Drought in Mississippi, November 1 to 30, 2023

Name: Drought in Mississippi, November 1 to 30, 2023
Start: 2023-11-01T00:00
End: 2023-11-30T23:59
Location: Mississippi

November 1 to 30, 2023 · NWS MEG · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

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 MEG wrote it up.

Widespread extreme (D3) drought conditions across north Mississippi intensified to exceptional (D4) drought conditions across a substantial section of north Mississippi by mid-November. Below-normal rainfall and warmer-than-normal temperatures persisted. Lake and river levels continued to be at low levels as a result of the drought. Low levels on the Mississippi River were impacting barge and river traffic. Pastures were negatively impacted resulting in supplemental feeding and watering of livestock.

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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 10:31 PM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 10:31 PM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1131 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023

...New AVIATION...

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 200 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023

Dry conditions are expected across the Midsouth through at least
Sunday. Near record cold temperatures are expected tonight, but a
warming trend will begin Thursday. High temperatures by Friday
should be in the middle 60s with 70s over the weekend. Our next
chance of rain will be early next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This evening through next Monday)
Issued at 200 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023

Sub freezing temperatures tonight will bring our growing season to
an end. Expect near record lows in the middle to upper 20s, our
coldest temperatures since mid-March. A brisk north wind will
result in sunrise wind chills between 15 and 22 degrees. Surface
high pressure will become centered near Memphis on Wednesday then
shift along the East Coast Thursday. Return flow on the west side
of the high will result in a speedy warmup during the later part
of the work week. Expect high temperatures back in the middle 60s
by Friday and low 70s over the weekend. No rain is expected
through at least Sunday.

Over the weekend, zonal flow across the middle Mississippi River
Valley will be replaced by a weak, broad trough in response to a
ridge building over the Great Basin. Guidance is not in good
agreement, but we should see the chance of rain return to the
Midsouth late Monday or Tuesday.

30/Sirmon

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1130 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023

VFR. Light north winds overnight into Wednesday morning will
begin to shift to the SE as a surface pressure ridge moves across
the area during the afternoon.

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Freeze Warning until 9 AM CDT Wednesday for ARZ009-018-026>028-
     035-036-048-049-058.

MO...Freeze Warning until 9 AM CDT Wednesday for MOZ113-115.

MS...Freeze Warning until 9 AM CDT Wednesday for MSZ001>017-020>024.

TN...Freeze Warning until 9 AM CDT Wednesday for TNZ001>004-019>022-
     048>055-088>092.

&&

PUBLIC FORECAST...JDS
AVIATION...SJM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, De Soto

When: November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: De Soto forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.875, -89.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted through November.

Drought, Tunica

When: November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Tunica forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.652, -90.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted through November.

Drought, Marshall

When: November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.762, -89.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme (D3) drought conditions improved to severe (D2) drought conditions by the end of November.

Drought, Benton

When: November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Benton forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.817, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe (D2) drought conditions intensified to extreme (D3) drought conditions in early November and persisted through the end of the month.

Drought, Tippah

When: November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Tippah forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.768, -88.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe (D2) drought conditions intensified to extreme (D3) drought conditions in early November and persisted through the end of the month.