Widely scattered convection developed across a small part of Southeast Tennessee during the afternoon in the presence of a weakly to moderately unstable atmosphere. The storms develop just ahead of a weak upper level impulse building toward the Appalachians.
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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 MRX wrote it up.
Widely scattered convection developed across a small part of Southeast Tennessee during the afternoon in the presence of a weakly to moderately unstable atmosphere. The storms develop just ahead of a weak upper level impulse building toward the Appalachians.
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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 12:51 PM CST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 251 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL TN VALLEY CURRENTLY. THE INTENSITIES HAVE NOT IMPROVED WITH THE AFTERNOON AND HAVE SHOWN SIGNS OF WEAKENING OVER THE PAST HOUR. TEMPERATURES IN THE FOOTHILLS ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN SURROUNDING AREAS DUE TO SOME DOWNSLOPE WINDS THAT HELPED CLEAR SOME CLOUD COVER AND PROVIDED MUCH MORE SUNSHINE. THICKER CLOUD COVER AND PRECIPITATION PROVIDED COOLER TEMPERATURES. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED LIKE ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. TONIGHT A SHORTWAVE WILL TRANSLATE OUT OF MS/AL INTO E TN. THIS SHOULD PROVIDE ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SOMETIME BETWEEN 9PM ET AND MIDNIGHT. THERE COULD ALSO BE RE- DEVELOPMENT BEHIND THIS INITIAL SYSTEM AS UPPER SOUTHWEST FLOW/MOISTURE ADVECTION PERSISTS. A MARGINAL RISK AREA FROM SPC STILL EXISTS FOR SUNDAY SO A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. HOWEVER CLOUD COVER AGAIN SUNDAY SHOULD LIMIT INSTABILITY OVER THE FORECAST AREA SO CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR STRONGER STORMS. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... WILL SEE ANOTHER CHANCE AT A ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY EVENING AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THINK SOME OF THE BETTER CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE CLOSER TO THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY FURTHER TO OUR NORTH, BUT IN OUR AREA WE WILL SEE ENOUGH CAPE AND SOME SHEAR TO HAVE A THREAT FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. AT THIS TIME THE BIGGEST THREAT WILL LIKELY BE SEVERE SIZE HAIL IN SOME OF THE STORMS, BUT STRONG STRAIGHTLINE WINDS CANNOT BE RULED OUT. OVERNIGHT THE FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH FROM THE WEST AND LIKELY END THE SEVERE THREAT FOR THE NIGHT. WE ONLY TAKE A BRIEF BREAK IN RAIN CHANCES BEFORE OUR NEXT SYSTEM BRINGS MORE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. A LOW MOVES OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AND BRINGS WITH IT A SURGE OF MOISTURE AS IT TRACKS ACROSS THE AREA. HIGHEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE WHEN THE LOW PASSES NEAR AREA SOMETIME MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. AT THIS POINT CONFIDENCE IN THE MODELS DROPS OFF DRAMATICALLY AS THEY CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH HANDLING THE MID TO LATE WEEK SYSTEMS OVER OUR AREA. WHAT THEY DO AGREE ON IS THAT A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE IN FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE EAST COAST. HOWEVER, THE TIMING AND THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM VARIES WILDLY DEPENDING ON WHICH LONG TERM MODEL YOU LOOK AT. AT THIS TIME IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE WILL BE AT LEAST SOME PERIODS OF INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND OVERALL MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN THE LATER PART OF THE WEEK. UNFORTUNATELY CONFIDENCE IN THE DETAILS OF THE FORECAST WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL MODEL AGREEMENT IS BETTER IN LATER RUNS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 64 79 63 78 / 80 60 40 40 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 63 79 63 77 / 80 70 50 30 OAK RIDGE, TN 63 79 63 77 / 80 60 40 30 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 60 77 59 76 / 90 70 60 20 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && AC/ABM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 335 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-011945- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- 335 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016 /235 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS OR HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE. OTHERWISE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. LARGE HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. DAMAGING WIND AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS TOO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1244 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016
TNZ084-085-100-301715-
MEIGS TN-BRADLEY TN-MCMINN TN-
1244 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL BRADLEY...SOUTHWESTERN
MCMINN AND SOUTH CENTRAL MEIGS COUNTIES UNTIL 115 PM EDT...
AT 1243 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
CLEVELAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CLEVELAND...CHARLESTON...EAST CLEVELAND...WILDWOOD LAKE...SOUTH
CLEVELAND...CALHOUN...TASSO...BIG SPRING...HILLSVIEW...HOPEWELL...RICEVILLE
AND WATERVILLE.
LAT...LON 3517 8501 3519 8501 3522 8498 3524 8498
3525 8496 3526 8497 3528 8494 3530 8496
3549 8485 3536 8460 3508 8485
TIME...MOT...LOC 1643Z 210DEG 30KT 3525 8488
SRSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
436 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016
TNZ099-100-302130-
BRADLEY TN-HAMILTON TN-
436 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
AT 436 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
SOUTH CLEVELAND...OR 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLEVELAND...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.
HALF INCH HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CLEVELAND...EAST CLEVELAND...SOUTH CLEVELAND...COLLEGEDALE...TASSO...
OOLTEWAH...HOPEWELL AND MCDONALD.
LAT...LON 3505 8512 3532 8502 3530 8496 3529 8495
3530 8494 3529 8493 3524 8474 3500 8502
TIME...MOT...LOC 2036Z 210DEG 14KT 3508 8504
DGSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
505 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016
TNZ083-084-099-302200-
RHEA TN-MEIGS TN-HAMILTON TN-
505 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2016
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
AT 504 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9
MILES EAST OF SODDY-DAISY...OR 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLEVELAND...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
DAYTON...BIRCHWOOD AND BIG SPRING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3527 8509 3555 8501 3547 8479 3543 8482
3541 8482 3540 8483 3535 8486 3536 8488
3533 8489 3529 8493 3530 8494 3528 8494
3526 8497 3525 8496 3520 8500
TIME...MOT...LOC 2104Z 205DEG 20KT 3529 8500
DGSThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:15 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were reported down in Powells Crossroads...mainly along Richards Lane.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 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: 622767.