A slow moving cold front combined with an upper level disturbance triggered some severe storms across portions of Central Mississippi. These storms produced severe weather in the form of hail, structural damage as well as blown down power lines and trees.
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 slow moving cold front combined with an upper level disturbance triggered some severe storms across portions of Central Mississippi. These storms produced severe weather in the form of hail, structural damage as well as blown down power lines and trees.
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 Jan 8, 3:23 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 323 PM CST SUN JAN 8 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON NEARLY STALLED BOUNDARY EVOLUTION TO OUR NORTH AND THE RISK FOR STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT. HAVE WARMED MAX HIGHS A TOUCH ACROSS SOME AREAS FROM THIS MORNINGS PREVIOUS THINKING AS BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS HAVE ALLOWED FOR MORE INSOLATION THAN EXPECTED. KGLH CONTINUES TO BE ON THE COOL SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY WITH TEMPS STILL REMAINING IN THE UPPER 50S. BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY AS LOW TO MID-LVL FLOW REMAINS PARALLEL THROUGH TONIGHT. THE BOUNDARY IS THEN PROGGED TO OOZE SOUTH THROUGH EARLY MORNING MONDAY WITH HELP OF STRENGTHENING PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM NORTH AS SFC CYCLOGENESIS COMMENCES ACROSS THE NWRN GULF. PATCHY AREAS OF FOG WERE ADDED FOR MONDAY MORNING AS SREF PROBS AND LOW DEWPOINT DEPRESSION INDICATE GOOD DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL. WEAK TO MODERATE ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE WILL ALLOW FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO PERSIST THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL HELP OF SW/V PASSAGE. RAIN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE LOOKS TO EXPAND MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING DIVERGENCE ALOFT COUPLED WITH 500-1000 J/KG MUCAPE ACROSS CNTRL AND SRN AREAS. WITH PWATS NEAR 1.3 IN...ONE INCH PER HOUR RAINFALL RATES COULD OCCUR DUE TO SLOW STORM MOTION OF SHOWER/EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS. BY TUESDAY MORNING...ONGOING SHOWERS LOOK TO BE OCCURRING AS SMALL SHORTWAVE ENERGY EJECTS AHEAD OF CUT-OFF H5 LOW AND SFC LOW MOVES INLAND ACROSS THE SABINE RIVER VALLEY. IN RESPONSE...LOW-LVL WINDS WILL BACK AND INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY...DRAWING A TONGUE OF H85 325 K THETA-E AIR NRD UNDERNEATH EXIT REGION OF H25 CYCLONIC-CURVED 110 KT DIFFLUENT JETSTREAK BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. SFC-BASED INSTABILITY WILL INITIALLY BE LOW THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY WITH 300-900 J/KG POOLED ALONG THE FRONT WHICH LOOKS TO BE SITUATED ACROSS MS RIVER TUESDAY AFTERNOON. LATEST MODEL RUNS HAVE SLOWED THE FRONT ~6 HOURS WHICH MAY ALLOW FOR SOME SFC STABILIZATION ALONG ERN AREAS BEFORE THE BEST FORCING REACHES THIS AREA. HOWEVER...THE STRONG DYNAMICS SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF DEEPER THERMODYNAMIC SUPPORT. ATTM...A SQUALL LINE WITH POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS APPEARS TO BE THE LIKELY STORM MODE AND RESPECTIVE RISK. INSTABILITY AND 0-1 KM HELICITY FIELDS APPEAR TO SPATIALLY DISJOINTED FOR THE MENTION OF A TORNADO OR TWO IN HWO ATTM...BUT PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES. THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY PUSH THROUGH BY WEDNESDAY MORNING...ENDING STRONG TO SEVERE TSTORM RISK AS SOME LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS AND LOW CLOUDS HOLD ON. FOR FORECAST MATTERS...MAV POPS WERE FOLLOWED FOR TONIGHT AND THEN BUMPED UP DURING THE DAY PERIOD MONDAY. MAV POPS WERE ADJUSTED ABOVE GUIDANCE BOTH PERIODS TUESDAY GIVEN STRONG FORCING AND SOLID MOISTURE TRANSPORT WITH SOME INCREASES TO QPF FIELDS ALSO. MAV LOW TEMPS TONIGHT AND TUESDAY WERE BUMPED UP SLIGHTLY GIVEN EXPECTED DEWPOINT FIELD EVOLUTION AND CLOUD COVER. MAV HIGHS WERE GENERALLY FOLLOWED WITH SOME MINOR TWEAKS. /ALLEN/ .LONG TERM...COMPUTER MODELS CONTINUE TO AGREE ON AN ACTIVE WEATHER PERIOD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK...BUT DIVERGE IN THEIR SOLUTIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEKEND. FOR THURSDAY THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY... MODEL AGREEMENT GOES OUT THE WINDOW. BOTH THE GFS AND EUROPEAN DEVELOP A SURFACE LOW AND PUSH IT EAST OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO...BUT TIMING AND PLACEMENT ARE OFF QUITE A BIT. WILL STAY CLOSE TO THE GFS...WHICH IS FASTER AND FURTHER NORTH WITH THE LOW...BRINGING RAIN BACK TO THE REGION THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND CLEARING OUT BY NEXT WEEKEND...BUT WILL PUT NO CONFIDENCE IN IT AS THIS IS STILL A GOOD WAYS OUT. /19/ && .AVIATION...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON GENERALLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 82 AND THE STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT BRINGING TEMPORARY IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS THIS EVENING. LIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND PREVAIL AREAWIDE AFTER 06Z. IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO PREVAIL MONDAY MORNING WITH MVFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING AFTER 18Z. THE STALLED BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 BY AFTERNOON. MOST OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MONDAY WILL AGAIN BE FOCUSED OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA. /22/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 55 67 55 69 / 76 94 80 100 MERIDIAN 55 70 54 67 / 70 86 58 98 VICKSBURG 54 61 54 70 / 78 99 91 99 HATTIESBURG 56 74 59 71 / 48 63 70 98 NATCHEZ 56 67 58 70 / 62 100 99 98 GREENVILLE 50 58 50 65 / 89 82 67 100 GREENWOOD 52 61 51 67 / 92 82 57 88 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && ALLEN/19/22
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 258 PM CST SUN JAN 8 2012 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-MSZ018-019-025>046-092100- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-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- 258 PM CST SUN JAN 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL... WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. .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 SATURDAY. LAZ015-016-023>026-MSZ047>066-072>074-092100- RICHLAND-MADISON LA-FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-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- 258 PM CST SUN JAN 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND MONDAY AREAS OF FOG REDUCING VISIBILITY TO AROUND ONE QUARTER OF A MILE WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND LASTING UNTIL AROUND 9 AM MONDAY MORNING. THE MOST LIKELY AREAS OF DENSE FOG DEVELOPMENT WILL BE THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE ARKLAMISS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL... WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. .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 SATURDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. 22
MSZ065-082230-
COVINGTON MS-
349 PM CST SUN JAN 8 2012
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
349 PM CST SUN JAN 8 2012
...STRONG STORM MOVING NORTHEAST INTO COLLINS...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO
50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COLLINS AT 349 PM
CST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO
LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.
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 COVINGTON COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3176 8952 3180 8941 3159 8940 3152 8958
3167 8973
TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 242DEG 17KT 3163 8958
40The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:58 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Half dollar sized hail fell at the intersection of Highway 49 and Cold Springs Road.
Trees and power lines were blown down along Denson Road, Measels Road, and Fairchilds Road.
Quarter sized hail fell in Lena.
A roof was partially blown off of a house. Metal was blown onto power lines in the city of Lena.
Trees were blown down along Highway 488 near Freeny.
A swath of damaging thunderstorm winds affected areas around ten miles north northwest of Philadelphia. Numerous trees were blown down in this area. There was minor damage to three mobile homes just south of the Winston and Neshoba County line around County Road 187. Trees were blown down along County Road 185 near Arlington. Power outages were observed along County Road 187.
Scattered trees were blown down throughout town. A few trampolines were blown up into trees as well.
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, January 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: 356895, 356921, 356905, 356923, 356925, 356935, 356937.