Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon across western North Carolina. One of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts in Polk County.
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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 GSP wrote it up.
Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon across western North Carolina. One of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts in Polk County.
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 May 16, 1:29 PM EST, 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 229 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022 .SYNOPSIS... Relatively dry high pressure returns Tuesday into Wednesday. A subtropical airmass will spread over the area Thursday, bringing hot weather to the area which will last into the weekend, along with seasonable chances for showers and storms. Scattered to perhaps numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected this weekend ahead of a cold front. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 150 PM EDT Monday: Isolated to scattered convection has developed ahead of the cold front crossing the area. Best coverage still expected over NC and the eastern Upstate. Can't rule out a strong to possibly even severe storm, mainly over and east of the I- 77 corridor, but chances are better to our east. Convection moves out of the area by early evening. Gusty west to NW winds expected until early evening when speeds drop off and direction turns more northerly. Skies clear through the evening as well. Can't rule out some mountain valley fog, especially in the Little TN Valley. However, chances very low elsewhere. Lows will be slightly below normal. N to NW winds and drier dew points expected Tuesday as high pressure builds in from the west. No convection expected either. Highs will be up to 5 degrees above normal. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 221 PM Monday: The middle part of the week still looks relatively quiet across the area as we should be underneath a quasi-zonal flow through Wednesday. Sfc high pressure should move off the Mid-Atlantic coast Tuesday night, beginning the warming trend. Thus, our near normal low temps Wednesday morning will be the last we will see for a few days. Highs Wednesday will be on the order of ten degrees above normal, and Wednesday night will remain warm. The wildcard in the fcst will be the possibility of MCS remnants that could track eastward and reach the fcst area before dissipating late Wednesday or early Thursday. This will mainly be a concern over the mountains, but not a very great one at this stage. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 203 PM Monday: Still looking like July for the end of the week as the upper pattern amplifies with a ridge on the East Coast supporting a Bermuda High beginning on Thursday. A sfc boundary strung out west-to-east across the central Appalachians might just be close enough to help trigger/organize a few storms across the nrn part of the fcst area during the afternoon/evening on Thursday, but don't bet on it right now. Instead, this day should be our first of the year with many temps reaching the lower 90s outside of the mtns. The upper ridge amplifies quickly Thursday night into Friday. The ensuing deep warm layer aloft will not be conducive to any deeper convection on Friday because the moisture will not have come up from the Gulf yet, so expect Friday to be rain-free. Some locations might make it to the middle 90s. The weekend looks much more unsettled, but confidence on which day might be the more active of the two is sketchy, and it will depend on the timing of a front being driven eastward by a short wave moving through the trof to our west. The ECMWF is more suggestive of Saturday, while the GFS is more Sunday. Either way, we may find ourselves at the southern end of a severe thunderstorm risk one or both days with modest buoyancy and shear, but a cold front to trigger/organize the storms. Temps will be mid-summer-like over the weekend, but the passage of the cold front, probably Sunday, will knock them back down to around normal for Monday. Assuming the pattern stays progressive, that would mean Monday would be quiet with high pressure moving past to our north. && .AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... At KCLT and elsewhere: Isolated to sct convection has formed ahead of a cold front crossing the area. Have TEMPOs in place for TSRA and vrb gusty winds based on radar and latest guidance trends. Winds turn NW behind FROPA with maybe some lingering gusts which end by early evening as winds turn more northerly. SCT Cu and BKN Ci diminish this evening with clear skies expected overnight. Can't rule out some mountain fog in the Little TN valley again, but don't expect any at KAVL. Clear skies with N to NW wind expected Tuesday. Outlook: Dry conditions continue into Wednesday. Summerlike conditions expected through Friday, with slowly increasing chances of afternoon convection and nocturnal fog/stratus occurring wherever rain has fallen the previous afternoon. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. NC...None. SC...None. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...RWH SHORT TERM...PM LONG TERM...PM AVIATION...RWH
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 401 AM EDT Mon May 16 2022 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ008>014-019-101>109-170215- Rabun-Habersham-Stephens-Franklin-Hart-Elbert-Avery-Alexander- Iredell-Davie-Madison-Yancey-Mitchell-Swain-Haywood-Buncombe-Catawba- Rowan-Graham-Northern Jackson-Macon-Southern Jackson-Transylvania- Henderson-Cleveland-Lincoln-Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-Union NC- Caldwell Mountains-Greater Caldwell-Burke Mountains-Greater Burke- McDowell Mountains-Eastern McDowell-Rutherford Mountains- Greater Rutherford-Polk Mountains-Eastern Polk-Cherokee-York- Anderson-Abbeville-Laurens-Union SC-Chester-Greenwood- Oconee Mountains-Pickens Mountains-Greenville Mountains- Greater Oconee-Greater Pickens-Central Greenville- Southern Greenville-Northern Spartanburg-Southern Spartanburg- 401 AM EDT Mon May 16 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia, piedmont North Carolina, western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop today along and ahead of a cold front. Cloud-to-ground lightning will be possible with any of the thunderstorms. A few of the storms also could produce severe weather, in the form of damaging wind gusts and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the National Weather Service. Wimberley
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
242 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
NCZ036-057-069>072-161915-
Rowan NC-Gaston NC-Iredell NC-Lincoln NC-Cabarrus NC-Mecklenburg NC-
242 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
...Gusty showers will impact portions of Cabarrus, southeastern
Lincoln, southeastern Iredell, northern Mecklenburg, southwestern
Rowan and northeastern Gaston Counties through 315 PM EDT...
At 240 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking showers along a line
extending from 10 miles southeast of Lincolnton to near Uptown
Charlotte. Movement was east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Uptown Charlotte, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Downtown Concord,
Northeast Charlotte, East Charlotte, Northwest Charlotte, West
Concord, Cornelius and Davidson.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
If on or near Mountain Island Lake and the southern half of Lake
Norman, get out of the water and move indoors or inside a vehicle.
Remember, lightning can strike out to 10 miles from the parent
thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be
struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter now! Do not be caught on
the water in a thunderstorm.
&&
LAT...LON 3523 8048 3519 8082 3544 8120 3559 8075
3535 8039
TIME...MOT...LOC 1840Z 255DEG 28KT 3541 8107 3525 8083
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ARKSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
248 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
SCZ009-161915-
York SC-
248 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central York County
through 315 PM EDT...
At 247 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5
miles west of York, or near Sharon, moving east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
York, Rock Hill, Newport, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Smyrna, Lake Wylie,
Tega Cay and Clover.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3487 8105 3492 8143 3505 8142 3506 8141
3510 8141 3510 8105 3509 8106 3506 8106
3504 8104 3505 8103 3504 8103
TIME...MOT...LOC 1847Z 274DEG 24KT 3501 8133
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ARKSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
300 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
NCZ508-510-SCZ108-161930-
Greater Rutherford NC-Eastern Polk NC-Northern Spartanburg SC-
300 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern
Rutherford, Polk and north central Spartanburg Counties through 330
PM EDT...
At 259 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles east of Columbus, moving east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Forest City, Columbus, Rutherfordton, Tryon, Landrum, Mill Spring,
Green Creek, Harris, Lake Adger and Fingerville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3533 8181 3511 8190 3519 8222 3520 8222
3520 8226 3538 8221
TIME...MOT...LOC 1859Z 284DEG 25KT 3527 8210
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ARKSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
318 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
NCZ072-161945-
Cabarrus NC-
318 PM EDT Mon May 16 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Cabarrus
County through 345 PM EDT...
At 318 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southeast of Downtown Concord, or 6 miles north of Midland,
moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Downtown Concord, Mt Pleasant and Midland.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3521 8049 3522 8057 3524 8061 3541 8060
3543 8034
TIME...MOT...LOC 1918Z 272DEG 21KT 3532 8052
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ARKThe Greer radar (KGSP), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:16 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Public reported trees blown down along Melvin Hill Rd and at least one tree snapped on Jolly Ln.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2022
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: 1029899.