On April 12th 2020, a very potent storm system delivered widespread severe weather across the southeast, as a strong cold front met unstable, moist Gulf air causing severe storms across Louisiana.
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 LIX wrote it up.
On April 12th 2020, a very potent storm system delivered widespread severe weather across the southeast, as a strong cold front met unstable, moist Gulf air causing severe storms across Louisiana.
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 New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 12, 3:04 PM CST, 4 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New Orleans LA
404 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020
.SYNOPSIS...
Surface low over northwest Arkansas at 3 PM CDT, with a cold front
to near Houston. Upper trough over southern Oklahoma, per water
vapor loops. LIX 18z sounding continued to show a cap at 850 mb,
which is inhibiting storms from moving much further eastward than
a McComb to Baton Rouge line at this time. We will be launching a
special sounding shortly to reassess lower levels of the
atmosphere over the eastern half of the area. Tornado Watch 107
continues until 8 PM for northern half of the CWA.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
Short range models show highest threat of severe weather likely to
be north of our CWA, but still enough potential here to not change
the message at this time. All precipitation should be clear of our
area by 07-08z. Will continue Wind Advisory and Coastal Flood
Advisory as currently configured. Water levels 1 to 1.5 feet above
normal. Once wind direction shifts, water levels should start
diminishing. Dry Monday through Tuesday afternoon. As front
becomes parallel to upper flow, could have a period of showers
and/or storms move over the coastal waters and possibly coastal
areas Tuesday night.
Will go with blended temperatures for the short range as not a
major discrepancy for most of the area.
&&
.LONG TERM...
Timing differences exist for the next system next weekend, will
continue using blended solutions until a preferred solution
becomes apparent.
&&
.AVIATION...
Outside of convection, MVFR to VFR ceilings common. Convection
will lower to IFR conditions. Southerly wind gusts 30+ knots
likely producing significant crosswind issues on E-W runway
configurations. LLWS also likely until cold frontal passage. Should
see improvement to VFR behind front.
&&
.MARINE...
No change to current headlines, Small Craft Advisories verifying
well, with a few of the elevated oil platforms seeing an
occasional gust to gale force. Winds should relax behind frontal
passage as pressure gradient eases and cold advection remains to
the north. Winds will increase to the 15-20 knot range again
around Tuesday night as wave moves along the front over the Gulf
of Mexico with these trends continuing into Thursday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MCB 60 75 52 77 / 30 0 0 10
BTR 58 74 52 78 / 20 0 0 20
ASD 62 81 55 81 / 60 0 0 20
MSY 64 80 61 80 / 50 0 0 20
GPT 65 81 57 78 / 50 0 0 20
PQL 63 84 55 82 / 70 0 0 30
&&
.LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...Wind Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for LAZ034>037-039-
040-046>050-056>072.
Coastal Flood Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for LAZ040-
050-058-060>062-064-066>070-072.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for GMZ530-534-
550-552-570-572.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM CDT Monday for GMZ532-536-538-
555-557-575-577.
MS...Wind Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for MSZ068>071-077-
080>082.
Coastal Flood Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for
MSZ080>082.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for GMZ534-550-
552-570-572.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM CDT Monday for GMZ536-538-555-
557-575-577.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines reported blown down across the road at intersection of Louisiana Highways 42 and 43 just northwest of Springfield. Event time estimated by radar.
Quarter-sized hail reported near Tickfaw in Tangipahoa Parish.
Half dollar sized hail reported in Hammond via social media.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, April 2020
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 887907, 887906, 887905.