Thunderstorm Wind — Wilkes, North Carolina

2025-05-08 · near Hunting Creek, Wilkes, North Carolina

Event narrative

Thunderstorm winds downed a tree into the roadway at the intersection of Pike Road and Wild Cat Road near Moravian Falls.

Wider weather episode

A mid to upper level disturbance tracked east across the central and southern Appalachians, coinciding with the peak heating and instability during the afternoon hours. Some storms first developed along the Blue Ridge prior to the convection associated with the upper trough, while storms associated with the trough tracked into the area from the west during the mid to late afternoon. Moderate instability with MUCAPE in the 1000-1500 J/kg, and 0-6km shear was between 35-40 knots, with lapse rate increasing to 7 C/km by the afternoon, so all parameters for severe weather were favorable, and both wind damage and hail were reported.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.0800, -81.1100)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1258291. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.