Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 15, 2026

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Jackson MS
639 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...

  - A strong cold front will bring a variety of impacts to the
    area as we go through early this week.

  - There is an enhanced risk for severe weather tonight,
    especially for damaging winds.

  - Strong winds will also precede and follow the cold front
    through Monday.

  - Much colder air moving in Monday will bring a significant hard freeze
    threat to much of the area Monday night.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 400 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026

Updates today: Messaging for severe weather tonight remains on
track. Highest damaging wind probs remain north of I-20, but note
that the expansion of 30% severe wind probs has once again forced
an expansion of the the "enhanced" threat area, and it now
includes nearly all of our area. Otherwise, the wind advisory is
being maintained with no changes, and the freeze threat and watch
are unchanged as well. Expect a freeze warning to be issued once
the severe threat has moved out. Will also note as previously
indicated that any light snow shower/flurry activity occurring
early in the morning will not have any immediate impact.

In the near term: Wind has picked up greatly from the south today
as expected, and it is bringing an increase in boundary layer
moisture. A stout upper trough will support a rapidly deepening
surface low across the plains, and its attendant surface cold
front, currently moving into northwest Arkansas, continues to be
the focus for our severe weather through this evening and into the
overnight hours.

Concerning the severe threat: The strong forcing and shear, along
with sufficient instability along/just ahead of the front, will
support a forced squall line racing across the area tonight. The
enhanced severe risk continues to be messaged, with the latest
update highlighting nearly the entire area as previously
mentioned. The greater severe threat area looks to be over our
northwest where the combination of instability/forcing will be
greatest, and where updraft intensity and low level environment
seem strong enough in the guidance for some tornado potential,
particularly with any segments orthogonal to the low level shear
vector, and with discrete cellular development ahead of the main
line. Tornadoes and hail will be a concern, but the potential for
areas of widespread damaging straight-line winds, is still the
main concern regardless of how threat areas shift here on out.

Concerning the wind threat: Strong pressure falls and rises either
side of the front in association with this dynamic system are
resulting in a strong gradient wind threat both ahead of and in
the wake of storms tonight. Gusts have been greater than 40 mph
this afternoon, especially in the Delta region, and expect
similar gusts tomorrow given the strong mixing (up to 10kft) in
the strong cold advection pattern. So a wind advisory continues
for most of the area.

Concerning the freeze threat: In the wake of the cold front, a polar
surface high will usher in a much colder airmass, and will promote
freezing temperatures Monday night into Tuesday morning, and to a
lesser extent, Wednesday morning. A significant to extreme freeze
threat remains for the entire area, especially considering the
recent record warmth (e.g., warmest start to March on record at
Jackson, MS), and with highs in the 80s also expected Sunday
ahead of this freeze. Impacts to unprotected vegetation are
expected. And, with more low temperatures now forecast to fall
into the low to mid 20s Tue morning, there will also be a
significant threat to early season fruit crops. We may eventually
need messaging for Tue night when the surface high will be in a
more ideal position, but impacts should be less then with the
thermal trough beginning to shift out of our region.

In addition, it is worth noting that confidence has increased in a
very short window (1 to 2 hours) for snow showers/flurries on the
back end of the front, indicative of colder air outrunning precip.
Any showers that do occur are not expected to be impactful and will
be brief, but will be a very interesting phenomenon in the wake
of severe weather in mid March.

Thereafter, a significant warm-up is expected for mid to late next
week with building heights over the region. Highs will rise back
above seasonal norms with readings in the upper 70s and low 80s by
Friday. A strong midlevel high over the desert southwest will keep
northerly flow over our area which will maintain warm and dry
conditions. /SAS/EC/

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 630 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026

VFR conditions and a gusty south wind of 25-35kts will prevail
into this evening at TAF sites. After 00Z a band of TSRA along and
ahead of a cold front will begin moving nw-se across the area.
Lower flight restrictions along with gusts in excess of 45kts wl
be psbl for 2-3hrs as the band of TSRA move through. Gusty nw wind
20-25kts and MVFR cigs wl prevail in the wake of the TSRA until
Cigs improve toward the end of the TAF period. /15/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Jackson       83  37  47  26 /  10 100  20   0
Meridian      81  37  49  26 /   0  90  20   0
Vicksburg     83  37  50  27 /  20  90  10   0
Hattiesburg   84  42  53  30 /  10  90  10   0
Natchez       84  38  50  28 /  10 100  10   0
Greenville    80  34  45  28 /  70  90   0   0
Greenwood     82  34  47  25 /  30 100  10   0

&&

.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT Monday for MSZ018-019-025-034-035-
     040-041.

     Freeze Watch from Monday evening through Tuesday morning for
     MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074.

     Wind Advisory until noon CDT Monday for MSZ026>033-036>039-
     042>066.

LA...Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT Monday for LAZ007>009-015-016-
     023>026.

     Freeze Watch from Monday evening through Tuesday morning for
     LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026.

AR...Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT Monday for ARZ074-075.

     Freeze Watch from Monday evening through Tuesday morning for
     ARZ074-075.

&&

/15

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
415 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1230 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 S Grenada             33.76N 89.81W
03/15/2026                   Grenada            MS   Other Federal

            Power line down in the Whitehaven
            Subdivision in Grenada, caused a grass fire.

&&

CE