A cold front sank very slowly south into the northern parts of the ArkLaMiss. With abundant moisture in place, storms moved repeatedly over the same locations.
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 cold front sank very slowly south into the northern parts of the ArkLaMiss. With abundant moisture in place, storms moved repeatedly over the same locations. This resulted in flash flooding for locations generally along and north of the Highway 82 corridor.
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 18, 3:34 PM CST, 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Jackson MS 334 PM CST Tue Feb 18 2020 .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Wednesday: A cold front currently extends across the northern portions of our area this afternoon, with showers and thunderstorms occuring mainly along and behind the boundary. This front will slowly move southeast through the day into this evening. It continues to look like rainfall totals will be on the 1-2 inch range for much of the area. Will continue to advertise in our HWO/Graphicasts and a flash flood watch is already in effect. With lapse rates of around 5.5C/KM and a decent amount of shear, expect the storms to remain sub-severe for the most part, but an isolated strong to severe storm cannot be ruled out this afternoon into early evening. The front will move south of the area later this evening, but post frontal rain will continue into the overnight hours. Lows tonight will range from around 40 in the north to mid 50s in the Pine Belt Region. We will get some relief from the rain Wednesday morning into the afternoon hours, but light rainshowers will continue to be possible during this period. Another short wave will approach the area Wednesday afternoon with increasing chances for rain once again. Highs will range from around 50 across the delta to around 60 across the Pine Belt. /15/ Thursday through next Monday: A secondary disturbance is set to move along the northern Gulf Coast on Thursday which will bring another round of unwelcome rainfall to the CWA. This time the bulk of the rain will fall along or south of I-20. There will be very little instability in place at that time and moisture will be lacking due to the previous frontal passage so that this precip will come as stratiform rainfall. Currently between Wednesday night and Thursday, rainfall totals of 0.5"-1.5" are expected with generally 1" anticipated along and south of I-20. The upper trough will push the disturbance out of the area fairly quickly so that precip should be exiting the CWA by midnight on Thursday. Surface high pressure will then help to clear out skies and make way for one to two days of sunny, dry weather. Temps will be chilly in the wake of the trough. Overnight temperatures will drop into the 30s by Friday morning with highs in the 40s/50s. Saturday morning will be the coldest as the core of high pressure moves overhead and temps will fall into the upper 20s to near 30. One thing that will come into play again as spring is beginning to blossom is the need for freeze warnings. At this point though, we believe it is still a little early in the season for any of that. As the next disturbance develops in the Plains, rain chances will increase going into Saturday night/Sunday morning. This short wave trough/closed low will push eastward and bring our next round of rainfall. At this point, this system seems to be lacking instability so that convection or severe storms is not expected. This will help to keep rainfall rates lower as well and at this point only 0.5"-1" of rain is anticipated between Sunday and Monday. The pattern is pretty progressive and the shortwave should exit the area by Monday evening. /10/ && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF discussion: A mix of LIFR/IFR/MVFR conditions prevail across TAF sites and expect these conditions to continue through the day. A cold front currently extends across the northern portions of the area and this front will slowly move southeast. As the front moves across the area, showers and thunderstorms are likely at all sites today into tonight. Expect widespread LIFR/IFR ceilings to return this evening and continue through the end of the period. Light southwest winds will swing around to the north behind the boundary with gusts from 20-25 mph possible with frontal passage. /15/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Jackson 46 55 43 47 / 92 56 94 96 Meridian 48 56 45 49 / 82 51 91 97 Vicksburg 46 52 43 47 / 85 57 96 94 Hattiesburg 53 61 48 54 / 62 38 96 99 Natchez 48 54 44 48 / 91 74 99 97 Greenville 40 49 40 44 / 78 21 84 76 Greenwood 43 52 40 46 / 83 22 82 82 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for MSZ027>033-035>056. LA...Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for LAZ009-016. AR...None. && 10/15
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Jackson MS 343 PM CST Tue Feb 18 2020 ARZ074-075-LAZ007-008-015-023>026-MSZ018-019-025-026-034-057>065- 192145- Ashley-Chicot-Morehouse-West Carroll-Richland-Franklin LA- Catahoula-Tensas-Concordia-Bolivar-Sunflower-Leflore-Grenada- Washington-Jasper-Clarke-Jefferson-Adams-Franklin MS-Lincoln- Lawrence-Jefferson Davis-Covington- 343 PM CST Tue Feb 18 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of southeast Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, east central Mississippi, north central Mississippi, northwest Mississippi, and south central Mississippi. .DAY ONE...Tonight and Wednesday FLOODING THREAT...Limited TIMING...Tonight Rainfall amounts around one inch with locally higher amounts in a short amount of time, will be possible through tonight. This may lead to localized flash flooding and worsen ongoing river flooding. (https://www.weather.gov/images/jan/graphicast/1.png) .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday night through Monday 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 next Monday. LAZ009-016-MSZ027>033-035>056-192145- East Carroll-Madison LA-Carroll-Montgomery-Webster-Clay-Lowndes- Choctaw-Oktibbeha-Humphreys-Holmes-Attala-Winston-Noxubee- Issaquena-Sharkey-Yazoo-Madison MS-Leake-Neshoba-Kemper-Warren- Hinds-Rankin-Scott-Newton-Lauderdale-Claiborne-Copiah-Simpson- Smith- 343 PM CST Tue Feb 18 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northeast Louisiana, central Mississippi, north central Mississippi, northeast Mississippi, and southwest Mississippi. .DAY ONE...Tonight and Wednesday FLOODING THREAT...Elevated TIMING...Tonight Rainfall amounts of one to two inches with locally higher amounts in a short amount of time, will be possible through tonight. This will likely lead to areas of flash flooding and worsen ongoing river flooding. (https://www.weather.gov/images/jan/graphicast/1.png) .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday night through Monday 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 next Monday. MSZ066-072>074-192145- Jones-Marion-Lamar-Forrest- 343 PM CST Tue Feb 18 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Mississippi, and southeast Mississippi. .DAY ONE...Tonight and Wednesday The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday night through Monday 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 next Monday. 15 && ...HAZARD LEGEND... *FLOODING* Extreme...Widespread and significant flooding is likely. Significant...Widespread flash flooding is likely and significant flooding is possible. Elevated...Areas of flash flooding likely. Limited...Localized flash flooding is possible. ...USEFUL WEATHER WEB PAGES (URLS)... NWS JAN Home page... https://www.weather.gov/jan Stay Aware, Stay Safe NWS JAN Briefing Page... https://www.weather.gov/jan/safe Latest Weather Briefing... https://www.weather.gov/jan/weather_briefing Find NWS JAN on Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/NWSJacksonMS Follow NWS JAN on Twitter... @NWSJacksonMS Follow NWS JAN on Youtube... https://www.youtube.com/user/NWSJacksonMiss ...ADDITIONAL URLS FOR FLOODING ISSUES... Current Watches and Warnings... https://www.weather.gov/jan/safe_HeavyRain Observed Precipitation Images... https://www.weather.gov/jan/precipmaps River Forecast Center... https://www.weather.gov/lmrfc/ Significant River Flood Outlook... https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/nationalfloodoutlook/index.html Day 1 through 3 Excessive Rainfall... https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/excess_rain.shtml Excessive Rainfall Discussion... https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/qpferd.html Day 1 through 7 QPF... https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/qpf2.shtml QPF Discussion... https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/qpfpfd.html
The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:13 UTC.
8 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several roads flooded in the city of Winona. Water also covered portions of Highway 51 south of Winona.
Water approached and flowed over several roads in Columbus.
A few streets were flooded around West Point.
A few roads were flooded across the northern portions of Clay County.
A few roads across the northern portions of the county had water across them.
Water was across Old Trace Road.
Water was across Polly Bell Road.
A culvert was dislodged and a portion of the road was washed out at the intersection of Pike and Spruill roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 874998, 874999, 875001, 875002, 875003, 875004, 875005, 875007.