Strong Wind in Florida, March 20, 2021

Name: Strong Wind in Florida, March 20, 2021
Start: 2021-03-20T13:30
End: 2021-03-20T16:04
Location: Florida

March 20, 2021 · NWS JAX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A strong onshore flow wind event (local Nor'Easter) produced non-convective wind gusts of 40-50 mph through the day which caused some minor wind damage.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 JAX wrote it up.

A strong onshore flow wind event (local Nor'Easter) produced non-convective wind gusts of 40-50 mph through the day which caused some minor wind damage.

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 Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 20, 1:22 PM EST, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 1:22 PM EST, 8 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
222 PM EDT Sat Mar 20 2021

.Near Term.../through Sunday/...

Strong high pressure will be north northeast of the region this
period, with an inverted trough over the coastal waters. This
pattern will continue to produce an elevated onshore flow, but the
gradient between these two features will begin to decrease somewhat
this evening, yielding a lowering in wind speeds. However, gusty
conditions will persist along the coast through Tonight into Sunday.
Rain chances due to the inverted trough will be greatest at the
coast, but enough moisture and lift is expected to push inland for
the whole forecast area to have a chance this period.

Daytime temperatures will be well below normal in this pattern this
afternoon and again Sunday afternoon due to clouds and rain, while
the clouds and onshore flow will keep readings closer to average
Tonight.

&&

.Short Term.../Sunday night through Wednesday/...

The high pressure centered to the northeast will weaken Sunday night
through Tuesday, as troughing remains over the coastal waters. This
pattern will continue an elevated flow from the northeast, with
decreasing chances for coastal showers. While the pressure gradient
will decrease this period, gusty winds still expected at the coast.

The coastal trough is expected to dissipate Tuesday night into
Wednesday, as the high builds more to the east northeast. An area of
low pressure will begin to develop west of the area Wednesday,
bringing a chance for showers over western counties.

Lows this period will continue to trend above normal due to the
onshore flow. Highs on Monday will continue due to the northeast
flow, and expected cloud coverage. As the flow turns more from the
east then southeast, highs Tuesday will trend a little above normal,
with an even warmer day expected for Wednesday.

&&

.Long Term.../Wednesday night through Saturday/...

As an area of low pressure gathers to the west, a warm front will
stretch east across SE GA Wednesday night. The low will track NE
into northern AL Thursday, with moisture and energy ahead of system
keeping chance for convective activity across western counties. The
low will track well to the north of the region Thursday night, with
associated cold front moving into SE GA. The front is then expected
to move into NE FL and stall Friday. The stalled boundary is
forecast to be near the FL/GA line Friday night into Saturday. The
front will provide for unsettled weather Thursday night through
Saturday, with best potential for strong storms in the Thursday
night to Friday timeframe.

Above normal temperatures expected this period.

&&

.Marine...

Elevated conditions will persist, but slowly decrease through early
next week, as the region will be between strong high pressure to the
north northeast and an inverted trough over the coastal waters. The
high will build more toward the east northeast Tuesday into
Wednesday, with the coastal trough dissipating. The high will build
to the east Thursday, then southeast Thursday night. A cold front
will move into area late Thursday night and Friday, then stall into
Saturday.

Rip Currents: SE GA High through Sunday
              NE FL High through Sunday

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

AMG  46  62  48  71  51 /  50  40   0   0   0
SSI  52  62  53  66  57 /  70  60  10   0   0
JAX  51  64  54  68  56 /  70  50  10   0   0
SGJ  55  66  57  68  58 /  60  70  20   0   0
GNV  50  67  52  72  52 /  40  20  10   0   0
OCF  50  69  54  76  54 /  40  30  10   0   0

&&

.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through Sunday afternoon for Coastal Duval-
     Coastal Flagler-Coastal Nassau-Coastal St. Johns.

     High Surf Advisory until 5 PM EDT Sunday for Coastal Duval-
     Coastal Flagler-Coastal Nassau-Coastal St. Johns.

     Wind Advisory until 11 PM EDT this evening for Coastal Duval-
     Coastal Flagler-Coastal Nassau-Coastal St. Johns.

GA...High Rip Current Risk through Sunday afternoon for Coastal
     Camden-Coastal Glynn.

     High Surf Advisory until 5 PM EDT Sunday for Coastal Camden-
     Coastal Glynn.

     Wind Advisory until 11 PM EDT this evening for Coastal Camden-
     Coastal Glynn.

AM...Small Craft Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 5 PM EDT Sunday
     for Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL
     out 20 NM-Waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL
     from 20 to 60 NM.

     Gale Warning until 10 PM EDT this evening for Coastal waters
     from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM-Waters
     from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM.

     Gale Warning until 5 PM EDT Sunday for Coastal waters from
     Altamaha Sound to Fernandina Beach FL out 20 NM-Coastal
     waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM-
     Waters from Altamaha Sound GA to Fernandina Beach FL from
     20 to 60 NM-Waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine
     FL from 20 to 60 NM.

&&

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 20, 7:36 AM EST, 5 hours 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
836 AM EDT SAT MAR 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0800 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SE ST. AUGUSTINE      29.86N 81.26W
03/20/2021  M40 MPH          St. Johns          FL   C-MAN STATION

            ST. AUGUSTINE PIER REPORTED A 40 MPH WIND GUST.

&&

MZ

Local storm report, Mar 20, 9:13 AM EST, 4 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
1013 AM EDT SAT MAR 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0900 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SE ST. AUGUSTINE      29.86N 81.26W
03/20/2021  M43 MPH          St. Johns          FL   C-MAN STATION

            ST. AUGUSTINE PIER REPORTED A 43 MPH WIND GUST FROM THE
            NORTH.

&&

MZ

Local storm report, Mar 20, 9:49 AM EST, 3 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
1049 AM EDT SAT MAR 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1030 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 SSE CRESCENT BEACH    29.67N 81.21W
03/20/2021  M45 MPH          AMZ454             FL   MESONET

            MARINELAND WEATHERSTEM REPORTED A 45 MPH WIND GUST.

&&

MZ

Local storm report, Mar 20, 1:30 PM EST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
230 PM EDT SAT MAR 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0115 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 SSW FLAGLER BEACH     29.42N 81.14W
03/20/2021                   FLAGLER            FL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE FELL DOWN NEAR AUDUBON LANE ON POWER
            LINES AND A HOUSE, MINOR DAMAGE REPORTED AND
            POWERLINES CAME DOWN.

&&

DD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Coastal Flagler

When: March 20, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Coastal Flagler forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 29.471, -81.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong gradient winds caused minor wind damage in Flagler Beach. Around 1:15 pm local time, a tree was blown down onto power lines and a home along Audubon Lane. The power lines came down and minor structure damage was reported. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for the event to be included in Storm Data.

Strong Wind, Coastal Flagler

When: March 20, 4:04 PM EST
Where: Coastal Flagler forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 29.471, -81.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong, gusty gradient winds of 40-50 mph caused a tree to fall down onto power lines at the 5200 block of John Anderson Highway south of Flagler Beach. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for the event to be included in Storm Data.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Florida in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, March 2021

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 942603, 942605.