A weakening line of showers and thunderstorms moved into the North Carolina mountains from East Tennessee during the morning. Localized damaging winds were observed along the leading edge, even after the line had begun to dissipate as it approached the Blue Ridge.
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.
A weakening line of showers and thunderstorms moved into the North Carolina mountains from East Tennessee during the morning. Localized damaging winds were observed along the leading edge, even after the line had begun to dissipate as it approached the Blue Ridge.
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 May 23, 6:34 AM EST, 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
734 AM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL SETTLE SLOWLY SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION TODAY
AND THEN STALL OVER GEORGIA TONIGHT. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE
FROM THE OHIO VALLEY TO THE OFFSHORE ATLANTIC WATERS OVER THE
WEEKEND. INSTABILITY AND TEMPERATURES WILL STEADILY REBOUND THROUGH
NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 730 AM...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FCST WITH THIS UPDATE.
WE ARE MONITORING A CLUSTER OF STRONG TO SEVERE TSTMS ACRS ERN
TN...APPROACHING THE SMOKIES. THE LATEST SPC MESOANALYSIS INDICATES
THE STRONGEST MUCAPE AND WEAKEST MUCIN IS TO THE WEST...SO THE
STORMS SHUD GRADUALLY WEAKEN AS THEY APPROACH. HOWEVER...THEY MAY
STILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS AS THEY ENTER THE NC MTNS
AROUND 800 AM. WILL KEEP THE CHC POP FOR NOW.
AS OF 230 AM...POTENT SHORTWAVE ENERGY CONTINUES TO BREAK DOWN THE
UPPER RIDGE THAT IS ANCHORED ACRS THE SOUTHEAST STATES...AS IT
ROUNDS A POSITIVELY-TILTED TROF ACRS THE GREAT LAKES. A SFC FRONT IS
SLOWLY SAGGING SOUTHWARD INTO THE TN VLY AND CENTRAL APPALACHIANS
EARLY THIS MORNING. RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS CONVECTION INCREASING IN
COVERAGE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE FRONT ACRS THE LOWER OH VLY...WITH A
FEW CELLS ACRS CENTRAL TN AND EVEN ONE IN AVERY COUNTY ATTM. THE NAM
AND THE LOCAL ARW/NMM ALL INDICATE THIS...WITH ISOLD TO SCT
CONVECTION REACHING THE TN/NC BORDER THRU DAYBREAK. THE BEST CHC
LOOKS TO BE IN THE SMOKIES. MEANWHILE...IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER GOOD
DAY FOR OROGRAPHIC CIRRUS (WITH SOME ALREADY SHOWING UP ON IR
IMAGERY). POPS WERE TWEAKED UP A LITTLE ACRS THE NC MTNS NEAR THE TN
BORDER...AND SKY WAS BUMPED UP TO REFLECT THE INCREASING CIRRUS.
LATER TODAY...THE MAIN LOBE OF 500 MB VORTICITY LOOKS TO ENTER THE
AREA BY MIDDAY...WITH THE BEST FORCING SHIFTING EAST BY PEAK
HEATING. MEANWHILE...THE SFC FRONT SHUD BEGIN TO PUSH INTO THE AREA
FROM THE NORTH (WHICH WITH POSSIBLE DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BNDRY
THANKS TO OROGRAPHIC CIRRUS)...SHUD PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR CONVECTION.
THE NAM AND GFS BOTH SHOW PLENTY OF INSTBY ALONG/SOUTH OF THE
FRONT...WITH SBCAPE OF 1500-2500 J/KG. FCST SNDGS SHOW THICK CAPE
AND 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR IN THE 35-45 KT RANGE. SO ANYTHING THAT IS
ABLE TO DEVELOP WILL HAVE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. SPC DAY 1 OUTLOOK HAS A SLGT RISK THAT CLIPS THE SE
CORNER OF THE CWFA...AND 5% AREA S OF I-40. THE BIGGEST QUESTION
WILL BE COVERAGE. A CONSENSUS OF ALL THE GUIDANCE ONLY SHOWS SLGT
CHC EVERYWHERE TO LOW-END CHC S OF KCLT. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE
APPROACHING FRONT AND GOOD INSTBY...I WENT A LITTLE HIGHER...WITH
CHC POP INCLUDING KCLT METRO AREA. TO THE WEST FROM GREENVILLE TO NE
GA...DOWNSLOPE LLVL FLOW MAY HELP KEEP THINGS MORE SUPPRESSED.
HOWEVER...I WILL KEEP THE SLGT CHC POP ACRS THE UPSTATE AND NE GA.
TEMPS SHUD BE ABLE TO WARM TO SIMILAR READINGS AS YESTERDAY...EXCEPT
A CATEGORY OR TWO COOLER ACRS THE I-40 CORRIDOR...WITH THE FRONT
PUSHING IN.
TONIGHT...SINCE THE BULK OF THE CONVECTION SHUD DEVELOP TO THE EAST
OF THE AREA...EXPECT COVERAGE ACRS THE CWFA TO WANE QUICKLY DURING
THE EVENING HOURS. DRIER AIR AND CAA FILTERING IN BEHIND THE FRONT
SHUD ALLOW TEMPS TO DROP INTO THE 40S TO LWR 50S MTNS AND MID 50S TO
LWR 60S ACRS THE PIEDMONT (CLOSE TO NORMAL).
&&
.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 230 AM FRIDAY...A SEMI PERSISTENT RIDGE AXIS OVER THE MID
SOUTH AND LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY WILL KEEP NW FLOW ALOFT OVER THE
REGION SAT THROUGH MON. SOME DEGREE OF DRYING SHOULD SETTLE IN FROM
THE N ON SAT AS A SFC COLD FRONT MOVES TO THE SRN PERIPHERY OF THE
FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...LINGERING MOISTURE IS EXPECTED ACROSS SW
SECTIONS...AND AN INVERTED SFC TROUGH NEAR THE SRN APPALACHIANS AND
UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER AREA WILL PROVIDE WEAK FORCING. THIS MAY
TRIGGER MAINLY DIURNAL ISOLD TO SCT CONVECTION THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...WITH BETTER COVERAGE DEVELOPING BY MON AFTN AS INSTABILITY
REBOUNDS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR CLIMO EARLY IN THE
PERIOD...RISING TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE CLIMO BY MONDAY.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 230 AM FRIDAY...MODEL DIFFERENCES...PARTICULARLY IN THE
HANDLING OF THE UPPER LEVEL HEIGHT FIELDS...DEVELOP DURING THE
MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD TUE THROUGH THU. CONSENSUS SHOWS SOME SEMBLANCE
OF A WEAKLY CLOSED PLAINS SYSTEM DEVELOPING BY TUESDAY...BUT WITH
DEPARTURES ON THE HANDLING OF DOWNSTREAM FEATURES ACROSS THE EAST.
DESPITE THE UNCERTAINY OVER THE ERN HEIGHT FIELDS...THERE IS SOME
CONSENSUS ON SFC BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE AND INLAND PIEDMONT TROUGHING
OF SOME EXTENT TUE THROUGH THU. WILL SHY AWAY FROM THE HIGHER
AMPLITUDE GFS SOLUTION OVER THE EAST THAT IS NOT WELL SUPPORTED BY
THE ECMWF/CMC/ENSEMBLE MEANS. FORTUNATELY...THE SENSIBLE WEATHER
DIFFERENCE ARE LESS STARK...WITH MAINLY SCT DIURNAL CONVECTION
LIKELY IN THE WARM SECTOR AIRMASS. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY REBOUND
TO 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE CLIMO IN MANY LOCATIONS.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AT KCLT...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THINKING FROM THE 06Z TAFS.
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW ISOLD TO SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOPING
LATE AFTN...AND QUICKLY EXITING TO THE EAST BY EARLY EVENING...AS A
COLD FRONT PUSHES THRU FROM THE NORTH. A 21-24Z TEMPO LOOKS
GOOD...WITH INITIATION EXPECTED ALBEIT WITH LOW CONFIDENCE A STORM
WOULD AFFECT THE FIELD. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE IN AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS.
OTHERWISE...MTN WAVE CIRRUS MAY OCCASIONALLY PRODUCE A CIG THRU
MIDDAY...WITH FEW-SCT CUMULUS DEVELOPING EARLY AFTN. WINDS WILL
FAVOR A NW DIRECTION 8-10 KTS...WITH OCCASIONAL LOW-END GUSTS
POSSIBLE THIS AFTN. THEN AS CONVECTION WANES...SKIES CLEAR AND WINDS
VEER TO N/NE TONIGHT. NO FOG OR LOW STRATUS EXPECTED BEHIND THE
FRONT.
ELSEWHERE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THRU THE PERIOD. A COLD
FRONT WILL SAG SOUTH THRU THE AREA DURING THE DAY. GUIDANCE STILL
KEEPING THE BULK OF THE CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TO THE EAST OF THE
TAF SITES. A FEW ISOLD SHRA/TSRA WILL PROBABLY DEVELOP ACRS THE
AREA...ESP THE UPSTATE. HOWEVER...STILL NOT ENUF TO WARRANT ANY
MENTION IN THE TAFS. ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP MAY PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL AND/OR STRONG WIND GUSTS. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL FAVOR A NW
DIRECTION...EXCEPT OCCASIONAL WSW ACRS THE UPSTATE BEFORE THE FRONT
PASSES THIS AFTN. WINDS CONTINUE TO VEER TO N/NE TONIGHT...AS SHUD
BE ENUF TO PRECLUDE ANY FOG DEVELOPMENT.
OUTLOOK...DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR THE WEEKEND...ISOLATED
SHRA/TSRA ARE POSSIBLE. AFTN CONVECTION COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO
INCREASE SOMEWHAT FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY...AS DEEPER MOISTURE
RETURNS.
CONFIDENCE TABLE...
11-17Z 17-23Z 23-05Z 05-11Z
KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
KAVL HIGH 97% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100%
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...HG
NEAR TERM...ARK
SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM...HG
AVIATION...ARKHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 411 AM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-240815- 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- 411 AM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION TODAY WILL GENERATE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ALTHOUGH THE COVERAGE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE VERY WIDESPREAD...JUST ABOUT ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS LATE TODAY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BRIEF BUT DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS. IN ADDITION...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY ANY THUNDERSTORM. THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE TODAY WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 85...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA AND THE EASTERN UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ..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. ..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO RELAY ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
710 AM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014
NCZ048>052-058-231230-
GRAHAM-HAYWOOD-MADISON-MITCHELL-SWAIN-YANCEY-
710 AM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE TENNESSEE BORDER COUNTIES OF
THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 745 AND 830 AM EDT...
AT 705 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE APPROACHING THE KNOXVILLE AND
MORRISTOWN AREAS OF EASTERN TENNESSEE. THIS LINE WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH...AND THIS MOVEMENT WILL BRING THE LEADING EDGE
OF GUSTY WINDS INTO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 745 AND 800
AM...WITH THE MAIN THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVING BETWEEN 800 AND 830 AM.
LOCATIONS ACROSS GRAHAM...SWAIN...HAYWOOD...MADISON...YANCEY...AND
MITCHELL COUNTIES WILL LIKELY SEE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH
WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE LINE THIS MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
AND A FEW CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE EXPECTED AS WELL.
WINDS THIS STRONG CAN BLOW DOWN TREES THAT ARE DEAD...OR THAT HAVE
WEAKENED ROOT SYSTEMS. OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND SIMILAR ITEMS CAN BE
TOSSED AROUND IF NOT ANCHORED. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AS THE LINE OF
STORMS APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3553 8387 3557 8350 3578 8299 3594 8290
3607 8264 3596 8256 3615 8215 3591 8198
3589 8198 3582 8214 3593 8216 3570 8285
3562 8281 3546 8313 3552 8322 3547 8335
3536 8334 3529 8347 3523 8390 3536 8403
HGThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:29 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter reported a large tree and mutliple large limbs down in the Mars Hill area. Other spotters estimated 60 mph winds in the area.
County comms reported numerous trees blown down near the high school.
Media reported multiple trees blown down in the Riceville Community (4 E Asheville), with some trees on homes and one tree falling on a moving vehicle on Lower Grassy Branch Rd. Spotter also reported numerous trees down west of Black|Mountain. The wind damage was the result of outflow from a dissipating line of thunderstorms.
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, May 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: 508178, 508179, 508180.