Slow-moving low pressure over the Upper Mississippi Valley combined with high pressure over the southeast Atlantic coast created a strong pressure gradient across the Mid-South. This resulted in an extended period of wind gusts over 40 mph across West Tennessee.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Slow-moving low pressure over the Upper Mississippi Valley combined with high pressure over the southeast Atlantic coast created a strong pressure gradient across the Mid-South. This resulted in an extended period of wind gusts over 40 mph across West 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 26, 11:37 PM CST, 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1137 PM CST Mon Feb 26 2024
...New AVIATION...
.UPDATE...
Issued at 947 PM CST Mon Feb 26 2024
Good evening weather fans. Looking like chances for showers and
possible thunderstorm over night across the northeastern portions
of the CWA are less likely now. As such, minor update to lower
chances. No other changes made.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 242 PM CST Mon Feb 26 2024
Windy and mild conditions will prevail over the Midsouth in
advance of a strong cold frontal passage early Wednesday morning.
This front will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few
storms could be strong to severe over far northeast Arkansas and
the Missouri bootheel late Tuesday night.
Colder and drier air will spread into the region on Wednesday.
Under clear skies and with light winds, temperatures will drop to
freezing over a good portion of the Midsouth Thursday morning.
Rain chances will return Thursday night into early Friday, and
again late in the weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
(This evening through next Sunday)
Issued at 242 PM CST Mon Feb 26 2024
Fast zonal flow prevailed over most of the lower 48 states
this afternoon, downstream of a cut-off low off southern CA and a
northern branch trough over the Pacific NW. Under this fast zonal
flow, warm advection showers will likely develop over west TN
tonight. A few lightning strikes may occur with any few storms
manage to become rooted above the elevated mixed layer (EML), but
this should be the exception, and mainly limited to NW TN.
The Pacific NW trough will drop into the central Rockies by
midday Tuesday, backing and strengthening upper flow over the
Midsouth. Surface pattern will respond accordingly, with a 9mb
pressure gradient developing over the forecast area. Following
collaboration with neighboring WFOs, a Wind Advisory has been
issued for areas roughly northwest of Charleston to Oxford to
Savannah line Tuesday and Tuesday night.
A continental polar cold front will enter northeast AR around
midnight Tuesday evening, then continue southeast, exiting
northeast MS around 10 AM Wednesday. Steepest midlevel height
falls will occur well north over the mid-MS River Valley. But
60KT of deep layer bulk shear and MUCAPE near 500 J/kg will
support a marginal wind threat along the advancing cold front as
it moves through northeast AR and the MO bootheel late Tuesday
night. Farther south, CAPE will be too limited to support more
than a general thunder threat. Stronger winds the from the tight
pressure gradient are more likely to occur Tuesday afternoon.
A 1034mb polar high will settle into the lower Ohio River Valley
Wednesday night, with dewpoints in the teens and lower 20s. With
calm winds and mostly clear skies, most areas will see sub-
freezing low temperatures Thursday morning. High clouds will
filter in later in the day Thursday, in advance of a fast-moving
southern branch trough. This features will return scattered
showers Thursday night and Friday, but rainfall rates will be
initially limited by dry air in the retreating polar airmass.
Temperatures will moderate through the weekend, under developing
southwest flow aloft. Medium range models are consistent in
depicting a deep longwave trough lifting out of the Rockies late
Sunday. Depending on the location, timing and magnitude of height
falls, this system could bring strong thunderstorms to the Midsouth
next Sunday night or Monday.
PWB
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1135 PM CST Mon Feb 26 2024
A moisture plume will soon thicken along a few shortwaves lowering
ceilings to MVFR at MEM/TUP through the around 16Z tomorrow. LLWS
will remain at MEM/JBR/MKL with fast moving zonal flow aloft and
a tightened pressure gradient across the region. LLWS is also
expected at TUP over the next few hours. South/southwest winds
will remain gusty, up to 30 kts, across all terminals along the
aforementioned pressure gradient out ahead of a cold front. A few
light warm air advection VCSH could occur at MEM/MKL tomorrow
morning through the afternoon hours though confidence was not high
enough to include in TAF. VCSH with light drizzle is expected at
MEM early Wednesday morning with the movement of the cold front.
AEH
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Wind Advisory from 7 AM Tuesday to 3 AM CST Wednesday for ARZ009-
018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058.
MO...Wind Advisory from 7 AM Tuesday to 3 AM CST Wednesday for MOZ113-
115.
MS...Wind Advisory from 7 AM Tuesday to 3 AM CST Wednesday for
MSZ001>005-007-008-010>012-020.
TN...Wind Advisory from 7 AM Tuesday to 3 AM CST Wednesday for
TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092.
&&
PUBLIC FORECAST...DKJ
AVIATION...AEHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds caused structural damage to a historical building at 100 Spring Street in Covington. A partial building collapse occurred. The building was vacant.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, February 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: 1163440.