Mississippi, 1996

Cold in Mississippi, February 2 to 5, 1996

February 2 to 5, 1996 · NWS LIX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

An arctic airmass overspread much of S Mississippi bringing the longest extended period of cold weather since 1989. In Amite County, 4SW Gillsburg, A 67 year old man died from hypothermia on the 4th after the fire in a wood burning heater went out.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
$100,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS LIX wrote it up.

An arctic airmass overspread much of S Mississippi bringing the longest extended period of cold weather since 1989. In Amite County, 4SW Gillsburg, A 67 year old man died from hypothermia on the 4th after the fire in a wood burning heater went out. Considerable property damage resulted from broken pipes due to the extended period of subfreezing temperatures. In Jackson County, Moss Point and Gautier had broken pipes in 100 and 147 houses, respectively.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Wilkinson

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Wilkinson forecast zone
Coordinates
31.161, -91.311 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Amite

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Amite forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
31.174, -90.804 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pike

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Coordinates
31.175, -90.404 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Walthall

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Walthall forecast zone
Coordinates
31.148, -90.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pearl River

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Pearl River forecast zone
Coordinates
30.769, -89.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Hancock

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Hancock forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Harrison

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Jackson

When
February 2, 4:00 PM CST to February 5, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Cold/Wind Chill, Amite1996-02-0467MalePermanent HomeDirect

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Mississippi in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, February 1996

Sources

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: 5548504, 5548505, 5548506, 5548507, 5548508, 5548509, 5548510, 5548511.