The combination of a strong upper disturbance, instability, gulf moisture and a strong cold front produced isolated severe storms across the region.
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 combination of a strong upper disturbance, instability, gulf moisture and a strong cold front produced isolated severe storms across the region.
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 Feb 18, 3:15 PM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 315 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...STILL CONTENDING WITH A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IN OUR EAST THIS AFTERNOON THAT MAY CONTINUE OVER OUR SOUTHEAST EARLY THIS EVENING BEFORE ENDING. DRIER AIR MOVED OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF OUR AREA THIS MORNING REDUCING CLOUD COVER AND ALLOWING FOR A GREATER WARMUP THAN EXPECTED. THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF OUR CWFA HAS CLIMBED INTO THE UPPER 70S OR HIGHER WHILE OUR SOUTH HAS REMAINED UNDER THICKER CLOUD COVER AND TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 70S. VICKSBURG CLIMBED INTO THE LOWER 80S SETTING A NEW RECORD HIGH FOR THE DAY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A LITTLE BETTER INSTABILITY IN OUR NORTH. DESPITE THE GREATER INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE SHEAR...CONVECTION HAS BEEN LIMITED BY AVAILABLE DEEP MOISTURE SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON IN THE NORTH. DESPITE THE GREATER MOISTURE IN THE SOUTH LESS INSOLATION HAS LIMITED INSTABILITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF STORMS THERE SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WILL REMAIN A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG AND AHEAD OF A WEAK DRYLINE PRECEDING THE COLD FRONT. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS HAS THE FRONT MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS WITH THE PRECEDING DRY LINE EAST OF A LINE FROM GREENWOOD TO MONROE. SURFACE DEW POINTS WERE IN THE LOWER 60S AHEAD OF THE LINE AND DROPPING INTO THE 40S BEHIND THE LINE. THE MODELS MOVE THE DRY LINE SOUTHEAST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE BY 9PM AND TO THE HIGHWAY 84 CORRIDOR BY MIDNIGHT. MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO OUR CWFA TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. MORNING LOWS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BACK INTO THE 30S IN OUR NORTH WITH 40S GENERALLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 82. BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING WILL REMAIN OVER OUR REGION THURSDAY WHILE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER OUR AREA. ALTHOUGH THE NORTHERLY WINDS SHOULD NOTT BE BREEZY...HIGHS WILL BE HELD IN THE 50S. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE CENTERED JUST WEST OF OUR CWFA THURSDAY NIGHT. DECENT RADIATIONAL COOLING IS EXPECTED OF OUR COOL DRY AIRMASS. THIS SHOULD SEND TEMPERATURES DOWN TO FREEZING OVER MOST OF THE AREA. GUIDANCE WAS CLOSE WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S. THE CENTER OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT EAST ACROSS OUR CWFA FRIDAY. A WEAK PASSING SHORTWAVE WILL HAVE LITTLE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH AND THE DRY WEATHER WILL LAST THROUGH FRIDAY. THE CENTER OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT EAST FRIDAY NIGHT ALLOWING RETURN FLOW TO RESUME FROM THE WEST. SURFACE RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THOUGH ALONG THE GULF STATES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING COLD FRONT. OVERALL MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE A LITTLE SLOWER MOVING PCPN BACK INTO OUR NORTHWEST WITH THE FRONT...THE APPEAR TO BE A LITTLE WETTER FOR SATURDAY. HAVE REMOVED THE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FROM OUR NORTHWEST FRIDAY NIGHT. /22/ .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... RIDGING WILL DEVELOP ON THE WEST COAST AS A SHORT WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST. A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW TRACKING THROUGH THE SAME AREA WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT INTO THE REGION. ANOTHER COLD AIRMASS WILL DROP INTO OUR REGION AND NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING SOME ARCTIC AIR BACK TO OUR REGION FOR A LATE WINTER COLD BLAST. TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE BOUNDARY. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW MOISTURE AND COLD AIR MOVING INTO THE AREA TOGETHER...SUGGESTING THERE WILL BE FROZEN PRECIP ACROSS THE AREA. GFS SNOW ICONS SWEEP ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA. SOUNDINGS DO NOT SUPPORT FROZEN PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME. BY THE TIME THE COLD AIR MOVES IN...THE MOISTURE WAS LIMITED AND MUCH OF THE LAYER FROM 850MB DOWN REMAINED ABOVE FREEZING UP TO 00Z. MAINTAINED RAIN WITH THE BOUNDARY FROM AROUND 9Z THROUGH 000Z. LEFT RAIN OUT AFTER 6Z SUNDAY. DRY AIR SHOULD BE SETTLING INTO THE REGION. THE ARCTIC HIGH SHIFTS INTO THE CWA. CLEAR SKIES AND CALM CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW VALUES TO FALL INTO THE MID AND UPPER 20S. THE COLD AIR DOES NOT LAST LONG. RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS LATE MONDAY. A WARM FRONT DEVELOPS OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND SLOWLY MOVES NORTH THROUGH TUESDAY. AT THIS TIME THE BEST MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE SOUTH AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. SOUNDINGS SHOW DEEP MOISTURE AND ELEVATED INSTABILITY. THE GFS HAS VERY LITTLE ML CAPE. MAINTAINED THUNDER WORDING IN THE FORECAST FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. /07/ && .AVIATION...LATEST SATELLITE SHOWS THE CLEARING LINE WEST OF THE REGION WITH THE DRYLINE FRONT PUSHING THROUGH OUR NW COUNTIES. VFR CONDITIONS ARE PREVALENT ACROSS THE REGION WITH AN IMPRESSIVE CUMULUS FIELD. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE TRACKING EAST AT 50 KTS. EXPECT THE CONVECTION...GENERALLY MAINLY IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST MS TO CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY PORTION OF THIS EVENING. SLY WINDS 12-15KTS GRADUALLY VEER TOWARD THE SW. GETTING SOME GUSTY WINDS OF 20-25 KNOTS IN SOME LOCATIONS WILL KEEP WINDS UP...ESP IN THE DELTA REGION. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. COLD FROPA SHOULD CROSS THE REGION TO SE(04Z). EXPECT VFR TO TAKE OVER BEHIND THE FRONT TONIGHT IN NWLY FLOW OF 10-16KTS. SKIES WILL CLEAR ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST OVERNIGHT. COULD GET SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS AROUND 25K ON THURSDAY MORNING./17/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 41 55 28 60 / 26 0 0 0 MERIDIAN 42 54 28 59 / 41 0 0 0 VICKSBURG 43 55 29 62 / 12 0 0 0 HATTIESBURG 47 61 29 60 / 57 0 0 0 NATCHEZ 43 56 31 63 / 25 0 0 0 GREENVILLE 38 52 29 61 / 3 0 0 0 GREENWOOD 37 50 28 59 / 7 0 0 0 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && SHORT TERM: 22 LONG TERM: 07 AVIATION: 17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 444 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 MSZ030-031-033-038-039-043>046-048>052-056>058-192245- CLAY-LOWNDES-OKTIBBEHA-WINSTON-NOXUBEE-MADISON MS-LEAKE-NESHOBA- KEMPER-HINDS-RANKIN-SCOTT-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE- 444 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE PRIMARY RISK FROM ANY STORMS WILL LARGE HAIL...BUT GUSTY WINDS TO 70 MPH AND A TORNADO OR TWO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THIS ACTIVITY IS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING AND END THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 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 TUESDAY. LAZ024>026-MSZ053-059>061-192245- CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-CLAIBORNE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS- 444 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI AND EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 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 HAS BEEN ACTIVATED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MSZ054-055-062>066-072>074-192245- COPIAH-SIMPSON-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES- MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 444 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE PRIMARY RISK FROM ANY STORMS WILL LARGE HAIL...BUT GUSTY WINDS TO 70 MPH AND A TORNADO OR TWO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THIS ACTIVITY IS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING AND END THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 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 HAS BEEN ACTIVATED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023-MSZ018-019-025>029-032-034>037- 040>042-047-192245- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND- MADISON LA-FRANKLIN LA-BOLIVAR-SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL- MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA- ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO-WARREN- 444 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 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 TUESDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. 22
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 308 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 MSZ048-182130- HINDS MS- 308 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER EDWARDS AT 308 PM CST...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE AT ANY TIME. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN HINDS COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 319 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 MSZ052-182135- LAUDERDALE MS- 319 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER MERIDIAN STATION AT 319 PM CST... MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN NORTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CME
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 355 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 MSZ065-066-182225- COVINGTON MS-JONES MS- 355 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 19 MILES WEST OF LAUREL AT 355 PM CST...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN JONES AND NORTHEASTERN COVINGTON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. BYB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 401 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 MSZ043-048-049-182230- HINDS MS-RANKIN MS-MADISON MS- 401 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 45 MPH WIND GUSTS WAS LOCATED NEAR RIDGELAND AT 401 PM CST...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. PEOPLE IN SOUTH CENTRAL MADISON...NORTHERN RANKIN AND NORTHEASTERN HINDS COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. BYB
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
427 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM HAIL N RIDGELAND 32.42N 90.13W
02/18/2009 E0.25 INCH MADISON MS AMATEUR RADIO
PEA SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT WAVERLY ROAD AND RICE ROAD AND
NEAR SCHOOL STREET.
&&
MMESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 458 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 MSZ058-182310- CLARKE MS- 458 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER CRANDALL AT 458 PM CST...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN CLARKE COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. CAW
The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:04 UTC.
3 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An isolated severe storm caused penny sized hail near Highway 80 and Mcmillian Road. This hail storm continued east into Newton County.
An isolated severe storm caused penny sized hail across a portion of west-central Newton County.
An isolated, but long lived thunderstorm produced a swath of penny to nickel sized hail across southern Lauderdale County. This hail swath fell from near Meehan to just east of the Zero Community.
Measured 52 kt (60 mph) wind gust at the Naval Meridian Air Station.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, February 2009
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: 150453, 150454, 150455, 150457.