CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From January to December, the Carolinas have some level of chance for a severe thunderstorm. But that chance drastically heightens during severe weather season.
When and what is severe weather season?
It's this time of the year that produces some of the worst tornadoes, largest hailstones, devastating flooding and intense wind damage.
This infamous season blossoms in March and can last as late as June. This period of time is responsible for some of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.
Severe weather chances are highest for the South starting in March and April before those probabilities shift north and west in May and June.
For the South, April is considered the heart of severe weather season, or as many people refer to it, tornado season.
Historic April events
One of the most notorious events for the Carolinas was April 16, 2011.
There were 30 confirmed tornadoes on this day, the greatest one-day total in North Carolina history. Officials confirmed that 24 people were killed and over 400 were injured. The tornadoes caused more than $300 million in damages.
This event came just 11 days before the super outbreak of 2011. From April 26-28, 349 tornadoes had a total path length of 3,200 miles causing $11 billion in damage.
Why does this happen?
Extremely warm, moist and unstable air is driven north from the Gulf of Mexico. It combines with cold, Arctic air from the northwest. This is the perfect recipe for widespread severe weather outbreaks.
This setup becomes common through spring which has the most temperature swings.
A secondary season
The primary severe weather season owns the spotlight, but there is technically a second severe weather season. Fall has been known to produce a shorter-lived secondary season, which mainly impacts the South and the Carolinas.
Contact Chris Mulcahy at cmulcahy@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.