An unseasonably warm and moist airmass pushed into the Mid-South by early morning on February 22, 2022. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front producing damaging winds across eastern Arkansas and northwest Tennessee.
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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.
An unseasonably warm and moist airmass pushed into the Mid-South by early morning on February 22, 2022. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front producing damaging winds across eastern Arkansas and northwest Tennessee.
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 Feb 22, 4:47 AM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
447 AM CST Tue Feb 22 2022
.DISCUSSION...
Currently across the Mid-South, temperatures are in the low to mid
60s. A cold front is expected to slowly progress southeastward
through the Mid-South. Out ahead and along this front is where we
could see strong to severe storms with the entire Mid-South in a
Slight Risk. To that end, there is a Tornado Watch through 11am for
the Missouri Bootheel, St. Francis to Clay Counties in Arkansas and
for most of West Tennessee excluding Hardeman, McNairy, Chester,
Decatur and Hardin Counties. Primary risks look to be tornadoes,
damaging wind, heavy rain and large hail where stronger updrafts can
form. WPC has a Marginal to Slight for excessive rainfall. PWAT
values continue to be 97% or higher of climatology. Flash flooding
will be possible especially where training of thunderstorms happens.
Thus, we have a Flood Watch for the Missouri Bootheel, all of west
Tennessee and St. Francis to Clay Counties in Arkansas. Please avoid
floodwater and do not drive through any flooded roadways!
Looking at current sounding data, CAPE values in the 500-800 J/kg
range, plenty of low and deep level shear along with a strengthening
LLJ it looks good for a QLCS set up through this morning. Hail
threat diminishes however the wind threat stays the same. The
tornado threat also diminishes but with a notable caveat, that any
tornadoes that do form will be rather quick spin ups, rain-wrapped
and harder to detect. Now later this evening, we could see some
supercellular development across north Mississippi. Primary hazards
with supercells are large hail, damaging wind and tornadoes.
Now onto Wednesday. We are expecting heavy rain to continue as the
cold front exits the region. With the cold front exiting behind the
cold front colder air is expected to begin filtering into the area.
Wintry precipitation in the form of freezing rain and possibly snow
may fall in the Missouri Bootheel and northeast Arkansas. At this
time no winter headlines were issued. We are watching this very
closely so stay tuned for updates.
For Thursday with colder air and any lingering precipitation we
could see wintry precipitation across the rest of the Mid-South.
Looking at the weekend into next week an active weather pattern is
expected to continue.
SMW
&&
.AVIATION...
06Z TAF cycle
Low clouds will remain over the Mid-South for much of the forecast
period. Showers and thunderstorms will move across northern
sections of the region overnight and into Tuesday morning.
Additional showers and thunderstorms will move from northwest to
southeast during the afternoon and early evening hours. Winds will
be mainly from the south at 10 to 20 knots with higher gusts for
most of the forecast period. Winds will start to shift to the
northwest by late Tuesday evening. Low level wind shear during the
overnight hours and into Tuesday morning.
ARS
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Flood Watch through late tonight for Clay-Craighead-Crittenden-
Cross-Greene-Mississippi-Poinsett-St. Francis.
MO...Flood Watch through late tonight for Dunklin-Pemiscot.
MS...None.
TN...Flood Watch through late tonight for Benton TN-Carroll-Chester-
Crockett-Decatur-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-Hardeman-Hardin-
Haywood-Henderson-Henry-Lake-Lauderdale-Madison-McNairy-
Obion-Shelby-Tipton-Weakley.
&&Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 402 AM CST Tue Feb 22 2022 ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-231215- 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-Lee AR-Lee MS- Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-Panola-Pemiscot- Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-Shelby-St. Francis- Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley- Yalobusha- 402 AM CST Tue Feb 22 2022 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas... the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight There a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms through the afternoon into the evening. The main risks include damaging winds and flash flooding. Secondary risks include large hail and brief tornadoes. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible over a good portion of the Midsouth through this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Freezing rain and sleet will be possible over northeast Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. At this early time, ice accumulations up to 2/10 inch appear possible, accompanied by minor sleet accumulations. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed on Tuesday.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
600 AM CST TUE FEB 22 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0527 AM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNE WYNNE 35.27N 90.77W
02/22/2022 CROSS AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
REPORT FROM CROSS CO SHERRIFF: TREE HAS FALLEN ACROSS
HWY NEAR US 64 & 64B. SEMI TRUCK CRASHED INTO SAID TREE.
&&
CADThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:59 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree fell on a school building and fences were blown over.
Two buildings were damaged along Greenfield Drive.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, February 2022
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: 1010264, 1010265.