Thunderstorm Wind, Clay
- When
- January 11, 5:40 PM EST
- Where
- Clay County, 0.57 mi E of Hayesville
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.050, -83.820
Numerous trees were reported down.
Damaging Wind in North Carolina, January 11, 2020
A very strong storm system with powerful wind energy and just enough instability for the formation of a line of showers and thunderstorms moved across the Southern Appalachian Region producing widespread; mainly straight line wind damage.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS MRX wrote it up.
A very strong storm system with powerful wind energy and just enough instability for the formation of a line of showers and thunderstorms moved across the Southern Appalachian Region producing widespread; mainly straight line wind damage.
What forecasters said that day
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 Jan 11, 3:59 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 11, 3:59 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Morristown TN
359 PM EST Sat Jan 11 2020
.SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Sunday)...
A line of showers and thunderstorms is now moving across the
plateau counties with strong winds and heavy rainfall. The line is
expected to be stay severe the next few hours over the southern
Tennessee Valley into southwest North Carolina with mostly high
winds and isolated tornadoes possible next couple hours. Isolated
showers are ahead of the line across the northeast part of the
area. Very strong south to southwest winds will continue through
mid evening ahead of the precipitation with the strong low level
jet, before dropping off by around midnight. Wind gusts have been
40 to 50 mph at several locations in the lower elevations and 60
to 90 mph higher elevations in Sevier and Greene counties. Wind
advisory will be continued through the evening or until front
moves through the region.
Record high warmth today with highs in the 70s to near 80 as
skies were sunny to partly cloudy this morning and early
afternoon. There will be some brief heavy rainfall with the storms
with up to around 1 inch late this afternoon in the valley areas
but up to 2 inches possible in the higher elevations of east
Tennessee. Behind the front showers will linger for a few hours
and temperatures will drop down into the 40s by early Sunday.
Skies will begin to clear behind the front but lower clouds will
move back in late tonight and could linger through the morning
across much of the forecast area. Sunday afternoon temperatures
will warm into the lower to mid 60s with mild airmass behind the
front.
TD
.LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday)...
Active weather pattern will continue into the extended period as
southwest flow aloft persist through Wednesday. A short-wave will
quickly moves across the Great Lakes and Ohio valley for late
Wednesday with surface and upper ridging building in Wednesday
night through Thursday night.
Upper flow becomes southwesterly again by late Friday and for
Saturday with another strong system lifting out of the Plains to the
Ohio valley.
Now the particulars: For Sunday night and Monday, frontal boundary
across the southeast United States lifts back north with rainfall
moving back into the southern Appalachians for late Monday and
Monday night.
For Tuesday through Wednesday, some elevated instabilty creeps
back into the region, especially for CHA. Will include a slight
chance of thunder. For Wednesday afternoon/evening, wave moving
across the Great Lakes/Ohio valley will pull a frontal boundary
through the area. Better chance of embedded thunderstorms
Wednesday afternoon.
For Wednesday night through Thursday night, surface and upper
ridging will produce drier conditions.
Next system will move into the Tennessee valley for late Friday and
Saturday.
DH
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAF DISCUSSION.
Strong low level wind shear will continue a few more hours across
northeast TN as a very tight pressure gradient is in place due to
the deep low pressure system moving across the middle MS and Ohio
Valleys early this afternoon.
A line of showers and thunderstorms is advancing slowly east from
middle TN into northern Alabama ahead of the cold front. At 1700Z,
the front was still over Western Tennessee. Lower ceilings will
move across southeast Tennessee this afternoon at cha and then
tys and tri may remain vfr until after 00Z due to the strong
cross terrain flow. Expect the front to move across the eastern
part of the state between 00Z and 06Z. Expect a brief period of
mvfr and possibly ifr ceilings and visibility due to heavy rain
and thunderstorms between about 21Z and 03Z tonight. Improving
flight weather begins behind the front this evening at cha and
after by 06Z at tri. However some lower clouds will advect in
behind the front Sunday morning.
TD
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Chattanooga Airport, TN 47 65 47 66 57 / 90 0 20 60 80
Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 49 63 44 63 54 / 100 0 10 50 80
Oak Ridge, TN 47 61 44 63 52 / 90 0 10 40 80
Tri Cities Airport, TN 47 61 42 62 51 / 100 0 10 40 70
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...Wind Advisory until 10 PM EST this evening for Cherokee-Clay.
TN...High Wind Warning until 1 AM EST Sunday for Blount Smoky
Mountains-Cocke Smoky Mountains-Johnson-Sevier Smoky
Mountains-Southeast Carter-Southeast Greene-Southeast
Monroe-Unicoi.
Wind Advisory until midnight EST tonight for Claiborne-Grainger-
Hamblen-Hancock-Hawkins-Jefferson-Knox-Loudon-North Sevier-
Northwest Blount-Northwest Carter-Northwest Cocke-Northwest
Greene-Sullivan-Union-Washington.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM EST /9 PM CST/ this evening for
Anderson-Bledsoe-Bradley-Campbell-East Polk-Hamilton-Marion-
McMinn-Meigs-Morgan-Northwest Monroe-Rhea-Roane-Scott-
Sequatchie-West Polk.
VA...Wind Advisory until midnight EST tonight for Lee-Russell-Scott-
Washington-Wise.
&&Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 11, 4:08 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Morristown TN 408 PM EST Sat Jan 11 2020 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-122115- Cherokee-Clay-Scott-Campbell-Claiborne-Hancock-Hawkins-Sullivan- Johnson-Morgan-Anderson-Union-Grainger-Hamblen-Northwest Cocke- Cocke Smoky Mountains-Northwest Greene-Southeast Greene- Washington-Unicoi-Northwest Carter-Southeast Carter-Roane-Loudon- Knox-Jefferson-Northwest 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-Russell- 408 PM EST Sat Jan 11 2020 /308 PM CST Sat Jan 11 2020/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest North Carolina...east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight ...High Wind Warning for Mountains and Foothills Remains in Effect through Tonight... ...Wind Advisory in Effect for all of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southwest North Carolina today... ...Severe Storms are Possible through this Evening... Strong southerly winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph will continue to impact the area through Saturday night across parts of eastern Tennessee and southwest Virginia. Stronger winds of 25 to 45 mph with gusts as high as 80 mph are expected across the mountains and foothills. A strong storm system will impact the Tennessee Valley region through this evening, bringing a potential for severe storms. Main concern will be damaging winds, but isolated tornadoes can not be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through next Saturday. Another round of moderate to heavy rains are expected over southeast Tennessee and southwest North Carolina for Tuesday through Wednesday. Localized flooding is possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed for this afternoon and evening.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jan 11, 5:03 PM EST, 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
503 PM EST SAT JAN 11 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG DUCKTOWN 35.04N 84.39W
01/11/2020 POLK TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&Local storm report, Jan 11, 5:07 PM EST, 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
507 PM EST SAT JAN 11 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG TURTLETOWN 35.13N 84.36W
01/11/2020 POLK TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&Local storm report, Jan 11, 5:12 PM EST, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
512 PM EST SAT JAN 11 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG DUCKTOWN 35.04N 84.39W
01/11/2020 POLK TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND DMG REPORT FROM
DUCKTOWN. MULTIPLE TREES DOWN.
&&Local storm report, Jan 11, 5:13 PM EST, 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
513 PM EST SAT JAN 11 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG TURTLETOWN 35.13N 84.36W
01/11/2020 POLK TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND DMG REPORT FROM
TURTLETOWN. MULTIPLE TREES DOWN.
&&Local storm report, Jan 11, 5:16 PM EST, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
516 PM EST SAT JAN 11 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG VONORE 35.60N 84.23W
01/11/2020 MONROE TN AMATEUR RADIO
SHINGLES BLOWN OFF ROOF OF HOME.
&&Local storm report, Jan 11, 5:23 PM EST, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
523 PM EST SAT JAN 11 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0435 PM TSTM WND DMG KINGSTON 35.87N 84.52W
01/11/2020 ROANE TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
&&The radar
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:40 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, January 11, 2020
- Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, January 11, 2020
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 11, 2020
- Damaging Winds and High Wind in West Virginia, January 11 to 12, 2020
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 11, 2020
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, January 11, 2020
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, January 11, 2020
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 11, 2020
- Lakeshore Flood in Illinois, January 11 to 12, 2020
- Lakeshore Flood in Wisconsin, January 11 to 13, 2020
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, January 11, 2020
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, January 11 to 13, 2020
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, January 2020
Sources
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 864184.