURING TSRA AND ALSO IN THE MTN
VALLEYS EACH MORNING WHERE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG MAY FORM OVER AREAS OF
RECENT RAINFALL.
CONFIDENCE TABLE...
15-21Z 21-03Z 03-09Z 09-15Z
KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KAVL HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% MED 75%
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...PM
NEAR TERM...ARK/NED
SHORT TERM...PM
LONG TERM...PM
AVIATION...NEDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 622 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-191030- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-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-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 622 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF THE CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. STORMS WILL BE ISOLATED OVER THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. THE STORMS SHOULD DIMINISH IN THE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..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. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. MOORE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1159 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 NCZ052-053-064-065-181645- BUNCOMBE-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-TRANSYLVANIA- 1159 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN TRANSYLVANIA... NORTHWESTERN HENDERSON...SOUTHEASTERN HAYWOOD AND SOUTHWESTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTIES THROUGH 1245 PM EDT... AT 1154 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTH OF CRUSO...OR 8 MILES NORTH OF BREVARD. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR... CRUSO... SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLES. CONSIDER MOVING VEHICLES BEFORE THE STORM ARRIVES. LAT...LON 3553 8268 3531 8255 3523 8283 3539 8293 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1209 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
NCZ062-181700-
MACON-
1209 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MACON COUNTY THROUGH 100 PM
EDT...
AT 1206 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES EAST OF NANTAHALA LAKE...OR 9 MILES WEST
OF FRANKLIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLES.
CONSIDER MOVING VEHICLES TO A COVERED STORAGE AREA BEFORE THE STORM
ARRIVES.
LAT...LON 3529 8357 3529 8352 3531 8349 3530 8347
3530 8345 3520 8329 3502 8352 3506 8358
3515 8366 3515 8368
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1238 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
NCZ063-064-181730-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
1238 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON AND
SOUTHWESTERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT...
AT 1237 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR GORGES STATE PARK...OR 19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
BREVARD...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
GORGES STATE PARK...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLES.
CONSIDER MOVING VEHICLES TO A COVERED STORAGE AREA BEFORE THE STORM
ARRIVES.
LAT...LON 3524 8281 3508 8279 3500 8310 3500 8311
3501 8311 3502 8313 3518 8314
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1245 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
NCZ064-065-SCZ003-181730-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-HENDERSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
1245 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE...EAST
CENTRAL TRANSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN HENDERSON COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM
EDT...
AT 1241 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR DUPONT STATE FOREST...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF BREVARD...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
CAESARS HEAD...
JONES GAP STATE PARK...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLES.
CONSIDER MOVING VEHICLES TO A COVERED STORAGE AREA BEFORE THE STORM
ARRIVES.
LAT...LON 3529 8239 3503 8241 3506 8259 3507 8257
3508 8258 3507 8262 3509 8274 3527 8273
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1248 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
NCZ505-506-181730-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
1248 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTY THROUGH
130 PM EDT...
AT 1245 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BUSICK...OR 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF MARION...
MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLES.
CONSIDER MOVING VEHICLES TO A COVERED STORAGE AREA BEFORE THE STORM
ARRIVES.
LAT...LON 3584 8193 3580 8198 3573 8188 3570 8187
3564 8219 3572 8222 3576 8217 3579 8217
3585 8209 3585 8205 3588 8202 3588 8200
3587 8200 3592 8196
07The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:59 UTC.
7 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter reported hail near Franklin.
Public reported quarter size hail near Leicester.
Media reported nickel size hail on I-40 near mile marker 116.
Media reported nickel size hail on Cape Hickory Rd (3 ENE Icard) and on West View Ave near the Hickory Airport (4 ENE).
Public reported nickel size hail near Longview.
Media relayed public report of quarter size hail in Icard.
FD reported quarter size hail.
FD reported two trees blown down on a house and trees down on power lines south of Lincolnton. Also, Ham radio operator reported at least two trees blown down long Highway 321 in this area.
Spotter relayed a public report of multiple trees blown down.
County comms reported multiple trees blown down along Midway Rd.
County comms reported multiple trees and large limbs blown down on power lines in the High Rock Lake area.
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, June 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: 522752, 522757, 522756, 524709, 522754, 522755, 522753, 522758, 522760, 522759, 522761.