A powerful low pressure system and cold front moved over the ArkLaMiss region during the early morning hours of December 20th. This storm system caused a line of severe storms to cross the region producing thunderstorm widespread wind damage in the form of blown down trees, power lines, and structural damage.
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.
A powerful low pressure system and cold front moved over the ArkLaMiss region during the early morning hours of December 20th. This storm system caused a line of severe storms to cross the region producing thunderstorm widespread wind damage in the form of blown down trees, power lines, and structural damage.
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 Dec 19, 9:47 PM CST, 5 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
947 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012
.UPDATE...THE CURRENT FORECAST IS ON TRACK AND NO MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS
ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS PREVAIL THIS EVENING
ACROSS THE CWA AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE INCREASING LATER TONIGHT
ACROSS THE REGION AS THIS POTENT WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.
&&
.AVIATION...MVFR CIGS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT AHEAD OF AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS THIS EVENING WILL
GIVE WAY TO INCRSG RAIN AND TSTMS AFTER MIDNIGHT AHEAD OF THE FRONT
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS LATE. AREAS OF IFR
CIGS/MVFR VSBYS WILL ALSO DEVELOP. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS
WILL OCCUR AS A BAND OF STORMS DEVELOPS JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND
TRACKS EWD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...MOVING INTO WRN ZONES AROUND 4
AM AND CONTINUING EWD THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. S/SE WINDS 10-20 KTS
WITH GUSTS 20-30 KTS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT. AFTER THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE...WINDS WILL SWITCH TO THE NW WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20-30
MPH AND GUSTS TO 30-45 MPH AT TIMES WITH VFR CONDS RETURNING.
KGWO/KGLH MAY HAVE SPORADIC GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT TIMES 20/11-18Z.
WINDS WILL TAPPER DOWN BY THURSDAY EVENING AS SKIES CLEAR. /ALLEN/03/
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 409 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012/
SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...
LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A POTENT SURFACE LOW HAS DEVELOPED
OVER THE WEST-CENTRAL PLAINS...WITH SOUTHERLY LOWER TROPOSPHERIC
WINDS OF 35-45KTS SOUTHEAST OF THE LOW PULLING MOISTURE QUICKLY
NORTHWARD. MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWING A SURFACE LOW
TRACK NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION BY
TOMORROW AFTERNOON THAT SWINGS A POTENT COLD FRONT ACROSS THE
ARKLAMISS THROUGH THE SAME TIME. THIS COLD FRONT WILL BRING A COUPLE
DIFFERENT ISSUES TO THE REGION/SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT FOLLOWED BY
WINDY CONDITIONS IN WAKE OF THE FRONT.
AS FOR SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING...
HI-RES MODEL GUIDANCE IS CONFIDENT THAT AN INITIAL PUSH OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A PREFRONTAL SURGE OF RICHER LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WILL OVERSPREAD SOUTHWESTERN ZONES AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE
OF STORMS AROUND 1 AM. IT'S NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT THIS
ACTIVITY MAY MOVE OVER AREAS FURTHER EAST (PINEBELT REGION) AROUND
THIS TIME...CONFIDENCE JUST ISN'T QUITE AS HIGH. THESE STORMS WILL
BE DEVELOPING IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF STRONG LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR
(0-1KM HELICITY VALUES 200-400M2/S2)...BUT UNCERTAIN AMOUNTS OF
INSTABILITY. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE NOT IDEAL (700-500MB
5-5.5C/KM) AND ARE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR TO LOW AMOUNTS OF
DESTABILIZATION AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT. I
THINK THE MORE AGGRESSIVE HI-RES NAM MAY BE HANDLING THE EXPECTED
INSTABILITY BETTER THAN THE GFS/ECMWF...LEADING TO HIGHER CONFIDENCE
IN SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WITH THIS INITIAL BATCH OF ACTIVITY/
MAINLY IN THE FORM OF DAMAGING WINDS(DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF SYNOPTIC
SCALE WINDS/I.E 40-50KTS AT 925MB) AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES.
WILL BE WATCHING THIS ACTIVITY CLOSELY.
FROM THERE THE FOCUS WILL SHIFT TO AREAS FURTHER WEST AS A BROKEN
LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT BEGINS TO
MOVE INTO THE REGION IN THE 2 TO 3 AM TIME FRAME. THIS LINE WILL BE
STRONGLY FORCED BY A NEGATIVELY TILTED UPPER TROUGH TO OUR
NORTHWEST...AND WILL AGAIN BE INTERACTING WITH INTENSE LOW LEVEL
WIND SHEAR BRINGING A TORNADO RISK IN ADDITION TO A DAMAGING WIND
RISK. THIS LINE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FAIRLY QUICKLY...WITH
AREAS WEST OF I-55 SEEING THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER END AROUND 5
AM...AND AREAS EAST OF I-55 BEING "CLEAR" BY 10 AM OR SO. THE ONE
CAVEAT TO THIS ENTIRE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS INSTABILITY...AND IF
THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OF INSTABILITY DON'T DEVELOP WE COULD BE LOOKING
AT A NON-EVENT. BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST.
AS IF THIS ISN'T ENOUGH...OUR ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO ROBUST
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS THAT WILL IMPACT THE REGION IN WAKE OF THE
FRONT. STRONG BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING UNDER COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL
EASILY MIX DOWN 30 TO 45 KT WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE. SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 25-35 MPH ARE EXPECTED AREA WIDE (AFTER THE COLD FRONT
PASSES) WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 MPH PROBABLE. IT'S NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION THAT ISOLATED AREAS COULD SEE GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50
MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE DELTA EARLY ON. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN
EASILY BRING DOWN TREES (ESPECIALLY OLDER AND WEAK TREES) AS WELL AS
MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE
REGION...AND WILL MONITOR TRENDS TO SEE IF A HIGH WIND WARNING IS
NEEDED FOR SOME AREAS. THE WINDS LOOK TO SUBSIDE BY TOMORROW EVENING.
FROM THERE COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION BRINGING A
RETURN OF SUB FREEZING MORNING LOWS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING. THE
NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN COMES EARLY NEXT WEEK AND THE PREVIOUS
DISCUSSION REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL REMAINS VALID...SEE BELOW. /BK/
PREVIOUS LONG TERM...THE EXTENDED FORECAST IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE
PREVIOUS AS WE WILL SEE COOL(NEAR NORMAL) CONDITIONS SAT WITH A
QUICK WARMING AND MOISTENING TREND FOR SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THIS
MOISTENING TREND WILL SET THE STAGE FOR A POTENTIALLY WETTER AND
STORMY PERIOD TO START NEXT WEEK. AS MENTIONED YESTERDAY...THE MODELS
WERE SHOWING THE POTENTIAL FOR A COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM. THIS
COMPLEXITY REMAINS AND IS NOW HAVING AN IMPACT ON HOW THE GLOBAL
MODELS HANDLE THE SYSTEM. THE LATEST GFS/EURO RUNS ARE QUITE A BIT
DIFFERENT IN HOW THEY EVOLVE THE SYSTEM. THE ONLY THING I AM
CONFIDENT IN IS THAT THERE WILL BE BETTER THAN AVG RAIN CHANCES FOR
MON-WED WITH COLDER TEMPS TO ARRIVE AROUND WED. DUE TO THIS SYSTEM
OCCURRING WITHIN THE HOLIDAY PERIOD...WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH AND SEE
HOW THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER POTENTIAL EVOLVES WITH EACH RUN. I WILL NOT
GET INTO SPECIFICS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION THE RISKS THAT WERE
ADDED YESTERDAY FOR THAT EARLY WEEK PERIOD.
FOR TEMPS...THE LATEST GFS MOS WAS IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE
EURO AND THE PREV FORECAST. DUE TO THIS...MUCH OF THOSE VALUES WERE
ACCEPTED. AS FOR POPS...MUCH LIKE THE TEMPS...POPS WERE MUCH BETTER
THIS RUN AND MATCHED CLOSELY TO THE PREV FORECAST AND THOSE VALUES
WERE USED. /CME/
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
JACKSON 58 59 29 56 / 87 32 0 0
MERIDIAN 57 64 28 56 / 85 67 0 0
VICKSBURG 55 58 27 57 / 87 17 0 0
HATTIESBURG 59 65 29 56 / 90 64 0 0
NATCHEZ 56 56 28 56 / 90 16 0 0
GREENVILLE 51 57 29 53 / 85 12 0 0
GREENWOOD 57 57 28 54 / 88 29 0 0
&&
.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...WIND ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR MSZ018-019-
025>066-072>074.
LA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR LAZ007>009-015-
016-023>026.
AR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR ARZ074-075.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 257 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 202100- 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- 257 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AHEAD OF A POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND STRONG COLD FRONT. ONCE STORMS FORM THEY WILL MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH THE ARKLAMISS AND BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WIND GUSTS AND A FEW TORNADOES. THE GREATEST RISK FOR THESE STORMS WEST OF THE INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR WILL BE BETWEEN 1 AM AND 5 AM...AND 4 AM UNTIL 10 AM FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 55. FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT...GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION WITH SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 45 MPH. SPORADIC 50 MPH WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE DELTA REGION ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION BETWEEN EARLY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION FROM 3 AM THURSDAY MORNING TO 6 PM THURSDAY EVENING. THE WINDS WILL SUBSIDE THURSDAY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK (INCLUDING CHRISTMAS DAY)...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM COULD IMPACT THE REGION BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES AS THE WEEKEND APPROACHES. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING AND POSSIBLY AGAIN NEXT WEEK. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. ALLEN
MSZ045-046-200845- NESHOBA MS-KEMPER MS- 214 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 214 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 35 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTH OF HERBERT SPRINGS AT 214 AM CST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. PEOPLE IN WESTERN KEMPER AND SOUTHEASTERN NESHOBA COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. LAT...LON 3257 8878 3258 8903 3293 8881 3292 8850 TIME...MOT...LOC 0814Z 217DEG 51KT 3259 8889 JA
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
313 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0245 AM TSTM WND DMG E CROSSETT 33.13N 91.97W
12/20/2012 ASHLEY AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN ON DUNMORE LOOP AND ANOTHER DOWN ON HWY 425
SOUTH.
0245 AM TSTM WND DMG CROSSETT 33.13N 91.97W
12/20/2012 ASHLEY AR PUBLIC
TREE LIMB KNOCKED DOWN PART OF SHED.
&&
AWEBERMSZ042-043-048-200955- MADISON MS-HINDS MS-YAZOO MS- 323 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 323 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012 A CLUSTER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF BROWNSVILLE AT 323 AM CST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. 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 CENTRAL YAZOO...NORTH CENTRAL HINDS AND SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. LAT...LON 3283 9025 3262 8997 3234 9040 3248 9056 TIME...MOT...LOC 0923Z 228DEG 48KT 3249 9037 BK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
330 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 AM TSTM WND DMG W JONES 32.97N 91.65W
12/20/2012 MOREHOUSE LA LAW ENFORCEMENT
3 TREES DOWN WITH 1 LANDING ON A HOUSE. POWER OUTAGES
ACROSS NORTHERN PART OF PARISH.
&&
AWEBERThe Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 151 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:44 UTC.
47 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power outages occurred in Leland due to downed power lines.
Power lines were blown down across Glen Allan Road.
Power lines were blown down in Indianola and Moorhead.
Several trees were blown down across roads around Cameron.
Power outages occurred at the courthouse and the fire station in town due to trees on power lines.
Winds were estimated at 60 mph in Yazoo City.
A tree was blown down across Highway 355 near County Road 1007.
Trees were blown down across the county. Several power outages occurred due to downed power lines. Trees were blown down on two vehicles.
Trees were blown down on Fisher Ferry Road and Highway 547. Power lines were blown down on Oil Mill Road.
A tree and power line were blown down on Upper Kingston Road in Natchez.
A shed and two small wooden buildings were blown away near County Road 131.
Trees were blown down across Berryville Road and Highway 433. Trees were blown down on Sonny Lane and Highway 16 as well.
Power lines were blown down in the city of Lexington. Trees were also blown down on Highway 17 North.
Large limbs were blown down on Martin Road in the northern part of the county. Power lines were also blown down along Spring Ridge Road.
Trees were blown down in Vaughn.
A few trees were blown down along Goodloe Road. Several trees were blown down along Rankin Road and Endris Road.
Trees were blown down on Marshall Road, Highway 98 South, and McNair Road in Meadville.
A tree was blown onto an apartment building on McFadden Road. Large tree limbs and power lines were blown down at Wynndale Road and Terry Road. A tree limb fell and broke a window along Manhattan Road.
A power line was blown down on White Oak Avenue in Raleigh.
Trees were blown down in Crystal Springs.
Trees were blown down across the county.
Trees were blown down along Star Road near Highway 49, Mount Repose in Plantation Shores, and along West Mountain Creek south of Florence.
Trees blocked one lane of Highway 21 North near County Road 763.
Trees were blown down on Clifton-Hillsboro Road, Cooperville Road, and a tree fell on a house on Banks Street in Forest.
A tree was blown down across Williams Cut Off Road.
At least eight trees blew down across the county.
Trees were blown down on Cold Springs Lane.
A tree was blown down at Rose Hill Road and County Line Road.
A few trees were blown down along Liberty Road.
There were reports of a tree blown down on Banks Street in Forest.
Trees were blown down in Sumrall.
Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county.
Trees were blown down along Rabbit Road east of Monticello. Power outages occurred in a few areas along Highway 84 between Monticello and Silver Creek.
Trees were blown down near West Point.
Power lines were blown down.
Trees were blown down across the county. A tree was blown onto a power line along Road 171 causing power outages in Arlington.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county.
A few trees were blown down and the roof of an outbuilding was blown off. A tree was blown down across Highway 492 near Union.
Limbs and power lines were blown down across the southern portion of the county.
A tree and a power line were blown down behind Howard Industries.
Trees were blown down near Caledonia and in Columbus.
A few trees were blown down across the county.
One tree was blown down on Williams Road.
Trees were blown down blocking Highway 18.
A tree was down on Old Jackson Road, and on Highway 39 North past Gholson Road.
Trees were blown down along Highway 18 and county roads 115 and 350.
Measured at Okatibbee Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, December 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: 420130, 420133, 420134, 420136, 420137, 420138, 420140, 420144, 420157, 420160, 420162, 420164, 420167, 420166, 420185, 420192, 420202, 420204, 420207, 420241, 420242, 420250, 420243, 420251, 420252, 420270, 420271, 420272, 420276, 420277, 420278, 420279, 420582, 420583, 420584, 420585, 420587, 420593, 420589, 420590, and more.