Isolated thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon across northern portions of the Upstate. A couple of the storms became briefly severe as they organized into small clusters.
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 thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon across northern portions of the Upstate. A couple of the storms became briefly severe as they organized into small clusters.
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 Jul 21, 6:32 PM EST, 22 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
732 PM EDT THU JUL 21 2016
.SYNOPSIS...
Bermuda high pressure and upper level ridging will remain in control
of the weather over the next few days. This will result in well
above normal temperatures...before a weak cold front pushes in from
the north early next week.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
As of 730 PM: Overall convection continues to diminish across the
CWFA. However, colliding outflow boundaries are keeping strong
convection near GSP and AVL. Expect the overall downward trend to
continue, but with isolated better coverage where mesoscale
interactions dominate. Have updated PoPs to reflect these trends.
Still cannot rule out an additional severe storm or flash flood
warning before dissipation.
Otherwise...a broad upper ridge will remain centered over the
southern plains through Friday while a trough axis lingers just off
the Atlantic coast. Patchy fog development is possible wherever rain
falls and also the lower mountain river valleys - particularly from
the French Broad Valley and valleys farther southwest.
A little less in the way of upper energy moving southward east of
the ridge into the Carolinas is expected on Friday. Convection will
develop later in the day and primarily over the higher ridges mid
afternoon - with some survival into the adjacent foothills or
perhaps piedmont toward evening. Better insolation, weak downsloping
flow, and less moisture in profiles should lead to higher temps
Friday afternoon than Thursday. More dewpoint mixout is possible as
well, so heat index values should be capped around 100 in the
hottest areas.
&&
.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
At 130 PM Thursday: On Friday night and upper ridge will build east
front the plains across the southern Appalachians, completely
covering our area by late Sunday. Before this ridge overspreads the
area, weak lobes of vorticity may move southeast over the mountains
on the west side of a coastal trough. The models show modest
instability and weak shear each day, supportive of convection, but
not organized storms. Weak steering flow may support locally heavy
rainfall however, especially if cell can train over the same areas.
Temperatures will warm from around 3 degrees above normal to around
6 degrees above normal. Lingering moisture will allow apparent
temperatures to approach 102 degrees in the upper Savannah River
Valley on Friday, and 100 to 105 degrees from the foothills to the
Piedmont on Saturday.
&&
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
As of 115 PM Thursday...Not much change needed to the going fcst.
Strong ulvl ridging will continue into Mon then slowly break down as
a couple H5 s/w trofs swing across the Glakes region. This will
bring a sfc front into the fcst area late Mon or early Tue. With
little flow aloft this front will become stationary and reinforced
somewhat on Thu as another weak bndry settles in from the north. As
far as the sensible wx goes...sct to num afternoon showers and
thunderstorms will be the norm...esp across the higher terrain...as
enhanced llvl lift provides broad focusing in a moderately unstable
yet low sheared environment. Max temps were brought down a degree or
two most locale Mon with increasing cloud cover possible...however
heat index values shud still reach adv levels across the srn half of
the CWFA. With weakening in the upper heights and lessening deep
layered subs...max temps will return closer to normal levels Tue
through the period.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
At KCLT: Convection has moved out of the area and low clouds are
dissipating. VFR conditions will continue overnight through Friday
with light S to SW surface winds. Profiles will be a bit drier on
Friday and no convection will be mentioned through the period.
Elsewhere: Convection is dissipating overall, but colliding outflow
boundaries are keeping ongoing near KGSP and KAVL. Expect activity
to end this evening, but held onto a brief mention in the TAF. Light
S to SW winds become calm or light and variable overnight. KAVL will
be the exception with light NNW wind. Fog will be possible overnight
at any location where rain fell, but with chances best in the
mountain river valleys. The MOS is hitting KAVL especially hard, but
it has not performed well of late. Will still feature IFR fog after
09Z but not hit dense fog hard yet. KAVL has the best chance of
seeing convection Friday, so only mention PROB30 there. Surface
winds will become more SW but remain less than 10 kt throughout,
with morning NNW flow at KAVL turning SSW for the afternoon.
Outlook: Expect typical midsummer weather with scattered afternoon
and evening showers and thunderstorms through the weekend. Morning
fog and low stratus will be possible each day in the mountain
valleys and also in locations that receive heavy rainfall the
preceding afternoon/evening.
Confidence Table...
23-05Z 05-11Z 11-17Z 17-18Z
KCLT High 100% High 100% High 100% High 100%
KGSP High 100% High 100% High 83% High 100%
KAVL High 100% High 83% High 95% High 100%
KHKY High 100% High 100% Low 43% High 100%
KGMU High 100% High 100% High 100% High 100%
KAND High 100% High 100% High 83% 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
&&
.CLIMATE...
RECORDS FOR SATURDAY (07-23)
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAVL 95 1983 69 1974 71 2015 50 1966
1952 1938 1999
1934 1983
KCLT 101 1987 73 1880 78 1991 56 2007
1952
KGSP 102 1952 74 1974 79 1934 59 1966
1947
RECORDS FOR SUNDAY (07-24)
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAVL 96 1983 68 1985 71 1934 52 1966
1895
KCLT 100 1983 73 1938 78 2010 59 1947
1952 1883
KGSP 101 1952 70 1985 79 2010 59 1904
RECORDS FOR MONDAY (07-25)
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAVL 92 2010 68 2000 70 2012 51 1895
2005 2011
1987 2010
KCLT 101 2010 69 2000 79 2010 62 1947
KGSP 100 1995 72 2000 77 2010 57 1911
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
NC...None.
SC...None.
&&
SYNOPSIS...SBK
NEAR TERM...HG/RWH
SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...SBK
AVIATION...RWH
CLIMATE...The Greer radar (KGSP), 8 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:15 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway Patrol reported a tree blown down at S Danzler Rd and E Victor Hill Rd. County comms reported power lines down on East Main St in Duncan.
Spotter reported numerous trees blown down near the intersection of Possum Trot Rd and Roberts Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, July 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 653233, 653235.