A strong cold front led to a line of showers and storms that tracked across central North Carolina during the morning to early afternoon hours. Damaging wind reports, including trees and power lines down, were reported across Moore, Harnett, and Johnston Counties.
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.
A strong cold front led to a line of showers and storms that tracked across central North Carolina during the morning to early afternoon hours. Damaging wind reports, including trees and power lines down, were reported across Moore, Harnett, and Johnston Counties.
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 12, 5:35 AM EST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 635 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... As of 230 AM Thursday... * No appreciable changes. && .KEY MESSAGES... As of 230 AM Thursday... 1) A strong cold front will bring widespread showers today, with the possibility of a few strong to severe thunderstorms primarily south and east of Raleigh late this morning. 2) Another strong cold front will shift across the region Monday and bring a low-predictablity risk for severe weather, primarily in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain. && .DISCUSSION... As of 230 AM Thursday... 1) A strong cold front will bring widespread showers today, with the possibility of a few strong to severe thunderstorms primarily south and east of Raleigh late this morning. Water vapor imagery this morning depicted a strong vort max moving across and triggering convection over the Gulf states. A few weaker perturbations were also evident stretching light to moderate rainfall north into the southern Appalachians. At the sfc, latest analysis depicted the strong cold front just west of the NC mountains pushing into far eastern TN. Dew points across central NC this morning aren't overly impressive, largely in the mid 50s to lower 60s with higher dew points locked ahead of the advancing squall line in the Deep South. However, with time, expect some of that deeper moisture to advect north into our area ahead of the advancing cold front. As strong mid-level height falls spread across the southeast this morning, the line of convection will push east across central NC through mid afternoon. Strengthening flow aloft will increase bulk layer shear upwards of 60 kts during this time. As such, if any instability can be realized later this morning/early afternoon a low-end severe threat will be possible. The 00Z HREF updraft helicity swaths were largely clustered along the NC/SC border up into the Sandhills and Coastal Plain which generally aligns with latest upstream radar and observational trends. Forecasted hodographs largely indicate strong mid/upper-level shear, with weaker lower-level shear. As such, think that any organized storms would largely favor a severe wind gust threat via mixing of stronger winds aloft to the sfc and a lesser hail threat. While an isolated tornado can't be ruled out, the better instability/kinematic combo for tornadoes will be to our south. The severe threat should largely end by ~19Z as the cold front quickly sweeps east of our area. Although lingering light precipitation will be possible through ~21Z. Some CAMs are trying to generate snow on the back-end of the exiting precipitation along the NC/VA border. However, looking at forecast soundings in this vicinity, saturation in the DGZ is limited, and dry air quickly advects in from the west. As such, while there could be a few flakes that mix in across the NC/VA border no accumulation nor impacts would be expected. Rather anomalous warm temperatures this morning should drastically cool with frontal passage this morning/early afternoon. Overnight temps tonight will drop into the lower 30s. KEY MESSAGE 2... Another strong cold front will shift across the region Monday and bring a low-predictablity risk for severe weather, primarily in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain. Overall there is reasonably good confidence in the evolution of the mid/upper level pattern within the medium range. A more highly amplified system is expected to develop over the northern/central CONUS Sun and progress eastward into the Great Lakes into the TN Valley by Mon. At the surface, this will result in a stationary boundary over the Carolinas to lift northward as a warm front Sun into Sun evening as surface high pressure strengthens off the Northeast coast while at the same time low pressure deepens over the OH Valley. Strengthening southwesterly flow will result in a narrow window of moisture return into the region ahead of yet another strong cold frontal passage. The overwhelming trend within the ensemble guidance is a slightly slower and more amplified trough as it progresses through the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. This has resulted in a roughly 6hr-12hr delay in the cold fropa among mean MSLP fields, with the most likely timing now centered in the 15z Mon to 00z Tues; which is diurnally favorable for severe weather. A complication to the convective risk appears to be a signal for morning stratus layer, especially in the initially upslope region into the Piedmont. Instability still appears to weak overall (500 J/kg or less and maximized over the Coastal Plain) and result in a highly conditional high-shear, low-cape setup that will need to be watched closely. Mostly straight hodographs with 40-60 kts of deep layer shear oriented parallel to the cold front will favor strong to severe winds to be the primary severe hazard if a severe threat were to develop. Low-level shear of > 20 kts and 0-1 SRH of > 100 m2/s2 also suggests a low-end tornado threat can't be ruled out. && .AVIATION /12Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 635 AM Thursday... The sfc cold front and associated showers have entered the NC Foothills this morning. Showers should start to impact KINT/KGSO by ~12 to 13Z, with accompanying MVFR ceilings likely at times (any steadier rain could drop ceilings to IFR briefly). This convection should move through the rest of central NC through ~21Z when it'll push east of our area. Associated brief drops to MVFR/IFR are likely at all terminals through this period. Instability may favor a low- end storm threat, most favored at FAY, where a TEMPO for TSRA was maintained. VFR should return by ~00Z. Sswly sfc gusts will pick up here shortly ahead of the surging cold front (strongest at KFAY/KRWI). Expect a quick surge of nwly gusts immediately behind the front before diminishing overnight. Outlook: VFR returns Fri into Sat, with some gusty sswly sfc flow possible Friday and again on Monday. Increasing moisture return followed by another cold front will bring a return to sub-VFR conditions and showers on Sunday and Monday. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Luchetti/AS AVIATION...Luchetti/Kren
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Raleigh NC 1034 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026 NCZ007>011-021>025-038-131445- Person-Granville-Vance-Warren-Halifax-Forsyth-Guilford-Alamance- Orange-Durham-Davidson- 1034 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ026>028-039>041-073-074-131445- Franklin-Nash-Edgecombe-Randolph-Chatham-Wake-Stanly-Montgomery- 1034 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a Marginal (Level 1 of 5) risk of strong to severe storms through early this afternoon ahead of a strong cold front. The main hazard is locally damaging winds, although isolated hail will also be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. NCZ042-043-075>078-083>086-088-089-131445- Johnston-Wilson-Moore-Lee-Harnett-Wayne-Anson-Richmond-Scotland-Hoke- Cumberland-Sampson- 1034 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 51 IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT 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. Severe Thunderstorm Watch. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
1057 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026
NCZ040-075>077-121600-
Lee NC-Chatham NC-Harnett NC-Moore NC-
1057 AM EDT Thu Mar 12 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT MOORE...NORTHWESTERN HARNETT...
LEE AND SOUTHERN CHATHAM COUNTIES THROUGH NOON EDT...
At 1057 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles east of Biscoe, or 13 miles east of Troy, moving northeast at
40 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...
Sanford, Pittsboro, Carthage, Goldston, Whispering Pines, Broadway,
Robbins, Vass, Cameron and Lemon Springs.
This includes US 1 between Mile Markers 69 and 84.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 500 PM EDT for
central North Carolina.
&&
LAT...LON 3552 7962 3551 7956 3552 7955 3557 7955
3577 7932 3565 7901 3561 7899 3560 7899
3532 7883 3520 7966 3524 7967 3525 7970
3528 7971 3531 7971 3541 7974
TIME...MOT...LOC 1457Z 239DEG 35KT 3533 7966
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
22The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:16 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was reported down, blocking both lanes of Rays Bridge Road.
A tree was reported down, blocking both lanes of Rays Bridge Road.
A tree was down, blocking Youngs Road.
Trees were reported down along Cranes Creek Road.
Power lines were reported down near the 100 block of Brinkley Road.
A few trees were reported down along and east of the town of Lillington.
Pictures from broadcast media showed large broken tree limbs and a blown over trailer at residences around Thompson Road and Faith Church Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, March 2026
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1310774, 1310775, 1310777, 1310778, 1310779, 1310780, 1310648.