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; 2 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, 4:15 AM CST, 6 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 415 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012 ......HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE DELTA LATE THIS WEEK AND OVER THE WEEKEND... .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...THE MAIN CONCERNS FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL AND A SLIGHT SEVERE WEATHER RISK. BRISK SOUTHERLY FLOW CONTINUES THIS MORNING AS THE CWA REMAINS ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF SFC HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THIS IS DRAWING UP MOISTURE INTO THE REGION...CURRENTLY IN THE FORM OF LOW STRATUS...AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT LOCATED FROM LUBBOCK TEXAS...TO TULSA...AND NORTH TO CHICAGO. THIS COLD FRONT WILL BE PUSHING TOWARD THE ARKLAMISS TODAY...AND CREATING THE IMPETUS FOR SOME SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL AND HEAVY RAINFALL. TODAY WILL START OUT WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWER ACTIVITY OCCURRING ALONG AND WEST OF I-55 THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. AS THE FRONT DRAWS CLOSER TO THE DELTA...AND CONDITIONS WARM AGAIN INTO THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S...THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE STORMS. THE AIRMASS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE MOIST AND UNSTABLE...WITH PW VALUES OF 1.5-1.6 INCHES...LAPSE RATES GOOD AS DEPICTED BY 26-27 VERTICAL TOTALS...MUCAPE OF 900-1100J/KG...AND 20-25KTS OF 0-1KM SHEAR ALONG WITH 40-45KTS OF 0-6KM SHEAR TO HELP ORGANIZE UPDRAFTS. THIS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR PRIMARILY DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SECONDARY HAZARDS WILL BE FROM HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE AND A TORNADO. WHILE THE TORNADO RISK IS RATHER LOW...THERE APPEARS TO BE JUST ENOUGH HELICITY(A BAND OF 250M2/S2 0-3KM FROM GTR BACK TO AROUND 315M2/S2 OVER THE DELTA AND ADEQUATE LOWER LEVEL HELICITY) TO WARRANT A NON-ZERO THREAT...ESPECIALLY IN ANY DISCRETE STORM THAT CAN DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT. MAIN AREA LOOKS TO BE THE DELTA...BUT ALSO CANNOT RULE THIS OCCURRING FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST. PER SOME HI-RES WRF GUIDANCE...THESE DEPICT SOME SUPERCELL/DISCRETE STORMS OCCURRING ACROSS THE JACKSON METRO UP TO THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE STARTING AROUND 21-00Z. THINK THAT ANYWHERE ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE MIGHT SEE A STRONG TO SEVERE STORM AND THIS FITS WITH LATEST DAY 1 SPC OUTLOOK AS WELL. WILL GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE THE MENTION OF TORNADOES AS WELL AS CONTINUING WIND AND HAIL CONCERNS IN THE HWO. ANOTHER CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN IN THE DELTA. WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN PLACE...MODEL RUN ACCUMULATIONS ARE SHOWING ABOUT 2-3 INCHES OF RAINFALL BY 12Z FRIDAY...WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL OCCURRING AFTER 03Z-06Z AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS HEAVY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD. THIS COULD POSE SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING ISSUES IN LOW LYING OR POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS. BY 12Z FRIDAY...THE FRONT LOOKS TO BE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN ZONES/THE HIGHWAY 84 CORRIDOR/ WITH MOSTLY POST FRONTAL RAINS. AS THE BEST LIFT AND FORCING PUSHES OUT OF THE REGION...MOST OF THIS SHOULD COMES AS LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO SAG FURTHER TO THE SOUTH...RAINS WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES WILL BE CHILLY ON FRIDAY AS GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS USHER IN STRONG CAA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. GIVEN LINGERING CLOUDS AND RAIN...TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY NOT GET OUT OF THE LOWER 50S IN THE DELTA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMER IN THE SOUTH GIVEN LAG OF CAA. THE FRONT WILL STALL OFF THE GULF COAST BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...LINGERING SOME RAIN SHOWERS IN THE WESTERN ZONES BY 12Z SATURDAY NEAR AN INVERTED TROUGH AXIS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL TEXAS. WITH THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IN THE WEST/SOUTHWEST ZONES...THIS BRINGS POTENTIAL ACCUMULATION TOTALS TO AROUND 2-3 INCHES FOR MOST LOCATIONS WEST OF THE MS RIVER AND INTO THE MS DELTA. BY 12Z SATURDAY. THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA IS DEPICTED AS SEEING HALF OF AN INCH TO JUST OVER AN INCH. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SQUEEZE IN AT THE SFC FOR MOST OF THE AREA BUT THE FAR SW BEHIND THE DEPARTING RAINS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. SOME DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN FOR NORTHERN AREAS AS PW VALUES FALL BELOW 1 INCH...BUT THIS WILL BE SHORT LIVED. OVERALL...GUIDANCE NUMBERS SEEMED GOOD BUT DID INCREASE POPS FOR TONIGHT AS CONFIDENCE IS HIGH IN MEASURING RAINS...ESPECIALLY CENTRAL AND NORTH. /28/ .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WE ARE LOOKING FOR A RESURGENCE OF HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA AT THE START OF NEXT WEEK AS THE INITIAL STALLED CUT-OFF LOW TO OUR WEST FINALLY PHASES WITH THE NORTHERN JET STREAM AND PUSHES NORTHEAST. THIS LOW WILL PASS NORTHWEST AND NORTH OF OUR REGION...BUT ITS OVERALL MOVEMENT EAST WILL DRAG THE MOISTURE ADVECTION AND MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AXES THROUGH THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY LATE SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. SOME MODEL SOLUTIONS OR MODEL ENSEMBLE MEMBERS FORECAST RATHER WEAK LIFT WITH THIS "BOUNDARY" EARLY NEXT WEEK AND THEREFORE NON-IMPRESSIVE LEVELS OF ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...THE MAJORITY MODEL OPINION IS THAT FORCING FOR THE MENTIONED PERIOD WILL BE SUFFICIENT (CONSIDERING THE JUICE COMING FORTH FROM THE GULF) TO GENERATE WIDESPREAD HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND AT LEAST SOME THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM LATER SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT OF AT LEAST 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS MORE LIKELY IN THE NORTHWEST ARKLAMISS DELTA. SINCE IT IS MAINLY THE NORTHWESTERN ARKLAMISS DELTA LOCATIONS IN THE FORECAST AREA WHICH SHOULD RECEIVE THE BRUNT OF THE RAINFALL IN THE SHORT TERM...THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IN THE LONG TERM PERIOD COULD INDEED LEAD TO AT LEAST MINOR FLOODING ISSUES. ELSEWHERE...TAKING THE RAPID "GREENING" OF THE REGION INTO ACCOUNT...THE RAINFALL FROM EARLY NEXT WEEK MAY NOT CAUSE MUCH OF ANY FLOODING ISSUES IF SHORT TERM RAINFALL FOR THOSE AREAS-IN-QUESTION IS NOT VERY HIGH. AS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL EARLY NEXT WEEK...IT IS GENERALLY NOT LOOKING HIGH AS THE OVERALL REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT DURING THIS TIME SHOULD POSSESS WEAK TEMPERATURE LAPSE RATES AND ONLY LOW TO MODERATE WIND SHEAR. 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...LOW STRATUS ONGOING THIS MORNING BRINGING MVFR CEILINGS TO MANY TAF SITES. EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE THROUGH 16Z TODAY. BRIEF VFR CEILINGS MAY OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE A COLD FRONT ARRIVES THIS EVENING. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS OR STORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHICH COULD BRING SOME GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. MOST OF THE RAIN WILL BE BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH WILL BRING CEILINGS BACK 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. /28/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 81 55 62 47 / 60 82 85 33 MERIDIAN 81 57 64 43 / 47 60 73 20 VICKSBURG 82 53 60 48 / 69 85 88 47 HATTIESBURG 81 63 71 50 / 26 35 66 28 NATCHEZ 79 58 65 50 / 50 62 88 51 GREENVILLE 78 47 53 44 / 95 97 64 32 GREENWOOD 78 49 56 41 / 89 93 62 24 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && 28/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 321 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>053-059-060- 090930- 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-JEFFERSON- ADAMS- 321 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT 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 THROUGH WEDNESDAY ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL COULD DEVELOP SATURDAY NIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY AS VERY MOIST AIR INTERACTS WITH A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY. IT APPEARS THE GREATER RISK FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REMAIN OVER THE ARKLAMISS DELTA REGION...WHERE CONCERNS FOR FLASH FLOODING COULD DEVELOP. 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 BUT IS OTHERWISE NOT EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MSZ054>058-061>066-072>074-090930- COPIAH-SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE- JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 321 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY 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. 28
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree was blown down on the north side of Meridian.
A few fences were blown down and there was shingle damage to some roofs. Two semi trucks were blown off of Highway 61.
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, 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: 370034, 370035.