The biggest impact from the drought were hydrological concerns as many lake and river levels remained at low levels. Although some agricultural concerns occurred as well as many pastures were in poor condition forcing farmers to feed livestock with baled hay.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 MEG wrote it up.
Lack of above normal rainfall during the month of March expanded severe (D2) conditions across portions of Northwest Mississippi.The biggest impact from the drought were hydrological concerns as many lake and river levels remained at low levels. Although some agricultural concerns occurred as well as many pastures were in poor condition forcing farmers to feed livestock with baled hay.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 22, 1:55 AM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 255 AM CDT TUE MAR 22 2011 .DISCUSSION... SKIES ARE MOSTLY CLEAR ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS AS TEMPERATURES REMAIN WARM ESPECIALLY FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH READINGS FROM THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 70. LOW PRESSURE IS CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS SOUTHERN NEBRASKA THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND INTO SOUTHERN OHIO. THE LOW WILL TRACK EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN NEBRASKA TODAY WITH A COLD FRONT TRAILING INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM KEEPING TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL. BY TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT BUT SHOULD NOT REACH THE FORECAST AREA BEFORE WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA ON WEDNESDAY BRINGING SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION. THE FRONT WILL BE WEAKENING AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA SO IT APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE TOO MANY THUNDERSTORMS AND NO THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER. WHAT IS LEFT OF THE FRONT WILL BE OUT OF THE REGION BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BRINGING TEMPERATURES DOWN ABOUT 15 DEGREES FROM TONIGHT BUT THAT ONLY MEANS THAT TEMPERATURES WILL BE BACK TO SEASONAL LEVELS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR THURSDAY KEEPING THINGS DRY WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING CLOSE TO NORMAL. THE COOLEST PERIOD WILL BE THURSDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BECOMES CENTERED OVER THE REGION. TEMPERATURES FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE A LITTLE ON THE CHILLY SIDE WITH READING IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. BY FRIDAY MORNING...THE HIGH WILL BE EAST OF THE REGION CAUSING A RETURN OF SOUTH WINDS AND WARMER AIR TO THE FORECAST AREA. MEANWHILE...A NEW STORM SYSTEM BEGINS TO DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA INTO SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. THIS SYSTEM MAY SPREAD SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY MORNING BRINGING MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ONCE THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE REGION...COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE FORECAST AREA FOR SUNDAY RETURNING TEMPERATURES BACK TO SEASONAL LEVELS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THE COLD FRONT STALLS OUT ALONG GULF COAST SUNDAY NIGHT AND LOW PRESSURE MOVES ALONG THE FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WHICH MAY SPREAD SOME ADDITIONAL RAIN INTO THE FORECAST AREA ON MONDAY.' ARS && AVIATION... 06Z TAF SET VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUING THIS TAF PERIOD WITH MAINLY PASSING HIGH CLOUDINESS. WINDS WILL INCREASE BY MID MORNING GUSTING STRONGEST AT KMEM AND KJBR DURING THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY IN THE EVENING...BUT WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS AS A COLD FRONT DROPS INTO MISSOURI. MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS WILL MOVE INTO SITES ACROSS THE NORTH AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH THE THREAT OF VICINITY THUNDER JUST BEYOND THE TAF PERIOD AT KJBR. JAB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 80 63 77 48 / 10 10 20 10 MKL 81 61 76 44 / 10 10 30 10 JBR 76 59 77 45 / 10 10 20 10 TUP 82 60 77 49 / 0 10 30 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 309 AM CDT TUE MAR 22 2011 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-231015- ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA- CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER- FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY- ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON- MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT- PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY- ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA- UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 309 AM CDT TUE MAR 22 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY OCCUR EAST OF A DYERSBURG TO SAVANNAH TENNESSEE LINE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) conditions across the area.
Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) conditions across the area.
Moderate (D1) drought conditions intensified to severe (D2) conditions across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, March 2011
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: 290256, 290257, 290258.