A powerful cold front raced across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 3, 2023. Strong winds ahead of the front caused scattered damage across northeast Mississippi.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 powerful cold front raced across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 3, 2023. Strong winds ahead of the front caused scattered damage across northeast Mississippi. Storms developed along the cold front producing damaging winds across northeast Mississippi and a weak tornado in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Behind the departing cold front, a very tight pressure gradient developed resulting in high winds across the Mid-South through the afternoon hours on March 3rd. Winds gusted to over 60 mph at times producing damage across the Mid-South.
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 3, 5:26 AM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
Issued by National Weather Service Little Rock AR
526 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023
...New AVIATION...
.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 231 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023
A low pressure system will track through the Mid-South this
morning. This low will drag a cold front through the region.
Showers and thunderstorms will be found ahead of the cold front.
Some of the thunderstorms could be severe with tornadoes, large
hail and damaging winds possible. Locally heavy rainfall is also
expected. Winds will be very strong outside of the thunderstorms
and behind the cold front. Wind gusts of more than 60 mph are
possible. Behind the front, dry and colder weather is expected for
tonight through Sunday morning. Temperatures will warm back to
above normal levels for Sunday and Monday. Another cold front will
bring more rain to the region for Monday night through Thursday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
(Today through Thursday)
Issued at 231 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023
A cold front currently is just south of Little Rock extending
northeast to just south of Dyersburg and then continuing east to
just south of Huntingdon. Temperatures north of the front are in
the mid 40s to mid 50s while south of the front, readings are in
the mid to upper 60s. Showers and thunderstorms are moving slowly
across eastern Arkansas and are just beginning to cross the
Mississippi River.
As low pressure moves along the front, thunderstorms could become
severe with tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds possible.
Rainfall could reach 3 to 5 inches over portions of northeast
Arkansas, the Missouri bootheel and northwest Tennessee and a
Flood Watch remains in effect for the entire Mid-South until noon.
Outside of thunderstorms, winds will get quite strong as the low
pressure moves through the region as well as behind it. Winds
gusts could reach 60 mph at times. The High Wind Warning will be
expanded to include most of the Mid-South and will be in effect
from 6 AM until 6 PM this evening.
High pressure will be building into the region tonight with dry
and cooler air moving in. Temperatures will be seasonally cool
with lows Saturday morning in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Some
patchy areas of frost could develop over northern sections of the
Mid-South. The surface high will be over the region on Saturday
with dry weather and temperatures near normal with highs in the
upper 50s to mid 60s. Saturday night will remain dry with
temperatures moderating. By Sunday, winds will have shifted to the
south allowing temperatures to warm into the lower 70s across the
southern half of the region. Monday will also be dry with
temperatures reaching the mid to upper 70s in the afternoon.
A cold front will move into the region from the north Monday night
with scattered showers developing. The cold front will move into
north Mississippi by Tuesday morning and then stalls out across
central Mississippi on Wednesday. As a result, more showers are
expected across the entire Mid-South for both Tuesday and
Wednesday. An upper level disturbance moves through the region on
Thursday with more scattered showers possible.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 514 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023
Showers and thunderstorms will continue to move across the Mid-
South this morning ahead of a cold front. Some areas of MVFR
ceilings can be found ahead of the front. Once the cold front
moves through ceilings will improve to VFR levels. Winds will be
quite strong today starting from the south at 20 to 25 knots with
gusts exceeding 40 knots. By this afternoon winds will shift to
the southwest but will remain as strong. By tonight, winds will be
from the northwest at 10 to 15 knots with some higher gusts then
will diminish overnight.
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Flood Watch until noon CST today for ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-
048-049-058.
Wind Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for ARZ009-018-026-027-
035.
Wind Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for ARZ028-036-
048-049-058.
High Wind Warning until 6 PM CST this evening for ARZ028-036-048-
049-058.
MO...Flood Watch until noon CST today for MOZ113-115.
Wind Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for MOZ113-115.
High Wind Warning until 6 PM CST this evening for MOZ113-115.
MS...Flood Watch until noon CST today for MSZ001>017-020>024.
Wind Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for MSZ001>017-
020>024.
High Wind Warning until 6 PM CST this evening for MSZ001>017-
020>024.
TN...Flood Watch until noon CST today for TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-
088>092.
Wind Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for TNZ001>004-
019>022-048>055-088>092.
High Wind Warning until 6 PM CST this evening for TNZ001>004-
019>022-048>055-088>092.
&&
PUBLIC FORECAST...ARS
AVIATION...ARSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
711 AM CST FRI MAR 3 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 AM FLASH FLOOD MARION 35.21N 90.20W
03/03/2023 CRITTENDEN AR BROADCAST MEDIA
SIGNIFICANT STREET FLOODING IN A RESIDENTIAL
AREA IN MARION. WATER APPROXIMATELY 2-3 FEET
DEEP.
&&
MJPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
746 AM CST FRI MAR 3 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0723 AM FLASH FLOOD 4 NNW COVINGTON 35.61N 89.68W
03/03/2023 TIPTON TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
PART OF MT LEBANON RD WASHED OUT NEAR THE
INTERSECTION WITH MILLSTONE MOUNTAIN ROAD.
ROAD IS CURRENTLY CLOSED.
&&
MJThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:17 UTC.
20 high wind, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times. The door of a dormitory at the Northeast Mississippi Community College campus was blown off. A grocery store sign was ripped down in Baldwyn.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times. Numerous trees were knocked down throughout the county. The frame of a new church was knocked over. An 18-wheeler was overturned at the intersection of I-22 and Highway 45. A car wash lost some siding in Tupelo. A roof was partially blown off an apartment building in Nettleton.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph. Trees were knocked down across the county.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times knocking down a large tree in Lynchburg.
Winds gusted over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Straight-line winds knocked down a large tree on to a house causing injuries.
A short-lived tornado touched down just east of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. It caused significant damage to pine trees on Beaver Lake Road. Intermittent tree damage occurred along its path as it traveled northeast through an inaccessible heavily wooded area. Additional damage was noted on John E Rankin Highway and at the intersection of the highway and Taylor Road. Three houses and an outbuilding sustained roof damage in this area. Numerous metal roof panels were lofted into nearby trees. The estimated peak wind speed was 90 mph.
A hangar door was blown off at the Monroe County Airport. A power pole was downed.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
Winds gusted to over 58 mph at times.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2023Warnings in Mississippi, March 2023
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: 1086132, 1086133, 1086134, 1086135, 1086136, 1086137, 1086101, 1086102, 1086103, 1086138, 1086140, 1086139, 1086104, 1086105, 1086106, 1086107, 1086108, 1086109, 1086110, 1086111, 1086112, 1086113, 1086114.