Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed across the region on May 27 and 28th. Nearly all storms were non severe, but two managed to become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed across the region on May 27 and 28th. Nearly all storms were non severe, but two managed to become strong enough to produce damaging winds. Most of the storms during this time produced locally heavy rainfall. No flooding issues occurred, but a number of locations received a few inches of rain.
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 May 27, 7:05 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 805 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 .DISCUSSION...OUTFLOW FROM A PREVIOUS CONVECTIVE COMPLEX (WHICH DISSIPATED WELL TO OUR WEST) IS NOW TRIGGERING SCATTERED SHOWERS AN THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND WESTERN AND CENTRAL MS WEST OF THE TRACE. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE (MCV) EMBEDDED WITHING THE REMNANTS OF THIS DECAYED CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT EAST INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT...MAKING A DENT IN THE RATHER STOUT UPPER LEVEL RIDGE RUNNING FROM TEXAS EAST TO THE CENTRAL GULF COAST. EVENING SOUNDINGS SHOW A RATHER MOIST AIRMASS AT JACKSON (WITH 1.75 INCH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES)...ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY IS NOT IMPRESSIVE (ML CAPE OF AROUND 1500 J/KG AT 7 PM). SOUNDING AT SLIDELL LA IS FAR LESS SUPPORTIVE OF CONVECTION AS SUBSIDENCE AND DRYING EFFECTS OF BEING CLOSER TO THE HEART OF THE RIDGE ALOFT IS EVIDENT. SEEMS LIKE THE MAIN FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION DEVELOPMENT IS VERY CLOSE AT HAND TONIGHT...UNLIKE THE PAST SEVERAL NIGHTS WHEN VIGOROUS CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES DEVELOPED OUT TO OUR WEST AND THEN HEADED OUR WAY. BUT OUR ATMOSPHERE IS NOT CAPABLE OF EXPLOSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND NEEDED LOW LEVEL JET FOR OVERACHIEVING NIGHTTIME CONVECTION IS VERY LIMITED IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS. PREVIOUS FORECASTER WENT WITH GUIDANCE POPS NUMBERS FOR TONIGHT...WHICH LOOK QUITE HIGH AT FIRST GLANCE (ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST MS). THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SOME WEAK CONVECTIVE COMPLEX TO CONGLOMERATE IN THE VICINITY THIS EVENING AND TRACK ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA BEFORE MORNING. THIS WOULD WET A LOT OF PEOPLE AND NECESSITATE HIGH POPS. BUT I JUST AM NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF THIS OCCURRING AND THINK THAT (LARGELY UNORGANIZED) ISOLATED TO OCCASIONALLY SCATTERED ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE BULK OF NIGHT IN THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE AREA. FOR THIS REASON I BROUGHT POPS DOWN SOME ALTHOUGH I DID KEEP MENTION OF PRECIP GOING AFTER MIDNIGHT IN MOST AREAS. IN ADDITION...SPC HAS REMOVED THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FOR OUR REGION AND THIS SEEMS PERFECTLY VALID GIVEN UNIMPRESSIVE LOOK OF OUR LOCAL SOUNDING. WILL REMOVE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS OVERNIGHT FOR THE ARKLAMISS IN THE HWO (ALTHOUGH THE POTENTIAL FOR A STRONG STORM OR TWO THROUGH THE NIGHT WILL PERSIST). /BB/ && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A FLAT UPPER RIDGE OVER THE REGION WITH A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE REGION. IMAGERY SHOWS SHOWS A SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN A COMPLEX BUILDING ACROSS THE NORTH HALF OF THE ARKLAMISS. FOR THIS EVENING AS AN UPPER DISTURBANCE CROSSES THE REGION STILL EXPECT ISOLATED EVENING SEVERE STORMS MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM JONESVILLE LOUISIANA...JACKSON METRO AND MACON MS WITH STRONG STORMS TO THE SOUTH. A FRONT WILL SLOWLY COME CLOSE TO OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. THIS BOUNDARY HAS SOME DRYER AIR BEHIND IT WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 40S AND 50S...BUT MODELS INDICATE THAT IT WILL LEAVE THAT KIND OF AIRMASS BEHIND AS IT SINKS TOWARD THE REGION. THIS COMBINED WITH GOOD LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND SOME INSTABILITY WILL CONTINUE OUR CHANCES OF CONVECTION THROUGH THE NIGHT...PRIMARILY IN THE NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. WILL KEEP THE BEST POPS IN THE NORTH. NATIONAL AND LOCAL WRF ENSEMBLES BRING A GOOD BATCH OF CONVECTION FROM THE NORTHWEST DURING THE NIGHT AND KEEPS IT MAINLY IN THE NORTH AHEAD OF THE FRONT DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WILL MAINTAIN A MOIST AIRMASS THROUGH THE SHORT TERM WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER FROM 1.5 TO TO IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES. STEEP LAPSE RATES ARE EXPECTED AGAIN WEDNESDAY AS THE FRONT SLOWLY MOVES JUST SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. A LITTLE BETTER SHEAR IS EXPECTED IN THE NORTH HALF FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE SHEAR WILL INCREASE SOME IN THE NORTH HALF FOR WEDNESDAY. FOR WEDNESDAY WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO FOCUS ON WILL MENTION A FEW POSSIBLY STRONG ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION IN THE HWO. PRECIP COVERAGE WEDNESDAY WILL LIKELY BE FOCUSED AREA WIDE WITH THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. ON THE 12Z RUN THE NAM...GFS AND EUROPEAN DROP THE FRONT SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE GFS MODEL WAS THE FARTHEST NORTH WITH THE FRONT. SO WILL GO CLOSER TO THE SLOWER GFS MODEL AND LEAN TOWARD MAV GUIDANCE TEMPS AND POPS THROUGH THE SHORT TERM./17/ LONGER TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY...MODELS THIS AFTERNOON REMAIN IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE MID AND LONG TERM PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST. A SUMMER LIKE PATTERN WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH SATURDAY AS HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS EXIST WITH MAINLY ISOLATED DIURNAL CONVECTION EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON. THEN...BETTER RAIN CHANCES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AS ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT TRIES TO DROP INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH. BY TUESDAY...MODELS INDICATE THAT THE FRONT SHOULD BE OUT OF THE PICTURE AS HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE WITH RIDGING ALOFT BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST WILL BE MADE AT THIS TIME. THEREFORE...THE PREVIOUS LONG TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS. /19/ WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...THE MEDIUM RANGE MDLS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE RIDGE BUILDING LATE THIS WEEK AND THEN TRANSITIONING FOR A SHORT WHILE TO A NW FLOW PATTERN. THIS WOULD SUGGEST SUMMER LIKE WEATHER THU THROUGH SAT AND THEN POSSIBLY SOME BETTER RAIN CHANCES ON SUN AND MON. THU THROUGH SAT...THE UPPER RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD WITH THE RIDGE AXIS SETTING UP JUST TO THE WEST. LL TEMPS WILL WARM EACH DAY WITH SAT LIKELY BEING THE WARMEST. THU THE REMNANTS OF WED FRONT WILL BE LAID OUT ACROSS THE SRN HALF OF THE CWA. AS WE HEAT UP THIS BNDRY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION IN THE AFTN. LAPSE RATES WILL NOT BE VERY STEEP AS MID LEVEL TEMPS LOOK TO BE WARM(H5 AROUND -7/-8C) COMBINE THAT WITH LIGHT FLOW IN THE MID LEVELS AND STRONG STORMS ARE NOT LOOKING AS LIKELY. STILL WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 80S THERE MAY BE AN ISOLATED STRONG STORM OR TWO BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO MENTION IN THE HWO. FRI THE RIDGE WILL STILL BE OVER THE AREA BUT WITH THE LACK OF LL CONVERGENCE/BNDRY CONVECTION COULD BE EVEN HARDER TO COME BY BUT ISOLATED TSRA STILL LOOK POSSIBLE GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE EXPECTED OVER THE REGION. SAT THE MID LEVELS WILL BEGIN TO TRANSITION TO A NW FLOW LIKE ENVIRONMENT AS THE RIDGE BUILDS OFF TO OUR WEST. THIS WILL BEGIN TO SEND DOWN WEAK IMPULSES WITH CONVECTION POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS THE EXTREME NE. CONVECTION EACH DAY WILL MAINLY BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN WITH MOST CONVECTION LIKELY DONE BY LATE EVENING. AS FOR TEMPS ON THU H85 TEMPS WILL MAINLY BE AROUND 16-17C AND BY SAT SHOULD BE MUCH CLOSER TO 18C THIS SHOULD TRANSLATE TO UPPER 80S TO NEAR 90 THU AND THEN LOWER 90S ON SAT. SUN AND INTO MON THE NW FLOW WILL TRY TO SEND A COLD FRONT TOWARDS THE AREA. THE MDLS ARE TRYING TO STALL IT OUT OVER OUR NRN FRINGES AND THIS WILL HELP TO INCREASE THE RAIN CHANCES OVER THE NORTH. ALSO STRONG/SEVERE STORMS LOOK A LITTLE MORE POSSIBLE SUN AFTN AND EVN ACROSS THE NORTH. MID LEVEL FLOW WILL BE A LITTLE STRONGER AND COMBINE THIS WITH STEEPER LAPSE RATES AND HIGHER INSTABILITY THERE COULD BE SOME POTENT STORMS TO DEAL WITH BUT A LOT WILL DEPEND ON HOW FAR SOUTH THIS BNDRY MAKES IT. THIS IS STILL 6-7 DAYS OUT AND AS ALWAYS THE MDLS CAN CHANGE SO I WILL HOLD OFF ON MENTIONING STRONG/SEVERE IN THE HWO RIGHT NOW BUT IF THE MDLS REMAIN CONSISTENT OR PUSH THE FRONT A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH I WILL ADD IT. TEMPS SUN COULD BE WARMER THAN SAT AS THE COMPRESSIONAL HEATING AHEAD OF THE BNDRY COULD HELP GET A FEW LOCATIONS IN THE MID 90S. MON WILL LIKELY BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER MAINLY BECAUSE OF CONVECTION OR AT LEAST AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER DUE TO CONVECTION UP STREAM. OVERALL I STUCK CLOSE TO GUI VALUES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SAT AND SUN HIGHS WHERE MEX VALUES SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE LOW. MAV AND MEX VALUES FOR POPS SEEMED PRETTY GOOD WITH ISOLATED TO SCT POPS JUST ABOUT EVERYDAY SOMEWHERE OVER THE AREA. I MAY HAVE TO INCREASE POPS ON MON...MEX VALUES ARE LOW AND I SHOULD PROBABLY INCREASE TO AT LEAST 20% BUT WITH THAT BEING DAY 7 I WILL HOLD OFF FOR ANOTHER MODEL RUN AT THIS TIME. /CAB/ && .AVIATION... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT ACROSS MANY AREAS OF THE ARKLAMISS (EXCEPT FOR SE MS AROUND HBG WHERE DRY WEATHER WILL PERSIST). TEMPORARY IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITHIN STORMS...WITH MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO EITHER LIGHT FOG OR LOGS POSSIBLE THROUGH DAWN ELSEWHERE. A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY COMING DOWN FROM THE NORTH TOMORROW WILL TRIGGER MORE SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. WINDS WILL BE QUITE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AWAY FROM THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TOMORROW. /BB/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 69 88 68 87 / 33 52 21 28 MERIDIAN 67 87 66 87 / 31 54 24 33 VICKSBURG 69 88 69 89 / 52 52 19 23 HATTIESBURG 66 88 67 89 / 14 41 18 44 NATCHEZ 70 86 68 87 / 44 44 19 33 GREENVILLE 70 87 69 88 / 37 53 12 12 GREENWOOD 69 86 69 87 / 46 53 15 15 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && 50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 815 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 281930- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND- MADISON LA-FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-BOLIVAR- SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES- CHOCTAW-OKTIBBEHA-WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA-WINSTON- NOXUBEE-ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO-MADISON MS-LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER- WARREN-HINDS-RANKIN-SCOTT-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH- SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN- LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 240 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NIGHT IN MANY LOCATIONS OF THE ARKLAMISS. WHILE A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND MAY EVEN SOME SMALL HAIL...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERALLY NOT ANTICIPATED. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION FOR WEDNESDAY. THE STRONG STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. OUR WARM MOIST AIRMASS WILL ONCE AGAIN BECOME UNSTABLE WITH DAYTIME HEATING AND SUPPORT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. A WEAK FRONT WILL SLOWLY PASS THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE DAY...WHICH WILL PROVIDE SOME FOCUS FOR THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. 50
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 602 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 MSZ034-035-272325- WASHINGTON MS-HUMPHREYS MS- 602 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF MURPHY AT 602 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 21 MPH. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST HUMPHREYS AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 640 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 MSZ043-049-280005- RANKIN MS-MADISON MS- 640 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER EASTERN MADISON COUNTY...NEAR HIGHWAY 43 AND THE NATCHEZ TRACE. AT 640 PM CDT...MOVEMENT WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN EASTERN MADISON AND NORTHERN RANKIN COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 653 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 MSZ040-280020- ISSAQUENA MS- 653 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF FITLER AT 653 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 16 MPH. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE. PEOPLE IN CENTRAL ISSAQUENA COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 807 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 LAZ016-280130- MADISON LA- 807 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TALLULAH AT 807 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 13 MPH. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE. PEOPLE IN MADISON PARISH...INCLUDING THE CITY OF TALLULAH...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
820 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0613 PM HAIL 1 S TAYLORSVILLE 31.82N 89.43W
05/26/2008 E1.00 INCH SMITH MS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
CMESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 821 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 MSZ042-280150- YAZOO MS- 821 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTH OF TINSLEY AT 821 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 7 MPH. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN CENTRAL YAZOO COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:29 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and a few power lines were blown down along East Bear Lake Road. Some trees were down on 3 homes and 1 on a vehicle.
Several trees were blown down in a 1/4 mile swath.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, May 2008
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: 104477, 104480.