The passage of a strong cold front brought unusually intense gradient winds to the the entire Deep South region. Damage to structures and vehicles occurred as a result of these winds.
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 JAN wrote it up.
The passage of a strong cold front brought unusually intense gradient winds to the the entire Deep South region. Damage to structures and vehicles occurred as a result of these winds.
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 8, 3:51 PM CST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 351 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012 ......HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE DELTA OVERNIGHT... .DISCUSSION...COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MAKE STEADY SOUTHWARD PROGRESS TOWARD THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON...AND NOW EXTENDS FROM NASHVILLE TN TO CLARKSDALE MS TO TEXARKANA. THERE CONTINUES TO BE A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT...WITH A TRAILING AREA OF STRATIFORM RAINFALL BEHIND THE FRONT. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN ON THE INCREASE ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA OVER THE LAST HOUR OR SO. SPC MESOANALYSIS INDICATES MLCAPES IN THE 500-1000 J/KG RANGE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WITH LITTLE CIN...SO THERE REMAINS SOME POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)...THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY PUSH ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT...REACHING THE I-20 CORRIDOR BY AROUND MIDNIGHT...AND THE PINE BELT AROUND DAYBREAK. THIS EVENING THERE REMAINS A RELATIVELY SHORT WINDOW WHEN THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE UNSTABLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS COUPLED WITH 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR MAGNITUDES IN THE 30-40 KT RANGE COULD ALLOW FOR SOME ORGANIZED CONVECTION. SPC CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN A SLIGHT RISK ALONG AND NW OF A JONESVILLE LA TO JACKSON TO STARKVILLE LINE. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OR LOWER-END SEVERE HAIL. BY LATER IN THE EVENING...CAPPING WILL INCREASE. STILL EXPECT SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION...BUT THE STRONG/SEVERE THREAT WILL DIMINISH. AS FOR HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL...HPC IS STILL FORECASTING UPWARDS OF 2 1/2 INCHES FOR OUR DELTA AREAS THROUGH THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND HAS OUTLOOKED OUR DELTA COUNTIES FOR A SLIGHT RISK IN THE DAY 1 EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OUTLOOK. THE 12Z GFS SUGGESTS LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN A FEW AREAS. WOULD NOT BE SHOCKED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING OR TWO ARE NEEDED OVERNIGHT...BUT WE ARE NOT EXPECTING A LARGE SCALE FLOOD THREAT. TOMORROW WILL BE A CHILLY BREEZY DAY BEHIND THE FRONT. ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA TEMPS WILL OR REMAIN STEADY DURING MUCH OF THE DAYTIME...WITH TEMPS IN THE NORTH ONLY RISING A FEW DEGREES. THERE WILL BE LINGERING STRATIFORM RAIN... PRIMARILY DURING THE MORNING HOURS. WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDER SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 84 CORRIDOR THANKS TO ELEVATED INSTABILITY. SFC HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL BUILD IN LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. THIS SHOULD PROVIDE SOME BREAK IN THE PRECIP TO START OFF THE WEEKEND. THUS WE WERE ABLE TO CUT BACK POPS SIGNIFICANTLY FOR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS SHOULD ALSO PROVIDE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FROM TONIGHT TO DRAIN OFF AHEAD OF THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM. BY SATURDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM SET TO MOVE THROUGH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. /DL/ LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...12Z MODEL GUIDANCE CAME IN NOT QUITE AS IMPRESSIVE WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH THE SUNDAY/MONDAY SYSTEM. THERE ARE STILL INDICATIONS THAT SOME AREAS COULD SEE UP TO 2 INCHES...BUT THERE IS NOW A BIT LESS CONCERN FOR FLOODING POTENTIAL. REMOVED MENTION FROM THE HWO OF THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT IN THE EXTENDED. STILL...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME FRAME. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRONG STORMS...THOUGH THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WAS NOT GREAT ENOUGH TO MENTION IN THE HWO AT THIS TIME. /DL/ OTHERWISE...ANTICIPATE VERY WARM CONDITIONS IN THE LONG TERM PERIOD AFTER SATURDAY AND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO OUR SOUTH RETURNS BACK NORTH. AFTER MONDAY PERSISTENT SHORT WAVE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING SHOULD BE TAKING HOLD OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AS TROUGHS DIG OUT TO OUR WEST. BECAUSE IMPRESSIVE MOISTURE WILL STILL BE FLOWING NORTH FROM THE GULF THERE MIGHT STILL BE SOME SHOWERS ABOUT INTO THE MID WEEK...BUT THE BIG STORY WILL LIKELY BE MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE COMBINATIONS THAT ARE A MONTH OR TWO AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. GFS-BASED MEX GUIDANCE SEEMED TO HAVE THE RIGHT IDEA ON TEMPERATURES AS IT WAS THE WARMEST OF GFS ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE. MEX POPS ALSO SEEM SUFFICIENTLY WET THROUGH THE START OF NEXT WEEK AND REALLY DID NOT SEE A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. /BB/ && .AVIATION...VFR CEILINGS CONTINUING THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT IS DUE TO ARRIVE THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE AREA COULD BRIEFLY AFFECT A TAF SITE AND BRING MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS. MOST OF THE RAIN WILL BE BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH WILL BRING WIDESPREAD CEILINGS DOWN TO MVFR AND IFR CATEGORIES THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY. WINDS TODAY WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH SUSTAINED AROUND 10-15KTS AND GUSTY UP TO 25KTS. BEHIND THE FRONT...WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTH 10-20KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25-30KTS WITH LINGERING LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS TAPERING OFF THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. /28/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 53 56 42 67 / 99 61 12 12 MERIDIAN 54 59 38 69 / 96 64 5 4 VICKSBURG 51 55 45 68 / 100 55 20 22 HATTIESBURG 65 69 45 72 / 72 73 11 7 NATCHEZ 53 55 45 66 / 99 72 31 31 GREENVILLE 44 53 39 62 / 100 32 6 13 GREENWOOD 47 54 40 67 / 100 42 5 7 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && DL/BB/28
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 246 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>051-053-059- 060-092100- 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-CLAIBORNE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS- 246 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY INTO THE AREA TONIGHT...BRINGING A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AND THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVERNIGHT. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH AND HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE MAY DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH THE RISK DIMINISHING BY MIDNIGHT. ALSO A TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. LOCATIONS WITH THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE CORRIDOR. THE CONCERN FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH SLOWLY SOUTHEAST. LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A BASTROP LOUISIANA TO GRENADA MISSISSIPPI LINE COULD RECEIVE TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL BY FRIDAY MORNING...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... MAINLY FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND ONCE AGAIN SUNDAY EVENING. MSZ052-054>058-061>066-072>074-092100- LAUDERDALE-COPIAH-SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN- LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 246 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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 WEDNESDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. 15
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down across the parish.
A grain elevator collapsed in the community of Hollybrook due to the strong winds. A tree was blown down onto a road in the parish, causing an automobile accident.
Sporadic trees and power lines were down across the city of Winnsboro.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, March 2012
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: 370038, 370039, 370041.