56 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 20, 2:30 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 330 PM CDT WED APR 20 2005 .SHORT TERM... MOISTURE CONTINUES A SLOW RETURN TO THE REGION. THE SFC RIDGE POSITIONING HAS KEPT AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE MS RIVER IN SOUTHERLY FLOW AND DEWPOINTS HAVE HELD IN THE LOWER 60S. WITH THE RIDGE AXIS STILL ENTRENCHED OVER EASTER ZONES...MIXING HAS ALLOWED DEWPOINTS TO DROP WELL INTO THE 50S. A WEAK CAP HAS KEPT SHRA ACTIVITY TO A MINIMUM SO FAR...BUT A FEW RENEGADE SHRA CANNOT BE RULED OUT BEFORE SUNSET. GIVEN MEAGRE COVERAGE...WILL NOT INCLUDE RAIN BEARING POPS IN THE TEXT THIS EVENING. TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...AGAIN EXPECTING A BKN STRATUS DECK TO ADVECT ACROSS THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. AS PREV AVIATION DISCUSSION MENTIONED...CIGS IN THE 300-500 FT RANGE WILL EVENTUALLY OCCUR...ESPECIALLY TOWARD SUNRISE. THIS DECK SHOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE BY LATE MORNING. SFC FRONT WELL TO OUR NORTH WILL CONTINUE TO INSTIGATE MCS DEVELOPMENT. ONE SUCH MCS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO AFFECT MY FAR NORTHEAST/EASTERN ZONES TOMORROW MORNING. HAVE CONTINUED SCT POPS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. WITH THURSDAYS MOISTURE/LIFT/INSTABILITY PARAMETERS NEARLY A CARBON COPY OF TODAY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THE MORNING RAINFALL TO PUT OUT A FEW BOUNDARIES...HAVE INCREASED POPS TO LOW END SCT IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN ZONES KEEPING SLGT CHC POPS ALONG AND WEST OF THE RIVER. THUR NIGHT...POTENT UPPER DISTURBANCE WILL BE POISED TO OUR NORTH. ONGOING LINEAR MCS AHEAD OF THE SFC FRONT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPINGE ON MY NW ZONES TOWARD SUNRISE. IF THE LINE DOES ENTER THIS AREA...A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH HAIL AND WIND THE PRIMARY RISKS. THE BULK OF THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. TEMP WISE...STAYED CLOSE TO GUIDANCE EVERYWHERE EXCEPT EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN ZONES TONIGHT. SFC RIDGING SHOULD KEEP BEST INCOMING MOISTURE CONFINED TO MY WESTERN ZONES...WHILE SLIGHTLY DRIER CONDITIONS IN THE EAST WILL LEND TO LOWS DIPPING INTO THE 55-60 RANGE. TOMORROW...WENT NEAR PERSISTENCE ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-55 CORRIDOR AND 2-3 DEGREES WARMER THAN TODAY IN MY WESTERN ZONES... WHERE WARMER 925MB TEMPS AND MORE ISOLATED SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE SHOULD EXIST. THUR NIGHT...KEPT LOWS IN THE MID 60S IN MY NORTHWEST...WHERE CLOUD COVERAGE AND HIGHER WINDS WILL EXIST...ELSEWHERE...LOWS SHOULD HOVER NEAR 60./GAGAN/ .LONG TERM... NOT TOO MANY CHANGES IN THINKING FOR THE LONG TERM FORECAST...BUT NEVERTHELESS SOME CHANGES WERE STILL INCORPORATED IN THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. STRONG COLD FRONT STILL SCHEDULED TO COME PLOWING ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY REGION LATE FRIDAY WITH AT LEAST SCATTERED CONVECTION EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF IT. QUESTION MARKS STILL REMAIN ON WHEN THE CONVECTION WILL INITIATE AND WHAT EFFECT ANY MORNING CONVECTION OR OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL HAVE ON THE UNFOLDING EVENTS. LACK OF GOOD RETURN FLOW PRECEDING THE FRONT WILL MEAN THE BOUNDARY LAYER SHOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY JUICED TO SUPPORT WIDESPREAD CONVECTION BUT THE STEEP ATMOSPHERIC LAPSE RATES (7.2 C/KM 850-500 MB) WILL ENSURE STORMS TO FORM GIVEN THE STRONG LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT ITSELF. SEVERE STORMS STILL POSSIBLE WITH WIND AND HAIL BEING THE MAIN RISKS. COVERAGE OF SEVERE STORMS MAY INCREASE DURING THE EVENING IN EASTERN MS AS MOISTURE INCREASES. MODELS INDICATE THERE WILL BE A BIT OF LOW CLOUDS AND PERHAPS DRIZZLE IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...BUT MUCH IN THE WAY OF POST-FRONTAL MEASURABLE RAINFALL IS NOT ANTICIPATED. MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL FILTER SOUTH INTO THE FORECAST AREA ON THE BACK OF A RATHER GUSTY NORTH WIND WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING INTO THE UPPER 60S OR LOW 70S DESPITE LOTS OF SUN. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES SATURDAY NIGHT WILL SET THE STAGE FOR DECENT RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS...ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO GO COMPLETELY CALM IN ANY LOCALES BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OUT. DROPPED OUT PREVIOUS MINS BACK DOWN TO CLOSELY ECHO LATEST MEX NUMBERS. A GLANCE AT HISTORICAL CLIMO AND PATTERNS INDICATES SAID NUMBERS CANNOT BE TOO FAR OFF THE MARK. THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL MOVE OVERHEAD SUNDAY WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING BELOW NORMAL AND SKIES MOSTLY SUNNY. LOWS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT ARE A TRICKY FORECAST AS WELL. WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE TRYING TO SHIFT EAST SOME RETURN FLOW COULD KICK UP BEFORE MORNING AT LEAST ALONG AND WEST OF THE RIVER WHILE AT LEAST THIN CIRRUS WILL BE MIGRATING IN FROM THE WEST. THESE ARE TWO DETRACTORS TO GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING. THESE SAME FACTORS SHOULD BE LESS OF AN ISSUE IN EASTERN ZONES AND LOWS WERE COOLEST HERE...PERHAPS A HAIR BELOW GUIDANCE. TRENDED TOWARD GUIDANCE ELSEWHERE. THIS TIME PERIOD WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED FOR TEMPS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE MUCH COOLER...ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST...IF RADIATIONAL COOLING PREVAILS GIVEN THE LOWS DEWPOINTS IN PLACE (MID 30S). DID NOT WANT TO GO THAT LOW FOR THIS ROUND IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID FLIP-FLOPPING AND BECAUSE OF THE SOMEWHAT HIGH STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF THE MODEL ENSEMBLES FOR THIS TIME PERIOD. THE LARGE UPPER LOW WHICH WILL PROPEL COLD AIR DOWN TO THE SOUTHEAST WILL PIVOT OUT QUICKLY DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE WORK WEEK AND A MODIFIED ZONAL FLOW SHOULD DEVELOP OVER MOST OF THE CONUS. A DISTURBANCE THAT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE MEAN IN PREVIOUS FORECAST RUNS NOW APPEARS LIKE IT WILL BE A VICTIM OF DAMPING IN CONFLUENT FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE INITIAL UPPER LOW. RAIN AND SOME STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN BY LATE MONDAY AS THE SYSTEM HEADS OUR WAY...BUT THE MUCH LESS AMPLIFIED LOOK OF THE FEATURE SUGGESTS VERY LIMITED SEVERE POTENTIAL AS OF RIGHT NOW. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 60 82 63 81 / 10 30 20 30 MERIDIAN 57 80 60 81 / 10 30 20 30 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && SHORT TERM: GAGAN LONG TERM: 50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 251 PM CDT WED APR 20 2005 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 211951- ADAMS-ASHLEY-ATTALA-BOLIVAR-CARROLL-CATAHOULA-CHICOT-CHOCTAW- CLAIBORNE-CLARKE-CLAY-CONCORDIA-COPIAH-COVINGTON-EAST CARROLL- FORREST-FRANKLIN LA-FRANKLIN MS-GRENADA-HINDS-HOLMES-HUMPHREYS- ISSAQUENA-JASPER-JEFFERSON-JEFFERSON DAVIS-JONES-KEMPER-LAMAR- LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEAKE-LEFLORE-LINCOLN-LOWNDES-MADISON LA- MADISON MS-MARION-MONTGOMERY-MOREHOUSE-NESHOBA-NEWTON-NOXUBEE- OKTIBBEHA-RANKIN-RICHLAND-SCOTT-SHARKEY-SIMPSON-SMITH-SUNFLOWER- TENSAS-WARREN-WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WEST CARROLL-WINSTON-YAZOO- 251 PM CDT WED APR 20 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... ...DAYS TWO AND THREE...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... A MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE BY SUNRISE FRIDAY ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI AS A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH AND WEST. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER RISKS. BY LATE FRIDAY MORNING INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON...MODERATE LEVELS OF ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY WILL EXIST OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY...ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AT LEAST IN THE VICINITY OF THIS BOUNDARY. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY EVENING...WITH THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER RISKS CONTINUING TO BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. MOST...IF NOT ALL...OF THE STORMS SHOULD BE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY DAYLIGHT SATURDAY AS THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES ON SOUTH TO THE GULF COAST. ...DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY NIGHT TO WEDNESDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...MAY BE NEEDED THIS FRIDAY...BUT OTHERWISE IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY MORNING...APRIL 27TH. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.
The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:56 UTC.
56 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Many large limbs were blown down from the rear flank downdraft of the supercell storm.
A supercell thunderstorm developed over the northern portions of Neshoba county and produced a swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail as it moved eastward into West-Central Kemper county.
A supercell thunderstorm quickly developed over Sharkey county and slowly moved southeast producing a swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail.
The first of two supercell thunderstorms moved across most of northern Yazoo county and produced a swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail. The storm began producing hail about 6 miles west of Yazoo City and continued to produce large hail as the storm moved south-southeast to the Yazoo/Madison county line where Interstate 55 crosses the Big Black River.
The first of a few intense supercell thunderstorms tracked east-southeast across all of Kemper county. The storm moved into the county, from Neshoba county, a few miles southwest of Preston. Between Preston and DeKalb is where the largest hail fell. A large swath of baseball to softball sized hail occurred in that area. Damage to homes, cars and trees occurred along Highway 397 and a portion of Highway 16 west and northwest of DeKalb. As the storm moved through DeKalb and then to the Porterville Community, the hail became a little smaller and was ranging between quarters and golf balls.
One of several supercell thunderstorms to move across Rankin county this afternoon, got its act together along the Pearl River, between South Jackson and Richland, and began producing penny sized hail as it moved into Richland. This supercell continued to intensify as it moved south-southeast across Rankin county. A swath of quarter to golf ball to hen egg sized hail fell along the path of this storm. The largest hail fell from nearly 7 miles south of Brandon to the Johns and Puckett Communities. The supercell moved into Smith county at 507 PM.
A large supercell thunderstorm developed across the western portions of Winston county and moved south-southeast before it moved into extreme southwest Noxubee county. Along the path of this damaging storm, a swath of large hail fell. The hail ranged in size from quarters to golf balls to baseballs.
The second supercell thunderstorm to effect Yazoo county, moved out of Southeast Sharkey county, weakened for awhile, then re-intensified near Bentonia. The storm moved to the south-southeast and produced a swath of quarter to golf ball to baseball sized hail. Several homes and numerous vehicles sustained damaged as well as many trees having their leaves stripped off.
The second of several supercell thunderstorms to effect Rankin county, moved across the Southwest and South-Central portions of the county. A swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail fell from the Whites and Florence areas, south-southeast to the Pinny Woods and Cato Communities. This large hail damaged numerous vehicles and several homes. Additionally, trees had their leaves stripped from near Star to areas east of Pinny Woods.
This supercell thunderstorm moved out of East-Central Yazoo county and moved across the entire central portion of Madison county. Along the path, a swath of nickel to ping pong ball sized hail occurred. At 505 PM, the storm moved into extreme Southwest Leake county and far Northwest Scott county.
The second supercell to effect Madison county moved out of the Bentonia area of Yazoo county. This storm continued to move south-southeast before it merged into another storm over the Madison/Ridgeland area. Between the Big Black River and the Cedar Hill Community, golf ball to baseball sized hail fell. As the storm approached Madison it weakened some and the hail was between penny and quarter size.
Penny sized hail fell from around Pocahontas to North Jackson along County Line Road.
The third supercell to effect Madison county developed near the Pocahontas Community in Northern Hinds county and moved south-southeast across Southern Madison county. This storm eventually merged with supercell #2 and became the dominant storm than eventually moved across Central Rankin county. This storm produced a swath of penny to nickel sized hail all across Southern Madison county.
A swath of penny to half dollar sized hail fell from the Newport area to around the Zama Community.
The supercell thunderstorm continued out of Southeast Winston county and tracked across the Southwest corner of Noxubee county around the Gholson Community. A swath of golf ball to tennis ball sized hail fell along the path.
This supercell thunderstorm is the first of a few supercell storms to effect Smith county. This storm moved out of Southeast Rankin county and produced a swath of quarter to ping pong ball sized hail from near the Daniel Community to just east of the White Oak Community where the storm dissipated.
A swath of Nickel hail fell from the far northwest corner of Scott county to just north of the Harperville Community. This storm moved out of Eastern Madison county and tracked south-southeast along the Scott/Leake county line before the storm dissipated between Harperville and Walnut Grove.
The first of two supercell thunderstorms to effect Simpson county moved into the North-Central portion of the county around 5:05 PM. The storm entered from Rankin county and moved east-southeast to just east of the Martinville Community before moving into Smith county. A swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail fell along the path.
A swath of penny to nickel sized hail fell along the Leake/Scott county line from the southwest corner of Leake county to Walnut Grove.
This large supercell thunderstorm, the second to effect Kemper county, moved out of Southwest Noxubee county and tracked across the northern portion of Kemper county. This storm produced a swath of golf ball to tennis ball sized hail from the Kemper/Noxubee county line to Scooba. Several homes and numerous vehicles were damaged in Scooba.
The third supercell to effect Rankin county moved out of the Madison/Ridgeland area and across the lower Ross Barnett Reservoir into West-Central Rankin county. The supercell moved east-southeast across Rankin county before moving into Southwest Scott county. This storm produced a swath of penny to quarter to half dollar sized hail.
Several large trees and numerous large limbs were blown down.
Another supercell developed across Southern Kemper county and moved eastward to the Tamola Community. A swath of quarter to golf ball to baseball sized hail occurred.
A swath of penny to half dollar sized hail fell from the Stallo Community to just northeast of the Center Community.
The supercell thunderstorm that moved across the southern portion of Kemper county, near the Tamola Community, moved across the far Northeast corner of Lauderdale county. The storm produced quarter to golf ball sized hail before it moved into Alabama.
The second of several supercell thunderstorms to effect Smith county, moved into the West-Central portion of the county from Simpson county and tracked east-southeast from near Mize to Taylorsville. This supercell produced a swath of golf ball to baseball sized hail across Southern Smith county. The very large hail damaged many cars and several homes. Windows were blown out by wind driven tennis ball to baseball sized hail. The supercell continued to move east-southeast into extreme Northeast Covington county and Northwest Jones county.
The fourth supercell thunderstorm to effect Kemper county followed the same track as the first supercell. This storm moved from near the Preston area, through DeKalb and then to the Porterville Community. A swath of penny to golf ball sized hail occurred as this storm moved east-southeast.
This supercell thunderstorm moved out of East-Central Rankin county and tracked east-southeast across Southern Scott and extreme Northern Smith county. This storm produced a swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail before it dissipated between the Homewood and Pineville Communities.
This was the third of several supercell thunderstorms to effect Smith county. This particular storm moved out of East-Central Rankin and Southwest Scott counties. The storm moved east-southeast and produced a swath of penny to golf ball sized hail from near Polkville to Pineville. The storm eventually dissipated around Pineville.
A swath of nickel to golf ball sized hail fell from around Ellisville eastward to the Jones/Wayne county line.
This large supercell thunderstorm moved out of Southeast Smith county and tracked across the extreme Northeast corner of Covington county. Golf ball to Tennis ball sized hail fell along the Covington/Smith county line at Highway 37. The storm moved east-southeast into Northwest Jones county.
This large supercell thunderstorm moved out of Southeast Smith county and tracked east-southeast through the Soso Community and then through the city of Laurel before dissipating. This storm produced a swath of golf ball to baseball sized hail. Many homes and vehicles were damaged from the large hail.
Intense straight line winds occurred from the rear flank downdraft from the supercell thunderstorm that moved from Mize to Taylorsville. A mobile home was destroyed, a chicken house damaged and many trees were uprooted and snapped.
The large supercell thunderstorm that moved out of the Taylorsville area of Southeast Smith county, tracked across the far Southwest corner of Jasper county and produced a small swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail.
A swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail fell across Northern Forrest county.
The fourth supercell thunderstorm of the day developed near Byram and tracked east-southeast across Southwest and South-Central Rankin county. This supercell produced a swath of nickel to quarter sized hail from the Cleary Community to just east of the Pinny Woods Community.
The third supercell to effect Smith county developed around Raleigh and tracked east-southeast to just Southwest of Bay Springs. This storm produced a swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail as moved from just east of Raleigh into Southwest Jasper county.
This supercell thunderstorm moved out of East-Central Smith county and tracked southeast across the Southwest half of Jasper county. A swath of quarter to golf ball sized hail occurred from Bay Springs to Moss.
A supercell thunderstorm continued out of South-Central Rankin county and moved southeast across the eastern portion of Simpson county. A swath of penny to ping pong ball sized hail fell with the storm.
A swath of penny to quarter sized hail fell from near the Moss Community to just northeast of Laurel.
The last of four supercell thunderstorms to effect Smith county continued out of Eastern Simpson county and into Southwest Smith county. Penny to ping pong ball sized hail occurred in rural Smith county between Mize and the Simpson county line before the storm dissipated.
A swath of penny to nickel sized hail fell across Southern and Southeast Jefferson Davis county.
A swath of penny to nickel sized hail fell across Southern Covington county.
A couple of large trees were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, April 2005
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: 5450922, 5450841, 5450843, 5450842, 5450920, 5450919, 5450844, 5450921, 5450925, 5450926, 5451003, 5451005, 5451004, 5451006, 5451008, 5450923, 5450924, 5451081, 5451009, 5451011, 5451010, 5451083, 5451080, 5451012, 5451007, 5451087, 5451089, 5451084, 5451085, 5451082, 5451088, 5451090, 5451086, 5451091, 5451092, 5451151, 5451093, 5451147, 5451148, 5451199, and more.