Tornado outbreak of September 24, 2001

[2] On September 24, 2001, a trough in the mid- to upper-levels of the troposphere was tracking across the eastern U.S., accompanied by a cold front sweeping across the Appalachian Mountains.

Additionally, the anticipated storms were expected to emerge within an area of 45–55 knots (52–63 mph; 83–102 km/h) wind shear, suggesting that development of supercells was possible;[3] these environmental characteristics were also similar to other severe weather events in the Mid-Atlantic.

[4] Considering these factors, the SPC assessed a slight risk of severe weather for parts of the Mid-Atlantic states on September 24.

[3] By 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT), moisture had moved northwards ahead of the approaching cold front across the East Coast, with dew points exceeding 70 °F (21 °C) as far north as Maryland.

Weather radar detected weak rotation within thunderstorms forming over central North Carolina between 16:30–17:00 UTC.