Scattered showers and storms developed along a lee/piedmont surface trough and subsequent outflow boundaries across central North Carolina during the afternoon and evening, aided by intense surface heating, moist low level air mass, and weak mid level disturbance crossing the area.
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.
Scattered showers and storms developed along a lee/piedmont surface trough and subsequent outflow boundaries across central North Carolina during the afternoon and evening, aided by intense surface heating, moist low level air mass, and weak mid level disturbance crossing the area.
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 May 27, 1:56 PM EST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 256 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 .SYNOPSIS...A SEASONABLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA ON THURSDAY...THEN STALL SOUTH OF THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 250 PM TUESDAY... THE LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS CONTINUES TO SHOW A SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE CAROLINAS AND VIRGINIA. SHOWERS AND STORMS HAVE MOVED INTO THE TRIAD AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THIS EVENING AS A DISTURBANCE TRAVERSES THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. PWAT VALUES IN THE 1.50-1.75 INCH RANGE THIS AFTERNOON COULD RESULT IN SOME HEAVY RAIN WITH THE SHOWERS AND STORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. INSTABILITY IS GREATEST IN THE SANDHILLS AND COASTAL PLAIN...WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES...BUT WEAK MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. SHEAR IS RELATIVELY WEAK...AND THE BEST UPPER LEVEL FORCING WILL LIKELY MOVE OVER THE AREA AFTER SUNSET...THUS DO NOT EXPECT ANY WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUST OR DOWNBURST. HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY BE THE BIGGEST THREAT GIVEN THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE. ANY SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT DEVELOP SHOULD WANE AFTER SUNSET AS NOCTURNAL STABILIZATION SETS UP. OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S EXPECTED. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 250 PM TUESDAY... WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN AS THE STRONG LOW PRESSURE OVER THE OK/TX MOVES EASTWARD. AS A RESULT...WINDS ALOFT WILL BECOME MORE WEST/NORTHWESTERLY AS THE TROUGH TO THE NORTH MOVES THROUGH. THE INSTABILITY...SHEAR...AND LAPSE RATES WILL BE SIMILAR TO TODAY...WITH THE MOST FAVORABLE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTH AND EAST. WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES SHOULD HELP GET SHOWERS AND STORMS FIRING IN THE AFT/EVE...BUT GIVEN THE WEAK MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND RELATIVELY WEAK SHEAR...DO NOT EXPECT SEVERE STORMS TO DEVELOP AT THIS TIME. WILL CONTINUE TO FORECAST SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGHS WILL BE SIMILAR TO TODAY...MAYBE A DEGREE OR TWO WARMER...UPPER 80S NW TO LOW 90S SE AND OVERNIGHT LOWS ARE AGAIN EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY SLIP SOUTH TOWARD CENTRAL NC THROUGH THE PERIOD...BUT SHOULD LARGELY STAY NORTH OF THE AREA. -KCP THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...A BACK DOOR FRONT WILL DRIFT SOUTHWARD THROUGH CENTRAL NC ON THURSDAY...AND THEN LIKELY STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA NEAR THE NC/SC BORDER THURSDAY NIGHT. PWAT VALUES ARE PROGGED TO RANGE BETWEEN 1.5-1.75 INCHES AND GIVEN THE WEAK CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT...AM STILL EXPECTING GOOD PRECIP COVERAGE AND WILL GO AHEAD AND INCREASE POPS TO LIKELY (ESPECIALLY DURING THE PEAK HEATING TIME FRAME). WITH REGARDS TO ANY SEVERE THREAT...DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS PROGGED TO BE WEAK (ON THE ORDER OF 10- 20 KNOTS) AND THIS SHOULD RESULT IN LIMITED STORM ORGANIZATION. HOWEVER...CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORM...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING PEAK HEATING AS MODELS PROG MODERATE DESTABILIZATION (MLCAPE 1000-1500 J/KG). PRECIP MAY LINGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS THE FRONT WILL STILL BE IN THE AREA AND WITHIN A MOIST AIRMASS. GIVEN THE CLOUDS AND EXPECTED PRECIP...TEMPS SHOULD BE A GOOD 10 (MAYBE 15) DEGREES LOWER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS...GENERALLY RANGING FROM THE UPPER 70S ACROSS THE NORTHEAST TO UPPER 80S FURTHER TO THE SOUTHWEST. -KRD && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 250 PM TUESDAY... THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT WILL LINGER NEAR THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY...BEFORE BEING PUSHED EVEN FURTHER SOUTH BY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING DOWN OUT OF THE NORTHEAST. THEREFORE...FOR FRIDAY...A DECENT CHANCE OF PRECIP WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA (HIGHEST ACROSS THE SOUTH IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT AND BEST DESTABILIZATION). TEMPS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. THEN...FAIRLY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD DOWN THE EAST COAST OVER THE WEEKEND...PUSHING THE BOUNDARY EVEN FURTHER SOUTH. THIS WILL VIRTUALLY BRING AN END TO OUR PRECIP CHANCES AS STABLE NORTHEASTERLY FLOW DOMINATES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN DOMINATE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...SHIFTING OFFSHORE BY TUESDAY...THEREFORE KEEPING THE AREA MOSTLY DRY...WITH MAYBE SOME DIURNAL TYPE PRECIP RETURNING FOR THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD AS MOISTURE INCREASES IN THE INCREASING RETURN FLOW. TEMPS WILL BE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND...BEFORE GRADUALLY MODERATING NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 110 PM TUESDAY... 24 HOUR TAF PERIOD: VFR CU/TCU WITH BASES AT 3500-6000 FT AGL ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON IN ASSOCIATION WITH A MOIST AND DIURNALLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS...ALONG WITH A POTENTIAL FOR ISOLD TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. A FEW SHOWERS HAVE MOVED INTO THE TRIAD...AND ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE PROPAGATING EASTWARD THROUGH THE AFT/EVE. BREEZY WESTERLY TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL LINGER THROUGH THE EVENING. SHOULD A SHOWER/STORM MOVE OVER A TERMINAL...CEILINGS COULD DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AND WINDS MAY BECOME INCREASINGLY GUSTY. -KC LOOKING AHEAD: EXPECT AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR MVFR/IFR CEILINGS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS (08-14Z) AND AN INCREASING CHANCE FOR ISOLD TO SCT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES...ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK (THU/FRI). MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW ISOLATED AREAS OF MVFR CONDITIONS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. -VINCENT/KC && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...VINCENT NEAR TERM...KC SHORT TERM...KC/KRD LONG TERM...KRD AVIATION...KC/VINCENT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 339 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-280745- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON- RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 339 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VINCENT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
201 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
NCZ038-039-271900-
RANDOLPH-DAVIDSON-
201 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF WESTERN RANDOLPH AND
NORTHEASTERN DAVIDSON COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM EDT...
AT 200 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR THOMASVILLE...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF
LEXINGTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HIGH POINT...ASHEBORO...LEXINGTON...RANDLEMAN...THOMASVILLE...TRINITY
AND GORDONTOWN.
LAT...LON 3597 8015 3593 8005 3592 8004 3592 8003
3582 7977 3559 7995 3581 8027
TIME...MOT...LOC 1800Z 303DEG 13KT 3585 8013
23SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
246 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
NCZ022-023-271930-
GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-
246 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF GUILFORD AND
NORTHWESTERN ALAMANCE COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM EDT...
AT 245 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER GREENSBORO...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PEAS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GREENSBORO...HIGH POINT...BURLINGTON...MCLEANSVILLE...ELON COLLEGE...
SUMMERFIELD...GIBSONVILLE...PLEASANT GARDEN...JAMESTOWN AND ALAMANCE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS
40 MPH ARE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND
TRASH CANS...POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR
OBJECTS.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND RESULT IN
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. DRIVERS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN AND USE
EXTRA CAUTION TO AVOID HYDROPLANING.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
&&
LAT...LON 3624 7957 3624 7954 3625 7953 3624 7931
3590 7955 3591 7984 3596 7996 3625 7987
TIME...MOT...LOC 1845Z 288DEG 24KT 3612 7981
ELLISThe Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:09 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree was reported down near the intersection of Elon Ossippe Road and Pitts Road.
One tree was reported down near Short Street.
One tree was reported down on a power line on Dallas Drive.
A few trees were reported down at Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road and Brucewood Road.
Power lines were reported down near the intersection of Sertoma Road and Highway 54.
One tree was reported down at Fairview and Oberlin Road.
One tree was reported down on Oakland Drive.
Several trees were reported down near Robbins.
Several trees were reported down in the southwestern part of Anson County, especially on Lowery Road.
Penny to quarter size hail was reported on Shaw Road.
Penny to nickel size hail was reported along State Route 903, near United States Highway 421.
One tree was reported down on Sconce Road.
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: 516120, 516161, 516992, 516991, 516989, 516987, 516973, 516972, 516970, 516118, 516119, 516434.