High moisture content and the entire area in the warm sector ahead of an approaching pre-frontal squall line produced strong to severe storms and a couple of tornadoes.
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 JAX wrote it up.
High moisture content and the entire area in the warm sector ahead of an approaching pre-frontal squall line produced strong to severe storms and a couple of tornadoes.
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 9, 5:50 AM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
550 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
...New AVIATION...
.NEAR TERM...
Issued at 342 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
A mild night is currently underway in the warm sector of an approaching
cold front currently off to the northwest. A light to moderate
southeast to southerly breeze and some high clouds streaming
across the area is helping to inhibit any fog formation. However,
the increase in moisture has allowed ample low cloud cover across
the area. Showers streaming from southwest to northeast ahead of
the front are mostly remaining outside the GA CWA boundary, though
a few showers are possible north of waycross through daybreak.
The pre frontal trough will start to make progress southeastward by
about mid to late morning. Daytime heating, combined with ample
layer moisture with PWATs in the 90th percentile or higher, will
yield a modest amount of instability for a squall line of
thunderstorms to form by early this afternoon. Sufficient shear
will also be in place to bring the potential for severe storms,
with the main hazards being strong winds of 50-70mph and isolated
tornadoes. The most favorable dynamics aloft will remain generally
north of I-10 as the front loses steam moving southeastward
through Tonight, coinciding with the loss of daytime heating.
Therefore, expect the highest potential for severe storms to be in
the same aforementioned area during the afternoon and evening
today, with potential decreasing as the front dips into areas
south of about I-10.
As mentioned above, today will start of mild in the 60s and low
70s, approaching record high minimums in some climate spots. With
some daytime heating in the warm sector, highs will also be
approaching records in many spots with widespread 80s further
south and east, and a bit cooler in the upper 70s further north
and west where more cloud cover and some earlier showers may
occur. More specific climate record data is listed in the Climate
section of the discussion.
For the latest NE FL and SE GA Daily Key Messages please visit:
https://www.weather.gov/media/jax/briefings/nws-jax-briefing.pdf
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Sunday through Monday night)
Issued at 342 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
Lingering showers over north-central FL taper off early Sunday
morning as a cold front shifts into central FL. Quiet and dry
weather then prevail through Tuesday as high pressure builds in
across the SE US and overhead by Monday night. Cool, dry airmass
filters in across the area in the wake of the front keeping temps
at or just below normal with highs in the 60s/70s and lows in the
40s.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday through Friday)
Issued at 342 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
High pressure overhead shifts eastward into the Atlantic on Tuesday
developing a southerly return flow of moisture. Rain chances
return on Wednesday as an overrunning pattern develops and upper
shortwaves parade across the northern Gulf and into N FL. Showers
will be mainly along and south of the FL/GA state border with the
best chance for isolated thunderstorms south of I-10 where the
best instability is. Brief break from precip on Thursday as the
next frontal system moves into the SE US. Rain chances increase
from northwest to southeast Friday into Friday night ahead of the
approaching cold front. Southerly return flow will cause a warming
trend with highs in the 70s on Tuesday increasing to near record
on Friday in the mid 80s.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 540 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
MVFR with periods of IFR persists at area terminals with low
stratus. This trend will continue through mid to late morning
before lifting to VFR levels. LIFR ceilings have also been
occurring at times at GNV and SSI which could continue through
around 13Z. An isolated SHRA is also possible at GNV through this
morning, though any of these occurrences should not significantly
impact operations.
A squall line of SHRA and TSRA approaches throughout the day and
will have the most significant impact at area terminals from about
the 21Z to 03Z time frame, with lingering VCSH behind the line.
Confidence remains high that TSRA will impact JAX/CRG/VQQ/SSI/GNV.
There is a possibility of little to no TSRA impacting SGJ as the
squall line weakens moving southeast tonight, though confidence is
still high enough to include TS for this forecast. North and west
of SGJ, higher potential for a severe TSRA exists, with gusts of
up to 45-60 knots possible. As convection unfolds, TEMPO groups
will likely need to be added to highlight more specific timing and
impacts accordingly.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 342 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
A cold front will approach area waters later this morning and move
southeastward and across all waters by Sunday Morning. Ahead of
the front, showers and scattered thunderstorms are expected
through tonight, with some storms capable of producing gusty winds
and small hail, especially for waters Saint Augustine northward.
High pressure builds in behind the front on Sunday and remains in
place through Tuesday. Small Craft Advisories are in effect from
early Sunday Morning through Monday Morning post cold front
passage. An area of low pressure approaches from the Gulf of
Mexico by Wednesday, likely impacting waters into Thursday.
Rip Currents: Moderate risk for area beaches through Monday.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 342 AM EST Sat Mar 9 2024
About an inch of rainfall will be possible with storms today into
tonight mainly for areas along and north of the I-10 corridor. Locally
higher totals will be possible in any training bands of convection.
Heavier rainfall totals upstream along the Ocmulgee River will
likely send a flood wave down the Altamaha River, with minor
flooding possible by Sunday morning along upper portions of the
Altamaha River near the Baxley gauge, where a flood warning was
already issued. An additional flood warning may be necessary at
Charlotteville.
&&
.CLIMATE...
Issued at 950 PM EST Thu Mar 7 2024
Record high minimum and maximum temperatures at our designated
climate sites for Today, March 9:
Jacksonville 69/1921 88/1974
Gainesville 65/2022 89/1907
Alma, GA 66/1980 88/1974
Craig Airport 64/1980 83/2012
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMG 79 52 67 40 / 90 20 0 0
SSI 79 54 68 45 / 70 40 0 0
JAX 85 56 72 44 / 60 50 0 0
SGJ 87 59 74 49 / 60 70 0 0
GNV 85 58 74 44 / 70 70 0 0
OCF 86 60 75 45 / 60 70 0 0
&&
.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
GA...None.
AM...Small Craft Advisory from 5 AM Sunday to 8 AM EST Monday for
AMZ470-472-474.
&&The Moody AFB radar (KVAX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:31 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
EM survey reported straight line wind damage near Griffin Road/Old Coffee Road near Highway 206, west of Broxton. Several trees were blown down and there was a home with roof damage. The time of damage was based on EM and radar reports.
A tree was blown down onto a mobile home at Davis Landing along the Altamaha River in Appling County. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
The tornado touched down in an inaccessible marshy timberland in|northeastern Clinch County southeast of the Cogdell Community,|uprooting and snapping several trees as it moved parallel to and |just south of Camp Branch Road. The tornado then moved into Ware |county with additional tree damage noted as it crossed old manor |Millwood Road just east of the county line.
The tornado touched down in an inaccessible marshy timberland in|northeastern Clinch County southeast of the Cogdell Community. The tornado then moved into Ware county with additional tree damage noted as it crossed old manor |Millwood Road just east of the county line. The storm weakened as |it continued east-northeast with only light timber damage where it|crossed Windmill Road. The tornado re-intensified as it approached |Manor Millwood Road South (CR-472) and produced the only |structural damage along its path. A metal outbuilding had half of its|tin roof removed, with some of it tossed nearly 300 yards |down-wind. The adjacent home suffered slight roof damage, while |several trees on the property were snapped or uprooted. Continuing|east just south of Highway 122, the tornado began to weaken a |final time. It crossed Farms Edge Road, producing sporadic tree |damage along and near the roadway. Special thanks to one of our Georgia media broadcast partners for information pertaining to this narrative.
A large tree was uprooted. The photo was shared on Social Media.
A strong EF2 tornado tracked west to east parallel to Georgia Highway 82, about 2.5 to 3 miles SW of Nahunta. Touchdown was near Santa Fe Road. Extensive mobile home damage and tree damage occurred. Some homes were flattened, blown off of their foundations and completely destroyed. One mobile home was blown off of its foundation and launched into the nearby forest resulting in its total destruction along Matthews Cir. A large section of a roof was removed on a home at Matthews Circle. Additional mobile home and tree damage occurred near Long Lake Road and Buffalo Creek Dr.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2024Warnings in Georgia, March 2024
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: 1163816, 1163814, 1163820, 1164959, 1163813, 1163819.