A strong cold front generated severe storms with damaging winds across the region during the early morning hours of March 1st.
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 MEG wrote it up.
A strong cold front generated severe storms with damaging winds across the region during the early morning hours of March 1st.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 1, 2:41 AM CST, 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 241 AM CST Wed Mar 1 2017 .DISCUSSION... Skies are cloudy across the forecast area early this morning with temperatures ranging from the upper 60s to lower 70s. A cold front currently extends from northeast Illinois through northwest Arkansas and into central Texas. Some areas of thunderstorms have developed ahead of the front with some thunderstorms currently over north central into western Arkansas. Some of these thunderstorms have been severe and a new Tornado Watch which should cover most of the forecast area should be issued before 4 AM. As the cold front moves east today thunderstorms will move through the forecast area. Damaging winds and large hail will be the main threats but tornadoes are also possible. Most of the thunderstorms should be out of the forecast area by this afternoon. Temperatures will remain on the warm side today with highs from the upper 60s to mid 70s. The cold front will be east of the region tonight with high pressure moving into the central plains. Cooler and drier air will move into region with lows Thursday morning in the mid to upper 30s. Thursday will be a sunny day as the surface high settles into Oklahoma. Temperatures will be close to normal levels with highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s. The surface high will be close to the forecast area Thursday night which will allow temperatures to drop a little lower than tonight. Lows Friday morning will be in the low to mid 30s. Friday will be the coolest day of the forecast period as the high remains just west of the area. Highs on Friday will be in the low to mid 50s. By Friday night, the surface high will be east of the region which will allow winds to shift to the south. This will bring milder air back into the region so temperatures will not be as chilly Saturday morning. The warming trend will continue for much of the weekend as temperatures return to above normal levels. Moisture will start to return to southern sections of the forecast area by Sunday with some isolated showers possible. The chance of rain will increase some on Sunday night as another cold front will move into the plains. This cold front will move quickly into Arkansas by Monday morning and through the forecast area Monday night. This will mean showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop ahead of the front and move through the region both Monday and Monday night. The cold front should be just south of the forecast area on Tuesday with some additional thunderstorms possible. Temperatures should remain above normal for Monday and Tuesday. ARS && .AVIATION... 06z TAFs VFR weather outside of convection...with model guidance indicating a slower passage of the approaching cold front. Adjusted timing accordingly. Gusty south to southwest winds will continue overnight...then veering west and northwest after passage. Winds will diminish significantly by sunset. Low level wind shear potential through the first 6-8 hours of the period. Worst cigs expected at TUP. Expect stronger wind gusts in convection. JAB && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 314 AM CST Wed Mar 1 2017 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-021115- Alcorn-Benton MS-Benton TN-Calhoun-Carroll-Chester-Chickasaw-Clay- Coahoma-Craighead-Crittenden-Crockett-Cross-DeSoto-Decatur- Dunklin-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-Greene-Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood- Henderson-Henry-Itawamba-Lafayette-Lake-Lauderdale-Lawrence- Lee AR-Lee MS-Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion- Panola-Pemiscot-Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman- Randolph-Shelby-St. Francis-Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton- Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley-Yalobusha- 314 AM CST Wed Mar 1 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas... the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight There is an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms this morning across all of west Tennessee and for much of north Mississippi. A slight risk for severe thunderstorms will exist for the remainder of the Mid-South. The primary severe weather threats will include damaging winds and large hail although a few tornadoes are possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday North Mississippi and west Tennessee will likely experience elevated levels of wild fire danger Thursday and Friday, due to low relative humidity levels. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will be needed this morning.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1041 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1036 PM TORNADO 4 NNE LATHAM 36.48N 88.69W
02/28/2017 WEAKLEY TN TRAINED SPOTTER
POSSIBLE TORNADO IN THE AUSTIN SPRINGS AREA NEAR THE
KENTUCKY STATE LINE.
&&
JABThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:14 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Farm shop and lumber yard damaged. Trees uprooted.
Rodeo arena damaged and bleachers overturned. U-Haul trailer blown over. Roof blown off a home in Ravenden also.
Carport blown off and trees down.
Emergency manager and public also reported a hangar door blown in at the regional airport along with trees and power lines down at Williams Baptist college.
A tree was blown on top of a house in Cash.
Measured gust on home weather station.
Two 18-wheelers were blown over on Interstate 555 between Bay and Jonesboro.
A tin roof was blown off a vacant building. A home lost shingles.
Outbuilding destroyed.
A large tree fell on a mobile home trapping a person.
Widespread damage to fences and outbuildings.
Roof blown off a four-plex apartment.
Porch removed from house and blown over a two-story house.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, March 2017
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: 680623, 680625, 680627, 680628, 680629, 680630, 680631, 680632, 680633, 680634, 680635, 680636, 680638, 680639, 683689, 683690.