A strong upper level system and evolving surface low moved across the region late on March 3rd. These features combined to bring a potent weather system to the area and a healthy round of severe thunderstorms from late afternoon through around midnight.
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 episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.
A strong upper level system and evolving surface low moved across the region late on March 3rd. These features combined to bring a potent weather system to the area and a healthy round of severe thunderstorms from late afternoon through around midnight. It was a line of thunderstorms which brought most of the severe weather, but a few supercells did occur just ahead of the line. Ten tornadoes occurred, two of which were strong (EF-2), along with a good deal of wind damage as the line pushed east across Mississippi.
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 3, 2:45 PM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
245 PM CST MON MAR 3 2008
...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING
INCLUDING TORNADOES...PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO LOCAL ALERTS...
.DISCUSSION...
UPDATE: TORNADO WATCHES ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA...FOR
NE LA/SE AR UNTIL 600 PM CST...AND FOR MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 11 PM.
TIMING OF THE SYSTEM APPEARS ABOUT THE SAME...BUT CONVECTIVE
INFLUENCES MAY SPEED FORECAST TIMING OF SEVERE WEATHER UP A BIT. IF
THE 12Z GFS IS CORRECT...THEN JUST ABOUT ALL SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE
OVER BY MIDNIGHT IN THE EAST. AREA 18Z RAOBS INDICATED THAT THE CAP
IS ERODING QUICKLY AND SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY CURRENTLY ERUPTING ALONG
AND WEST OF THE RIVER IS DEVELOPING IN AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AND
SHEARED ENVIRONMENT. NPW AND GRIDS ARE GENERALLY ON TRACK...BUT A
LAKE WIND ADVISORY MAY BE ISSUED FOR TONIGHT OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.
DETAILS FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION STILL APPLY FOR THE MOST PART.
/EC/
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
GOOD MIXING OF WAA 850 MB TEMPS AROUND 13-15C SHOULD ALLOW MAXIMUMS
BY AFTERNOON TO RANGE FROM 74 TO 79...WITH EVEN A FEW 80 DEGREE
REPORTS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. 850MB DEWPOINTS WILL BE INCREASING
TO THE 12-13C RANGE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING AND HELP SET
THE STAGE FOR POWERFUL STORMS AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS
LA/AR. SEVERE WEATHER CONCERN IS GROWING AS THE SHORT TERM LOCAL WRF
AND 4.5KM SPC WRF MODELS EXPLODING PREFRONTAL SUPERCELLS OVER SWRN MS
AT 21Z-00Z AND THEN MOVING THEM NEWD AHEAD OF THE SQUALL LINE WHICH
SHOULD BE APPROACHING A MLU-ESF LINE AT THAT TIME. THE LATEST RUC HAS
THE SURFACE LOW(1001MB) NEAR TXK BY 18-20Z BEGINNING TO DEEPEN AS IT
MOVES TOWARD SERN AR WHILE NAM12 TRACK A LITTLE WEAKER AND FARTHER S.
LOCAL WRF HAS 998MB BETWEEN GLH-MEM BY 00Z AND SEEMS REASONABLE.
THESE FACTORS ALONG WITH PROGGED MLCAPES OF 1200-1500J/KG...SBCAPES
OF 2500-3000J/KG...INCREASING 0-3KM HELICITIES 450-600M*M/S*S AND
0-1KM HELICITIES OF 350-500M*M/S*S ACROSS CENTRAL AND SRN MS FROM
23-04Z CONVINCE ME TO INCLUDE TORNADO WORDING IN ZONES FROM THE LOWER
DELTA...CENTRAL/SWRN MS AND INTO SERN MS LATER TONIGHT. OTHERWISE...
WILL MAINTAIN ENHANCED SEVERE WORDING WITH DAMAGING WINDS FOR ENTIRE
FA AS THIS SIGNIFICANT EVENT UNFOLDS. EXPECT SQUALL LINE TO BE
ACCELERATING EWD FROM 03Z OVER WRN MS THROUGH ABOUT 09Z IN ERN MS
TONIGHT WITH MID LEVEL JET CORE OF 75KTS AT 700MB AND 110KTS AT
500MB SLICING RIGHT THROUGH NW HALF OF CWFA ON LATEST 06Z GFS. THE
STRONG TOR PARAMETER ALSO TARGETS THE SRN HALF OF CWFA WITH 6-9
VALUES. /40/
THE FRONT SHOULD BE OUT OF THE CWFA BY SUNRISE ON TUESDAY. THERE
WILL STILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND THE SURFACE LOW TO SEE
LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWFA. WITH
COLDER AIR MOVING INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST...THERE IS A
SMALL POSSIBILITY TO SEE SOME SNOW MIXED WITH THE RAIN OVER A VERY
SMALL PORTION OF NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. HAVE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD
AND LEAVE THIS MENTION FOR THIS SMALL AREA IN THE FORECAST.
OTHERWISE...THE SHOWERS SHOULD END OVER THE AREA BY THE EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS. ACCORDING TO AREA FORECAST SOUNDINGS IT LOOKS THAT
STRATUS SHOULD REMAIN OVER THE ENTIRE CWFA THROUGH LATE TUESDAY
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO SETTLE
IN BEHIND THE FRONT FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO MUCH OF WEDNESDAY
BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE EAST OF THE AREA. THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF
THE EXTENDED...THE FORECAST GENERALLY REMAINS UNCHANGED. MODELS ARE
COMING IN WITH DECENT AGREEMENT FOR A WEAK FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE
AREA ON THURSDAY. THIS PORTION OF THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION IS
ATTACHED. /14/
PREV LONG TERM DISCUSSION...ON THURSDAY AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL
SWING ACROSS THE NATIONS MID SECTION...CAUSING A WEAK SURFACE LOW
AND TRAILING COLD FRONT TO DEVELOP OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER
VALLEY. THIS TROUGH WILL FORCE THE COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA
CAUSING RAIN CHANCES TO INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE
EVENING THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL QUICKLY BUILD BACK INTO THE
AREA ON FRIDAY.
AFTER FRIDAY...OTHER THAN AN OCCASIONAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA...PARTICULARLY SATURDAY AND AGAIN
ON MONDAY...LOOK FOR LOW RAIN CHANCES THROUGH THE EXTENDED PORTION
OF THE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR CLIMATOLOGY
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR AS HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE SITS FIRMLY IN
PLACE OVER THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY UNDER MAINLY NORTHWEST FLOW
ALOFT. /19/
&&
.AVIATION...MVFR TO IFR FLIGHT CATEGORIES WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MUCH
OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING
THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CEILINGS THIS MORNING
ARE GENERALLY RANGING BETWEEN 1500-3000 FT. THESE CEILINGS SHOULD
REMAIN LOW...IF NOT BECOME SLIGHTLY LOWER...AS THE STORMS BEGIN TO
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE ENTIRE EVENING. ACTIVITY HAS
JUST BEGUN FOR WESTERN SITES. EASTERN SITES WILL BEGIN TO SEE THIS
ACTIVITY BETWEEN 23-02Z. IT SHOULD END FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THIS
EVENING INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS...LEAVING WESTERN SITES BY
AROUND 02Z AND EASTERN SITES BY AROUND 08Z. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO
IMPROVE...BUT CEILINGS SHOULD STILL REMAIN IN THE MVFR FLIGHT
CATEGORIES AS STRATUS WILL HANG ON BEHIND THIS FRONT UP UNTIL THE
MID AFTERNOON HOURS ON TUESDAY.
IN ADDITION TO THUNDERSTORMS AND CEILINGS...WINDS WILL BE AN ISSUE
TO KEEP IN MIND AS WELL WITH GUSTY CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL BE SUSTAINED AROUND
20-25 KTS FOR MOST OF THE AREA...A LITTLE HIGHER IN THE WEST FOR
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTS WILL BE ABLE TO GET UP AROUND
30-40 KTS...ESPECIALLY FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA.. AS THIS
FRONT PASSES LATE THIS EVENING...WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIE DOWN A
BIT. BUT THEY SHOULD STILL BE A LITTLE GUSTY WITH 10-15KTS
SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS OF AROUND 20-25 KTS. THESE WINDS SHOULD REALLY
BEGIN TO DIE DOWN BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. /14/
&&
.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR MSZ030-031-033-038-039-045-046-051-052-
056>058-064>066-072>074.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR MSZ018-019-025>029-032-034>037-040>044-047>050-053>055-
059>063.
LA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026.
AR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR ARZ074-075.
&&
EC/40/19/14/HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 230 PM CST MON MAR 3 2008 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 042015- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND- MADISON-FRANKLIN-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-BOLIVAR-SUNFLOWER- LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES-CHOCTAW- OKTIBBEHA-WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA-WINSTON-NOXUBEE- ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO-LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER-WARREN-HINDS-RANKIN- SCOTT-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH-SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER- CLARKE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON- JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 230 PM CST MON MAR 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER WITH WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS...STRONG TORNADOES...AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...WITH SEVERE WEATHER EXITING THE REGION TO THE EAST SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. A LARGE AND POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING THE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO IGNITE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS IT MOVES INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY REGION. AHEAD OF THE STRONG COLD FRONT... THIS MOISTURE WILL COMBINE WITH VERY STRONG WIND SHEAR TO BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES AND A MAJOR SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL EXIST FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING...AS SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT AND FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE. ACTIVITY OCCURRING WEST OF THE INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING WILL HAVE THE GREATEST CHANCE OF PRODUCING STRONG TORNADOES...WHILE ACTIVITY TONIGHT ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST CHANCE OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS. THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO END OVER EASTERN MISSISSIPPI AROUND 2 AM TUESDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER RISK...SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL OCCASIONALLY GUST UP TO 35 TO 40 MPH OVER MUCH OF THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE SOME THIS EVENING...BUT WIND GUSTS TO 20 TO 25 MPH WILL STILL BE COMMON...ESPECIALLY OVER EASTERN MISSISSIPPI. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 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 UNDERWAY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
338 PM CST MON MAR 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM HAIL 2 N CROSSETT 33.16N 91.97W
03/03/2008 E0.25 INCH ASHLEY AR EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
HAMRICKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
28 thunderstorm wind, 11 tornado, 3 flash flood, 2 lightning, 2 hail, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were blown down across the southern portion of the county.
This tornado was spotted a few mile east southeast of Cary as it briefly touched down in an open field.
This strong tornado touched down just north of Highway 16 and tracked northeast for nearly 7 miles through the Delta National Forest. Timber damage was significant as a few thousand trees were snapped and uprooted. At the end of the track, a hunting camp sustained minor damage. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 mph.
A few trees were blown down.
Locally heavy rain caused several roads to become flooded around Bogue Chitto.
A couple trees were blown down.
A couple of trees were blown down, one tree was down on a house.
Locally heavy rain caused a few roads to flood near the Branch Community. Highway 481 and Pickel Road were covered by several feet of water.
A few trees were blown down across Highway 13, just south of Highway 28.
This tornado touched down along Peacock Road, a few miles south of Mendenhall. Numerous pine trees were snapped and uprooted. Minor damage occurred to the roof of one home. Maximum winds were 100 mph.
A few trees were blown down off Airport Road.
A few trees and power lines were blown down off Shivers Booth Road.
This tornado touched down in the Martinville Community. Damage started just south of Blackwell Road in an open field and tracked north northeast. The heaviest damage was along Blackwell Road were a large sed was destroyed and several trees were snapped and uprooted. A power lines was also down and a trampoline was thrown and heavily damaged. The shed had its roof removed and a few wall collapsed. Tin and debris was thrown for 100 to 300 yards. The tornado then crossed Highway 540, several large limbs were snapped with a few uprooted trees. Insulation from the shed was scattered along the path.
Several trees were blown down around Raleigh.
A few trees were blown down along Shilo Firetower Road.
This tornado touched down about 5 miles southwest of the Foxworth Community. A livestock barn was seriously damaged and numerous hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted.A roof was blown off a outbuilding and a trampoline was thrown into a pond. One cow was killed. Maximum winds were 100 mph.
Two homes and a service station were struck by lightning. Fire caused some damage to all three structures.
Strong gradient winds blew down a few large trees on Highway 19 S.
A few trees were blown down off Rankin Road.
This tornado touched down briefly, near Highway 501, just north of the Smith County line. Numerous trees were blown down along the path, with a number of them across Highway 501. Maximum wind speed was 95 mph.
Several trees were blown down around Mize. Near the intersection of Highway 35 and 28, a few trees were down across the road and caused a semi-truck to run off the road.
This tornado touched down in a rural area just southwest of Lake and downed many trees as it approached the City of Lake. Before it crossed I-20, two homes sustained roof damage. It then crossed the interstate, more trees were blown down along with a highway sign. The most extensive damage occurred in the City of Lake. Several homes suffered roof damage, three large grain bins were destroyed, two railroad light standards were bent, two cinder block buildings were nearly destroyed, and a mobile home was destroyed by a large tree which fell on it. After the tornado moved through Lake, it continued to produce tree damage which gradually became lesser. It finally dissipated just after crossing into Newton County. Maximum wind speed was 100 mph. Total path length was 4 miles with a total rating of EF-1.
This was the continuation of the Lake tornado. It had just moved into Newton County before dissipating. Minimal tree damage occurred to a handful of trees as it dissipated. Total path length was 4 miles with a total rating of EF-1.
Several trees were blown down.
A few trees were blown down on Lawrence Bethel Road.
A few power lines were blown down off near the intersection of Highway 98 and Highway 589.
A few trees were blown down off Decatur-Stratton Road.
A tree fell on a house and a couple power lines were blown over.
Numerous trees were blown down around Highway 494 and Hopewell Road in northeast Newton County.
A couple trees were blown down on Spring Hill Road.
Several trees and power lines were blown down between Blackwater and the Meridian NAS.
This tornado touched down briefly about 6 miles west southwest of Porterville. Several trees were snapped and uprooted, a shed was destroyed and a wooden fence was knocked down. Minor damage also occurred to a church steeple. Maximum winds were around 85 mph.
Locally heavy rain across West Hattiesburg caused three houses to flood.
House was struck by lightning which caused a minor fire.
Several trees were blown down just west of Highway 49 and around Paul B Johnson Lake.
A few trees were blown down along with some power lines and phone lines.
This tornado touched down at Camp Shelby and snapped or uprooted numerous trees, and downed several power lines along the short path. Twelve buildings, mostly barracks, were damaged. Several buildings had the roofs severely damaged with one roof nearly completely torn off. Several walls of the barrack buildings collapsed where the roof support was lost. A hummer was turned over and windows were blown out of several other vehicles. Maximum wind speed was 110 mph.
A couple trees were blown down, one large tree was down on a house at 2020 County Road 31, just north of Highway 528.
A home sustained some roof damage and a barn had some siding ripped off.
Numerous trees were blown down.
This tornado started in a rural area and downed trees and limbs along its path until causing its most intense damage at it crossed County Road 250. Here, it moved a large two story frame house several feet off its foundation, along with blowing out numerous windows and causing roof damage. Additionally, many dozens of large trees were snapped and uprooted in the vicinity. The tornado continued to move north northeast, causing extensive tree damage with hundreds of trees snapped or uprooted. Very near the end point, just east southeast of the DeSoto Community, roof damage occurred to two homes. Maximum wind speed was 115 mph.
A large oak tree fell onto a detached garage and part of a house in the Obidiah Community.
Several trees were blown down near the Jasper/Clarke county line.
A few trees and power lines were blown down across Carnes Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2008Warnings 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: 87984, 87985, 87986, 87987, 87988, 87989, 87990, 88210, 88211, 88212, 88213, 88214, 88215, 88216, 88217, 88219, 88218, 88295, 88296, 88297, 88298, 88294, 88299, 88300, 88301, 88305, 88303, 88302, 88304, 88306, 88307, 88308, 88309, 88431, 88432, 88433, 88438, 88435, 88436, 88437, and more.