A large and strong mid to upper level low pressure system moved from the southern Plains northeast through the Great Lakes region March 4-5. Ahead of a trailing cold front, a long and nearly continuous line of showers and storms which had held together crossing the Mid South region, pushed into the North Carolina Foothills and western Piedmont in the morning of the 5th, crossing central North…
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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 RAH wrote it up.
A large and strong mid to upper level low pressure system moved from the southern Plains northeast through the Great Lakes region March 4-5. Ahead of a trailing cold front, a long and nearly continuous line of showers and storms which had held together crossing the Mid South region, pushed into the North Carolina Foothills and western Piedmont in the morning of the 5th, crossing central North Carolina through mid afternoon.
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 Mar 5, 3:05 AM EST, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 305 AM EST Wed Mar 5 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front, and a pre-frontal squall line, will move east across NC today into early Wednesday night. Continental Polar high pressure will follow and build across the Southeast on Thursday. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY AND TONIGHT/... As of 250 AM Wednesday... * Enhanced-Level 3 Severe Risk across Central NC... * Multiple thunderstorm related hazards possible today, including damaging winds, tornadoes, and hail... * Wind Advisory has been issued for non-thunderstorm wind gusts of 35-45 mph... The forecast remains on track will continued good model agreement on convective evolution and timing. A deep and occluding cyclone tracking NE across the lower Great Lakes into southwestern Quebec will drag a strong surface cold front through the area this evening and tonight. Crazy strong lower/mid- tropospheric wind fields(60-70 kts at 850mb) associated with the cyclone will give rise to an Enhanced/Level 3 risk for severe storms as an evolving QLCS(currently over eastern TN and GA), advances east across central NC through the morning and early afternoon hours. Models continue to indicate that surface dew points may increase into the lower 60s F in a corridor across the eastern Piedmont, Sandhills, and Coastal Plain with weak CAPE of 250-500 J/kg developing by mid/late morning. This will likely lead to intensification of the QLCS as it advances eastward through the area through ~20z. Given the rather large and clockwise curved low-level hodographs, strong damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes will be possible. While severe storms are possible across all of central NC, the greatest severe threat is expected along and east of US-1, where the instability is maximized. Additionally, given the robust environmental wind field, it's possible that the straight-line damaging winds could produce corridors of tornado-like damage where wind speeds could exceed 75 mph. The severe threat will be greatest between 11 am and 3 pm. In the wake of the exiting lead convective band, isolated to widely scattered showers and storms could re-develop over the Piedmont during the late afternoon and evening as the colder air aloft/steeper lapse rates spread east into the area. It's a low-end conditional threat, but if the updrafts are tall enough and can overcome the dry air aloft, a secondary severe threat could re- emerge with hail and damaging winds the main threat. Finally, given the impressive wind fields, strong and frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph will be possible outside of convection. Bring in or secure loose objects from outdoors, stay away from downed trees and power-lines, and take extra care in high profile vehicles. Given the recent dryness, the convective rains will bring some much needed rainfall of 0.75 to 1.0" to central NC, with some localized higher amounts. Highs ranging from mid/upper 60s north to lower 70s south. The cold front will cross the area Wednesday evening and into the early overnight hours. Expect partial clearing overnight with lingering NWLY gustiness as CAA sets in. Lows in the mid/upper 30s north to lower/mid 40s elsewhere. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 250 AM Wednesday... * Cooler with highs back in the 50s * Breezy with NW winds gusting 25-35 mph The system from Wed pulls out of the region. Cold advection will favor highs cooler in the low 50s NW to upper 50s SE. A tight pressure gradient will remain in place. WNW winds will gust at times between 25 and 35 mph, with infrequent gusts to 40 mph as suggested in forecast soundings from the NAM/GFS. RH levels will dip into the lower 30s. This would normally support a fire danger risk, but expected rain on Wed may limit overall impacts. High pressure over the lower MS valley shifts into the far SE US overnight. While not in the most ideal spot, lows should dip below average in the low to mid 30s, coldest in the upper 20s in outlying areas. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 250 AM Wednesday... For the most part, the long term will feature limited impacts, along with generally above normal temperatures. The warmup starts as early as Fri and continues into Sat as high pressure over the southwest Atlantic brings return flow. Near normal highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s Fri will become some 10 degrees above average Sat in the upper 60s to mid 70s. Models still show a system crossing the region in the quasi-zonal flow late Fri into Sat, but its passage should only bring high clouds. The system will, however, bring a cold front through Sat night, dropping our highs briefly below normal on Sun back into the 50s. Rain chances return late Sat night through Sun as ensembles and deterministic guidance show a southern stream wave tracking into the SE US and perhaps Carolinas during this time. A look at the latest ensemble clusters, there is still uncertainty on how far north that system gets, with about 30 to 40 percent of the ensemble members wet and another 30-40 percent dry and more suppressed to our south. Have retained the 30-40 percent rain chances, highest in our south and east and mainly during the day Sun. Drier and warmer weather is favored Mon through Wed as ridging slowly builds east from the Plains and Midwest. Highs in the 60s are expected Mon, with well above normal Tue/Wed well into the 70s. A system could approach late in the period as some guidance suggests a system reaching the central US late Wed. Most ensemble data keeps it west until Thu so have kept this period dry. && .AVIATION /06Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 1235 AM Wednesday... 24 Hour TAF Period: A deep low pressure system tracking NE across the lower Great Lakes into southwestern Quebec will drag a strong surface cold front through the area this evening and into the overnight hours. An powerful 60-70 kt southerly LLJ associated with this system will traverse the area tonight and into the day on Wednesday and will bring widespread adverse aviation conditions in the form of widespread showers and storms, strong winds, and LLWS. MVFR ceilings across the western terminals will spread east through 12-15z as a line of strong to potentially severe storms crosses all of central NC before exiting the area ~20z. Once the line of convection pushes east of the area, aviation restrictions should lift to VFR during the afternoon. A secondary area of convection, more scattered in nature, could re-develop during the late afternoon and evening. However, given the low confidence in coverage and development, will only include VCSH at this time. Outside of the main line of convection expect strong wind gusts of 30 to 40 kts at times. Outlook: Breezy northwesterly winds are expected Thursday and again Friday. Rain chances could return late Saturday and Saturday with the potential for sub-VFR ceilings/vsbys. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 4 AM to 7 PM EST Wednesday for NCZ007>011-021>028- 038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089. && SYNOPSIS...Leins NEAR TERM...CBL SHORT TERM...Kren LONG TERM...Kren AVIATION...CBL
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Raleigh NC 754 AM EST Wed Mar 5 2025 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-060900- 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- 754 AM EST Wed Mar 5 2025 ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...TORNADO WATCH 26 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. Tornado Watch. A Wind Advisory is in effect for strong and gusty southerly winds of 40 to 50 mph. These strong winds are expected even outside of any thunderstorms. There is an enhanced risk (Level 3 out of 5) of severe storms today. A squall line, with an accompanying risk of damaging straight line wind gusts and isolated tornadoes. The severe threat will be greatest between 10 am and 3 pm. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is needed.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
741 AM EST Wed Mar 5 2025
NCZ021-022-038-051345-
Guilford NC-Forsyth NC-Davidson NC-
741 AM EST Wed Mar 5 2025
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT FORSYTH...NORTHERN DAVIDSON AND
WESTERN GUILFORD COUNTIES THROUGH 845 AM EST...
At 741 AM EST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 7 miles south of Harmony to Mooresville.
Movement was northeast at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
High Point, Pfafftown, Clemmons, Stokesdale, Lexington, Kernersville,
Oak Hollow Marina, Belews Creek, Linwood, and Arcadia.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3626 8017 3625 7993 3624 7993 3592 7997
3592 8005 3583 8005 3572 8039 3574 8046
3581 8047 3583 8049 3584 8039 3588 8042
3589 8037 3596 8038 3599 8042 3601 8042
3606 8046 3604 8049 3608 8051
TIME...MOT...LOC 1241Z 238DEG 40KT 3585 8076 3560 8079
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
1The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:21 UTC.
39 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were reported down across the city of Winston-Salem.
Trees down and power outages were reported.
Trees down and power outages were reported.
Duke energy reported power outages caused by downed trees or limbs.
Trees down and power outages were reported in the town of Albemarle.
A tree was reported down next to a home in Pleasant Garden.
A tree was reported down on the 2200 block of W. O. W. Rd.
Duke energy reported an outage caused by fallen trees or limbs damaging equipment.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at the Burlington airport.
Duke energy reported outage caused by fallen trees or limbs damaging equipment.
Law enforcement reported multiple trees down in Chatham County including one down in Siler City.
Law enforcement reported multiple trees down in Chatham County including one down in Bear Creek near old route 421.
A tree was reported down on a residence in the 2400 block of Mckinney St. in Burlington.
Law enforcement reported multiple trees down in Chatham County including Pittsboro.
Trees down and power outages were reported.
Duke energy reported outage caused by fallen trees or limbs damaging equipment.
A tree was reported down at the intersection of Morgan lane and Berry street.
A tree was reported down on Bass Road.
Duke energy reported outages caused by fallen trees damaging power equipment.
Trees and power outages were reported down.
Duke energy reported outage caused by fallen trees or limbs damaging equipment.
Multiple trees were down in Henderson including near Oxford Road and Raleigh Road.
Trees were reported down in a North Raleigh neighborhood.
Broadcast media reported a tree split and down.
Trees were reported down near Interstate 440 and Glenwood Ave.
Duke energy reported outages caused by fallen trees damaging power equipment.
There were several reports of trees down, mainly in southeastern Warren County near Centerville.
Duke energy reported outages caused by fallen trees damaging power equipment.
Tree and some property damage was reported near the intersection of Healthy Plains Church Road & NC Highway 581.
Trees were reported down in the city of Roanoke Rapids.
A tree was reported down in Enfield.
Duke energy reported outages caused by fallen trees damaging power equipment.
Numerous trees were reported down in the Airport Blvd area of Wilson. Trees reported down on Bridgers Street, Bell Street, Christopher Drive, Hart Avenue and others. Some tress fell on apartments and homes.
Multiple fences were blown over near the town of Wilson. Measured wind gust of 63 mph.
Duke energy reported 2000 power outages caused by fallen trees damaging power equipment.
Trees were reported down in Macclesfield near Fountain Road.
A tree was down in Pinetops.
A tree was down in Scotland Neck near highway 258.
A barn was damaged near Lawrence.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, March 2025
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: 1245416, 1245417, 1245421, 1245422, 1245418, 1245423, 1245426, 1245424, 1245419, 1245425, 1245428, 1245429, 1245427, 1245430, 1245431, 1245432, 1245433, 1245434, 1247305, 1247312, 1247327, 1247324, 1247328, 1247329, 1247330, 1247306, 1247322, 1247303, 1247325, 1247307, 1247309, 1247314, 1247326, 1245420, 1247316, 1247318, 1247319, 1247311, 1247320.