A strong cold front brought a line of showers and strong to severe thunderstorms to western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening, mainly to the eastern foothills and the Piedmont. Although severe weather was primarily in the form of sporadic straight-line wind damage, one weak tornado tracked across south Charlotte.
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 strong cold front brought a line of showers and strong to severe thunderstorms to western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening, mainly to the eastern foothills and the Piedmont. Although severe weather was primarily in the form of sporadic straight-line wind damage, one weak tornado tracked across south Charlotte.
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 Nov 30, 2:45 PM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
245 PM EST Wed Nov 30 2016
.SYNOPSIS...
A cold front will move swiftly east across the region this evening.
Drier and cooler conditions will return tonight through Thursday and
persist through Saturday. Moisture should return from the west for
the latter half of the weekend and possibly linger into early next
week.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...
At 2 PM Wednesday: An upper trough will broaden and extend across
the Southern Appalachians overnight, with zonal flow resulting across
the southern tier of the USA resulting by Thursday. A weakening vort
lobe will pass cross the Central Appalachians overnight.
At the surface, a cold front will approach from the west this
afternoon, preceded by moist inflow from the Gulf of Mexico. Upslope
flow and modest isentropic upglide over the southern appalachians
will support moderate rainfall amounts, but the expected
acceleration of the front should preclude excessive rainfall.
Although instability is somewhat limited, enough shear will be
present to prevent completely excluding the chance of severe weather
across the area. The front should clear our area by late tonight,
followed by winds veering from south to northwest, and drier air
moving and clearer skies moving in. Minimum temperatures tonight
will run above normal. Maximum temperatures on Thursday will run
near normal.
&&
.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of Noon EST Wednesday: Zonal flow will be in place aloft across
the eastern CONUS Thursday night through Friday. Meanwhile, shallow
NW flow moisture may persist along the TN border in the northern
mountains into Friday, but will carry no PoPs given the weak WNW
upslope character and very shallow moisture. Cold temperatures would
support flurries or snow, however, if more moisture arrives than
progged. Otherwise, surface high pressure will gradually build east
toward the Appalachian chain and keep profiles dry across the region.
A broad but shallow ridge will then develop through Saturday across
the southeast. Although model differences persist with the expected
upstream low pressure development across TX and the western gulf
coast, there is good agreement on little if any upglide moisture
returning through 00Z Sunday. Will thus keep the forecast dry
through Saturday afternoon. Temperatures Friday through Saturday
will be near to just below climo, slightly cooler Saturday than
Friday.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
As of 230 PM EST Wednesday...the medium range portion of the
forecast continues to be plagued with uncertainty among the global
models. The extended period kicks off 00z Sunday with our area under
a weak upper ridge, with a surface high centered over the OH River
Valley and an upper low over the Baha Peninsula. A plume of moisture
associated with a gulf surface low begins to extend into the CWA
overnight Saturday, with pops ramping up to the chance category by
Sunday morning.
Models diverge at this point on the handling of the progression and
depth of the upper low as it ejects out of the desert Southwest,
which has fairly significant implications as far as pops/QPF in our
area. As WPC mentioned in today's extended discussion, the faster
ECMWF has displayed poorer run-to-run consistency than the GFS, so
confidence is generally higher in the 12Z GFS solution and the
forecast is weighted more heavily toward it and its ensemble mean,
which is also in relatively good agreement on the handling of the
upper low.
The first possible round of rainfall, associated with a gulf low and
weak front, will arrive Sunday night and last into Monday morning.
There may be a brief lull in the precip Monday during the day before
the upper low ejecting from the desert southwest develops a surface
reflection and frontal structure, and ramps up rain chances Tuesday
once again. Another lull in pops in anticipated Wednesday before
another frontal system arrives Thursday, though confidence in this
lull is low enough that low-end chance pops are carried through the
entire extended period. Bottom line...next week looks like it will
favor a rather wet pattern, though QPF totals are uncertain for the
time being. The temperature forecast is also uncertain to say the
least at the moment, though there is a good feeling that the medium
range will begin with temps about 5 degrees below normal. A
moderating trend back to average seems like the most likely solution
for the rest of the extended period at this point, though there are
some hints at much colder air arriving over the area towards the end
of the next work week, with some mixed precip possible over the
higher terrain. This will of course be re-evaluated in future
forecast cycles.
&&
.AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
At KCLT and elsewhere: Model guidance supports rain induced
afternoon vsby restrictions at Foothill sites and KAVL as a cold
front moves across the area, but keeps KCLT VFR. Convection is
possible at all sites. As the front moves through overnight, winds
veer from south to northwest in NC, and west in SC, remaining just
strong enough to keep daybreak vsby restrictions from occurring. IFR
vsby restrictions this afternoon will lift to low VFR this evening
before eroding completely overnight.
Outlook: Dry high pressure returns in the wake of the front for
Thursday thru Saturday.
Confidence Table...
19-01Z 01-07Z 07-13Z 13-18Z
KCLT High 91% High 96% High 100% High 100%
KGSP Med 70% High 99% High 100% High 100%
KAVL Med 70% High 95% High 100% High 100%
KHKY Med 74% High 90% High 100% High 100%
KGMU Med 66% High 99% High 100% High 100%
KAND Med 79% 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:
www.weather.gov/gsp/aviation
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
NC...Wind Advisory until 7 PM EST this evening for NCZ033-048>053-
058-059-062>064-505.
SC...None.
&&
SYNOPSIS...HG
NEAR TERM...JAT
SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM...LEV
AVIATION...JATHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 353 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016 NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>064-505-012100- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- 353 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN 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. WIND ADVISORY. .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. NCZ035>037-056-065-068-069-501>504-506>510-012100- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE- EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD- POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- 353 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. BANDS OF SHOWERS...WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS THROUGH EARLY EVENING. A FEW CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE POSSIBLE. SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WIND GUSTS THAT COULD KNOCK DOWN TREES AND LIMBS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. .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. GAZ018-026-028-029-SCZ001>008-010>013-019-012100- STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS- UNION-GREENWOOD- 353 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 514 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH 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. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .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... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. GAZ010-017-012100- RABUN-HABERSHAM- 353 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND BRIEFLY GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON BEFORE TAPERING OFF. .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. NCZ057-070>072-082-SCZ009-014-012100- ROWAN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-YORK-CHESTER- 353 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND THE EASTERN UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. BANDS OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA EARLY THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH IN THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BLOW DOWN TREES AND LIMBS. .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... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. GERAPETRITIS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
503 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0458 PM TSTM WND GST SIMPSONVILLE 34.73N 82.26W
11/30/2016 E0 MPH GREENVILLE SC AMATEUR RADIO
LARGE LIMBS DOWN AT SOUTH ST. AND WOODSIDE RD.
&&
LVISINPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
506 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0458 PM TSTM WND GST SIMPSONVILLE 34.73N 82.26W
11/30/2016 E0 MPH GREENVILLE SC AMATEUR RADIO
LARGE OAK TREE DOWN AT SOUTH ST. AND COLLEGE ST.
&&
LVISINPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0505 PM TSTM WND DMG SIMPSONVILLE 34.73N 82.26W
11/30/2016 GREENVILLE SC AMATEUR RADIO
LARGE TREE BROKEN OFF 15 FT ABOVE THE GROUND ON SOUTH
ALMOND DRIVE
&&
LVISINPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
519 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0452 PM TORNADO 3 ENE SIMPSONVILLE 34.75N 82.22W
11/30/2016 GREENVILLE SC PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES SNAPPED AT
THE INTERSECTION OF E GEORGIA RD. AND LEE VAUGHN RD.
&&
JMPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
525 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TORNADO SIMPSONVILLE 34.73N 82.26W
11/30/2016 GREENVILLE SC TRAINED SPOTTER
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON BUILDINGS IN SIMPSONVILLE, LARGE
TREE UPROOTED ON CURTIS ST NEAR CITY PARK, LARGE TREE
DOWN ON HEDGE ST BLOCKING THE ROAD BEHIND SIMPSONVILLE
METHODIST CHURCH, AWNING RIPPED OFF OF BUILDING, AND
NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES IN DOWNTOWN SIMPSONVILLE
&&
LVISINPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
528 PM EST WED NOV 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TORNADO SIMPSONVILLE 34.73N 82.26W
11/30/2016 GREENVILLE SC BROADCAST MEDIA
TREES DOWN, SHUTTERS BLOWN OFF, AND BACKYARD PLAYSETS
DESTROYED IN SOUTHERN SIMPSONVILLE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM
RADAR.
&&
LVISINThe Greer radar (KGSP), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:28 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Media reported multiple trees blown down on Highway 18 near the Catawba County line.
Media reported multiple trees blown down in the area around Highway 16 and Friendship Church Rd and another tree down across Landfill Rd.
EM reported an outbuilding resting on concrete blocks was lifted and tossed about 30 yards. Spotter reported multiple trees blown down on highway 21 in the same area.
This weak tornado touched down along John Price Rd near Steele Creek. The tornado moved northeast along an intermittent path, downing numerous trees, moving a a mobile home from its foundation, and overturning a tractor trailer on Westinghouse Blvd. Some siding and shingles were removed from various buildings, and a few homes in the Ayrsley community (along S Tryon St just west of I-485) suffered broken windows. The tornado may have lifted briefly at this point. The damage path was picked up again east of I-485 along Microsoft Way. Multiple trees were felled, and several buildings received minor damage before the tornado dissipated near the intersection of Microsoft Way and W Arrowhead Rd. The path of this tornado was within a quarter mile of the last tornado that impacted the Charlotte area (May 2014).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Carolina, 2016Warnings in North Carolina, November 2016
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: 665291, 665292, 665294, 665295.