The airmass across the region for late March was more representative of late May as storms developed during the heat of the day and moved slowly. A couple storms became severe producing hail with others producing locally heavy rainfall.
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.
The airmass across the region for late March was more representative of late May as storms developed during the heat of the day and moved slowly. A couple storms became severe producing hail with others producing locally heavy rainfall.
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 Mar 29, 10:40 AM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 1140 AM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 .DISCUSSION...LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS STILL SHOWS THE STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTH OF NATCHEZ BUT STRETCHING TO JUST NORTH OF JACKSON AND NORTH OF MERIDIAN. TEMPERATURES ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE FRONT WERE RUNNING IN THE 70S WHILE MID TO LOWER 60S WERE NOTED NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY. GREENVILLE AND GOLDEN TRIANGLE WERE STILL REPORTING TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 50S AT 11 AM WHILE HATTIESBURG IS IN THE UPPER 70S. HAVE ADJUSTED TEMP CURVES AND MAX TEMPERATURE FORECAST SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER IN THE WEST AS WAA WILL BE A LITTLE SLOWER AND CURRENT CLOUDS AND RAIN WILL HINDER INSOLATION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SATELLITE IMAGERY/RUC ANALYSIS HAS A SHORTWAVE OVER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. A DISTINCT CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CAN BE SEEN OVER SW MISSISSIPPI VIA REGIONAL RADAR IMAGERY. WITH WAA INCREASING FROM THE SW THIS AFTERNOON AND THE BOUNDARY LIFTING NORTHWARD...EXPECT CONVECTION TO BEGIN INCREASING OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE CWFA. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED AND MAINLY IN VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY. UPDATES HAVE BEEN POSTED. && .AVIATION...MVFR TO IFR FLIGHT CATEGORIES HAVE HUNG ON A LITTLE LONGER THAN EXPECTED THIS MORNING. IFR CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE IN THE NORTHWEST THROUGH 19Z BEFORE IMPROVING TO MVFR CONDITIONS. MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL REMAINDER OF AREA THROUGH 20Z BEFORE CEILINGS RISE ABOVE 3000FT. AN AREA OF RAIN OVER THE SOUTHWEST WILL SPREAD EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH NO THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS MORNING...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE WHOLE AREA. THIS ACTIVITY WILL MAINLY BE DRIVEN BY DAYTIME HEATING...SO IT SHOULD DIE OFF BY THE EVENING HOURS. PATCHY FOG WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...WHICH COULD BRING MVFR FLIGHT CATEGORIES BACK TO THE AREA FOR THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && 22
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 414 AM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 300915- 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- 414 AM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY...MAINLY FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE SCATTERED ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA BETWEEN LATE MORNING AND MID AFTERNOON BEFORE DISSIPATING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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 NEXT FRIDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. 14
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 214 PM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 MSZ072-073-292015- LAMAR MS-MARION MS- 214 PM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 ...STRONG STORMS MOVING ACROSS MARION AND LAMAR COUNTIES... A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM HOLLY SPRINGS TO 3 MILES SOUTH OF PINEBUR AT 214 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. HIGH WINDS CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND LARGE LIMBS RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS DURING SUCH STRONG WINDS...AND BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF OLDER TREES. PEOPLE IN LAMAR AND MARION COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF COLUMBIA...KOKOMO...SANDY HOOK AND WEST HATTIESBURG...SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS CLOSELY. AEC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 257 PM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 MSZ074-292055- FORREST MS- 257 PM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 ...CLUSTER OF STRONG STORMS MOVING INTO FORREST COUNTY AND WILL AFFECT THE HATTIESBURG AREA... A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 8 MILES WEST OF RAWLS SPRINGS TO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF ROCK HILL AT 255 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. HIGH WINDS CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND LARGE LIMBS RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS DURING SUCH STRONG WINDS...AND BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF OLDER TREES. PEOPLE IN FORREST COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF HATTIESBURG AND PETAL...SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS CLOSELY. AEC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 322 PM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 MSZ073-292105- LAMAR MS- 322 PM CDT SAT MAR 29 2008 ...CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHERN LAMAR COUNTY... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 30 TO 40 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF BAXTERVILLE AT 322 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN LAMAR COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. WILKINSON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Dime to quarter sized hail fell just south of Baxterville. A few vehicles were dented by the hail.
Locally heavy rain caused 10 to 12 streets to flood around Grenada. Some areas, where creeks crossed roads, had water deep enough where boats were needed.
Nickel to quarter sized hail fell just north of Winona.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, March 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: 91043, 91113, 91129.