Several clusters of strong to severe storms developed during the late afternoon and evening in a hot and unstable summer time environment. A few of these storms became severe and produced wind damage.
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.
Several clusters of strong to severe storms developed during the late afternoon and evening in a hot and unstable summer time environment. A few of these storms became severe and produced wind damage.
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 Jul 17, 2:59 PM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Raleigh NC 359 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Upper-level high pressure will remain over the region through early next week. Increasing temperatures and humidity each day will create dangerous heat through early next week. Weak disturbances aloft will help generate a varied chance of daily afternoon and evening thunderstorms through the period. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 315 PM Friday... Currently, temperatures across much of central NC remain in the low and mid 90s with heat index temperatures into the triple digits. KRDU was reporting a temperature of 95 degrees and a dew point of 75 degrees with a scorching 106 degree heat index. Skies remain partly to mostly cloudy accompanied with a few scattered showers and thunderstorms in the Northwest Piedmont as the mid/upper level trough begins to move into central NC. Due to boundary destabilization and an increase in thunderstorms already ongoing SPC upgraded the northern portion of central NC to a Marginal Risk for severe storms through this evening. As temperatures begin to reach their maximums this afternoon they will fall after sunset but due to the higher dew point temperatures, low temperatures will remain in the low to mid 70s, which is about 5 degrees above seasonal normals. Cloud cover will increase this afternoon as will the chance of scattered to wide spread thunderstorms, especially in the Northern Piedmont. These storms can bring lightning, wind gusts to 40-50 mph, and a brief heavy rainfall. As the evening continues into the overnight hours these storms will move southeast and into a more stable environment causing most storms to weaken/dissipate. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 315 PM Friday... The upper level ridge is expected to hold firm, even strengthening a bit. However, the combination of old convective outflows from tonight's storms, differential heating, high CAPES, and a weak surface trough over the Northern Piedmont will continue to have 45- 60 POPs again for afternoon thunderstorms. Temperatures will be hot during the day as most places will see temperatures in the mid 90s with again, a heat index in the triple digits in the afternoon hours before the storms develop. Low temperatures will decrease in the evening and overnight hours into the mid 70s. The probability of showers and thunderstorms will decrease Saturday night, but an isolated shower or thunderstorm isn't out of the question. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 355 PM Friday... A strong subtropical ridge will remain anchored over the southern US from this weekend into early next week. At the surface, a weak trough will stall over central NC during this time frame. This will result in above-normal shower and storm chances each day through the end of the period. By mid-to-late next week, an upper trough will move across the Great Lakes and Northeast US, suppressing the ridge off the US East Coast. This should result in even higher shower/storm chances. For now keep POPs at high chance, lower than model guidance, due to the uncertainty of being 5-7 days out. The flow aloft looks very weak through the entire period, and no significant frontal passages are expected. Therefore, as is typical this time of year, the showers and storms will be mostly driven by diurnal heating, with the best chances in the afternoon and early evening each day. The upper ridge will result in hot temperatures this weekend through the middle of next week, generally low-to-mid 90s (with a few upper- 90s even possible in the typically hotter locations). The combination of these temperatures and dew points in the low-to-mid 70s will result in dangerously-high heat indices in the low-to-mid 100s each afternoon, highest from around Raleigh to Fayetteville. The day with the highest heat indices currently looks to be Monday. For now have opted to hold off on issuing a Heat Advisory, but will continue to monitor the potential for one. The increased troughiness should gradually lower temperatures to near normal by Thursday and Friday (upper-80s to low-90s). Low temperatures will be in the low- to-mid 70s through the period. && .AVIATION /17Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 130 PM Friday... Scattered to widespread SHRA/TSRA will develop across the region this afternoon and evening from the NW, with greatest coverage across the northern Piedmont. In and around storms, MVFR ceilings, frequent lightning, gusty and erratic surface winds and strong up/downdrafts are likely. Storm coverage will be less elsewhere, with coverage decreasing late evening through overnight. An isolated SHRA is possible overnight, however most aerodromes should be VFR. Looking beyond 18z Sat, diurnal TSRA will develop, with more isolated coverage of SHRA overnight. Otherwise, mostly VFR conditions are expected through the period. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SYNOPSIS...JJT NEAR TERM...CC/JJT SHORT TERM...Badgett/CC/JJT LONG TERM...Danco AVIATION...JJT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Raleigh NC 415 AM EDT Fri Jul 17 2020 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-180815- 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- 415 AM EDT Fri Jul 17 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Heat indices should top out around 100 this afternoon in the eastern Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and Sandhills. This includes Raleigh, Fayeteville, and Rocky Mount. A few thunderstorms may approach severe limits this afternoon and early evening in the Piedmont and Northern Coastal Plain. Frequent lightning, gusty wind to 50 mph, and heavy rain may accompany the strongest thunderstorms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Dangerous heat and humidity levels are expected this weekend into much of next week. Heat indices of 100 to 105 can be expected each afternoon from Saturday through Thursday. The highest values around 105 will be found from Fayetteville and Raleigh to Goldsboro. Heat Advisories may be needed in later forecasts for these areas. Even in the Piedmont Triad region, heat indices around 100 are expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
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</html>The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:08 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was reported down on a power line near Clayton Place and Church Circle Drive.
A tree was reported down on a power line near Short Street and Lang Street.
A tree was reported down near the intersection of Tower Road and Cool Springs Road.
A tree was reported down near the intersection of Baltimore Road and Ferguson Court.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2020
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: 910942, 910945, 910943, 910944.