Mississippi, 2015

Winter Weather in Mississippi, February 20, 2015

February 20, 2015 · NWS JAN · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

During the early morning hours of February 20th, very light precipitation moved along Interstate Twenty. Due to the cold air in place at the surface, this light rain froze upon contact.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$19,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.

During the early morning hours of February 20th, very light precipitation moved along Interstate Twenty. Due to the cold air in place at the surface, this light rain froze upon contact. While only a few hundredths were reported, it had significant impact on roads and made for a hazardous morning commute in the Jackson metro area and other locations across the ArkLaMiss region.

What forecasters said that day

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 Feb 20, 5:18 AM CST, 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 5:18 AM CST, 42 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Hinds

When
February 20, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Hinds forecast zone
Property damage
$6,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
32.267, -90.443 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light freezing rain moved over the Jackson area, with 0.02 inches being recorded at the NWS Jackson office. This light amount of freezing rain caused many bridges and overpasses to ice over in the Jackson metro area. This resulted in several accidents, including on I-220 near Medgar Evers Blvd. and I-55 near Pearl and High streets.

Winter Weather, Rankin

When
February 20, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Rankin forecast zone
Property damage
$6,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
32.264, -89.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light freezing rain moved over the Jackson metro area, with 0.02 inches being recorded at the NWS Jackson office. This light amount caused several accidents. A tractor trailer accident due to the light icing caused the I-20 exit 56 at US Highway 80 to be closed.

Winter Weather, Bolivar

When
February 20, 8:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
Bolivar forecast zone
Property damage
$7,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.796, -90.880 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light freezing rain moved across Bolivar County. Icing on roads between Cleveland and Merigold caused several accidents. Multiple cars slide off of the highway near Shelby.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Mississippi in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, February 2015

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 561187, 561189, 561190.