Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2016

EF1 tornado, Bush to Pinola, Mississippi, January 21, 2016

From Bush to Pinola, this EF1 tornado ran 3.9 miles across Simpson County on January 21, 2016, touching down at 5:20 PM CST and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $17,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
January 21, 2016
Touchdown
5:20 PM CST (23:20 UTC)
Lifted
5:29 PM CST (23:29 UTC)
On the ground
9 minutes
Path length
3.9 miles (6.3 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$17,000
County
Simpson County
Touchdown point
31.866, -90.013
Lift-off point
31.884, -89.950
Record number
1601211720-01

The damage survey

6 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS JAN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 95 mph.

  • Several trees uprooted and fell unto houses.
  • Several trees snapped and uprooted.
  • Several trees snapped and uprooted. Tin blown off of roof.
  • Roof off of mobile home. Few trees snapped.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

Abundant moisture and instability combined with a potent low pressure system and associated cold front. Storms developed ahead of the front and produced hail, tornadoes and damaging winds.

The tornado started off of Highway 472 where it snapped a few trees and then continued northeast along the highway where it took a large portion of the roof off of a mobile home. The tornado continued northeast and crossed Berta Mamgum Road, where it snapped a few trees along the way and blew some tin off the roof of a mobile home. The tornado continued across Railroad Lane and Highway 28, snapping several trees and ended just east of Old Westville Road. The maximum estimated wind speeds were 95mph.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jan 21, 5:11 PM CST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 5:11 PM CST, 9 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
511 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

.DISCUSSION...MAIN BRUNT OF SEVERE STORMS ARE MOVING INTO AND ACROSS
THE AREA AT THE MOMENT. GETTING LOTS OF HAIL REPORTS AND NOT
SURPRISING CONSIDERING THE INCREASINGLY COLD AIR ALOFT. TEMPS OUT
AHEAD OF THE STORMS HAVE SURGED INTO THE 60S/LOWER 70S WITH DEWPOINTS
IN THE 60S AS WELL. THESE CONDITIONS ALONG WITH VERTICAL TOTALS NEAR
30 HAVE SUPPORTED CAPES NEAR 2000 J/KG.

THE COLD CORE SYSTEM THAT IS DRIVING THIS WAS SHOWING UP WELL IN
SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS AFTERNOON OVER EASTERN TX. MAIN PRECIP AREA
WILL CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE EVENING...BUT LIGHT
PRECIP WILL FILTER BACK IN BEHIND AS THE COLD CORE LOW DRAWS NEAR.
MODEL CONCENSUS BRINGS THE TRACK OF THE COLD CORE SYSTEM ACROSS
NORTHERN LA INTO WC MS THEN NE ACROSS N MS. AS THIS OCCURS...DYNAMIC
COOLING IN THE COLUMN WILL CHANGE THE RAIN OVER TO SNOW AFTER
MIDNIGHT IN THE DELTA REGION...SPREADING EAST TOWARD DAYBREAK. AS
THE SYSTEM PIVOTS FROM NE LA INTO NC MS...COULD HAVE A PERIOD OF
SUBSTANTIAL SNOWFALL OVER THE DELTA REGION. STRONG FORCING WITH THE
COLD CORE ALONG WITH AREAS OF MAUL AND SKINNY CAPE WILL ALSO SUPPORT
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NIGHT...LEADING TO ENHANCED
SNOWFALL RATES IN THE DELTA REGION.

INCREASED PRESSURE GRADIENT AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES ACROSS WILL
INCREASE WIND SPEEDS LATE TONIGHT. SPEEDS WILL REACH ADVISORY
CRITERIA MAINLY IN OUR AREAS ALONG THE MS RIVER. WITH WINDS OF 20 TO
30 MPH...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR SOME REPORTS OF BLOWING SNOW
LATE TONIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING.

THE BEST SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN A STRIPE TO THE NW OF THE LOW TRACK
DURING THE MAINLY THE MORNING FRIDAY. THIS WILL FAVOR GOOD SNOWFALL
CONTINUING OVER THE DELTA INTO NORTH CENTRAL SECTIONS. FURTHER
EAST...UNFAVORABLE POSITIONING WITH RESPECT THE LOW LOOKS TO ONLY
ALLOW A MIXING OF RAIN WITH THE SNOW AT FIRST AND THEN JUST FLURRIES
AS THE SYSTEM PULLS AWAY FRIDAY EVENING.

WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS NEAR 6 INCHES
OVER THE FAR NW PORTIONS OF OUR AREA...OTHERWISE A GOOD 2 TO 5
INCHES SHOULD BE SEEN IN THE WARNING AREA. WHILE CENTRAL AND NE
PORTIONS WILL SEE SOME SNOW...LIGHTNESS AND SHORT DURATION AND TEMPS
ABOVE FREEZING WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT THAT CAN ACCUMULATE ON THE
GROUND FROM A DUSTING UP TO AN INCH./26/

&&

.AVIATION...MVFR CONDITIONS WILL LOWER TO IFR BY 06Z WITH RAIN...FOG
AND THUNDERSTRMS BEING THE MAIN OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISIBILITY. AFTER
06Z...IFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL DOMINATE WITH WIDESPREAD RAIN OCCURRING.
AFTER 09Z...THE RAIN WILL CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW AT GLH/GWO...BUT
VICINITY MODERATE SNOWFALL COULD SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE VSBYS. THESE
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD./26/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
JACKSON       37  36  27  39 / 100  82   1   1
MERIDIAN      44  39  29  41 / 100  73  11   3
VICKSBURG     35  38  28  41 / 100  80   1   1
HATTIESBURG   42  41  30  45 / 100  28   6   1
NATCHEZ       36  40  29  42 / 100  57   4   0
GREENVILLE    33  37  26  37 / 100 100   4   1
GREENWOOD     37  35  26  36 / 100 100   8   1

&&

.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY FOR
     MSZ029>033-037>039.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY FOR
     MSZ018-019-034-035-040-041-047.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR MSZ018-019-025>028-034>036-040-041.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR MSZ042-047.

LA...WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY FOR
     LAZ007>009-015-016-023-025.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR LAZ007>009.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR LAZ015-016.

AR...WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY FOR
     ARZ074-075.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR ARZ074-075.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 21, 1:25 PM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
125 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

ARZ074-075-MSZ018-019-025-026-034-221930-
ASHLEY-CHICOT-BOLIVAR-SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-WASHINGTON-
125 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...THE REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT

FLOODING
THREAT...LIMITED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING

RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

(WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/GRAPHICAST.PHP?SITE=JAN&GC=2)

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING, WITH SNOW CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON FRIDAY. SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO FOUR INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. TRAVEL CONDITIONS
MAY BECOME DIFFICULT ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY.

(WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/GRAPHICAST.PHP?SITE=JAN&GC=3)

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY.

LAZ007>009-015-016-023-MSZ027>033-035>042-221930-
MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND-MADISON LA-
FRANKLIN LA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES-CHOCTAW-
OKTIBBEHA-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA-WINSTON-NOXUBEE-ISSAQUENA-
SHARKEY-YAZOO-
125 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF THE ARKLAMISS DELTA AND NORTH CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...THE REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THREAT...LIMITED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

FLOODING
THREAT...LIMITED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE HAIL UP TO
GOLFBALL SZIE. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION,
RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING

(WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/GRAPHICAST.PHP?SITE=JAN&GC=2)

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW FRIDAY MORNING ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
AND BY AFTERNOON IN EAST MISSISSIPPI, WITH SNOW ENDING BY LATE
AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO FOUR INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
NORTH OF A LINE FROM CROSSETT TO WINONA TO EUPORA. TRAVEL CONDITIONS
MAY BECOME DIFFICULT IN THOSE AREAS ON FRIDAY. FARTHER SOUTH, LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE, BUT TRAVEL IMPACTS MAY BE LIMITED TO
BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.

(WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/GRAPHICAST.PHP?SITE=JAN&GC=3)

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE REGION REST OF
TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT.

LAZ025-MSZ043>058-221930-
TENSAS-MADISON MS-LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER-WARREN-HINDS-RANKIN-SCOTT-
NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH-SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-
125 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
AND TENSAS PARISH LOUISIANA.

.DAY ONE...THE REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT

TORNADOES
THREAT...LIMITED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THREAT...ELEVATED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

FLOODING
THREAT...LIMITED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.
THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS, BUT
HAIL UP TO GOLF BALL SIZE AND A FEW TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. IN
ADDITION, RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE REGION REST OF
TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT.

LAZ024-026-MSZ059>066-072>074-221930-
CATAHOULA-CONCORDIA-JEFFERSON-ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE-
JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST-
125 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA
AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...THE REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT

TORNADOES
THREAT...ELEVATED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THREAT...ELEVATED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

FLOODING
THREAT...LIMITED
TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING

STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.
THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE TORNADOES AND DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS, BUT HAIL UP TO GOLF BALL SIZE IS ALSO POSSIBLE. IN
ADDITION, RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

(WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/GRAPHICAST.PHP?SITE=JAN&GC=2)

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE REGION REST OF
TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT.

DL

&&

...HAZARD LEGEND...

*FLOODING*
EXTREME...CONFIDENT IN SIGNIFICANT FLOODING.
SIGNIFICANT...SIGNIFICANT FLOODING POSSIBLE.
ELEVATED...CONFIDENT IN FLOODING.
LIMITED...FLOODING POSSIBLE.

*SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS*
EXTREME...CONFIDENT IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS OF
 75 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR 2 INCH DIAMETER OR LARGER HAIL.
SIGNIFICANT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE WITH WIND GUSTS OF
 75 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR 2 INCH DIAMETER OR LARGER HAIL.
ELEVATED...CONFIDENT IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH WINDS GUSTS OF
 60 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR 1 INCH DIAMETER OR LARGER HAIL.
LIMITED...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE WITH WIND GUSTS OF 60
 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR 1 INCH DIAMETER OR LARGER HAIL.

*TORNADOES*
EXTREME...CONFIDENT IN STRONG TORNADOES WITH RATINGS EF2 OR
 GREATER.
SIGNIFICANT...STRONG TORNADOES POSSIBLE WITH RATINGS EF2 OR
 GREATER.
ELEVATED...CONFIDENT IN TORNADOES.
LIMITED...TORNADOES POSSIBLE.

...USEFUL WEATHER WEB PAGES (URLS)...

NWS JAN HOME PAGE...
   WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JAN
STAY AWARE, STAY SAFE NWS JAN BRIEFING PAGE...
   WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN/?N=SAFE
FIND NWS JAN ON FACEBOOK...
   WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSJACKSONMS
FOLLOW NWS JAN ON TWITTER...
   @NWSJACKSONMS

...ADDITIONAL URLS FOR SEVERE WEATHER ISSUES...

STORM PREDICTION CENTER (SPC)...
   WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/
SPC...MESO ANALYSIS...
   WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/EXPER/MESOANALYSIS/NEW/#
SPC...DAY 1 THROUGH 3 OUTLOOKS...
   WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/OUTLOOK/
SPC...STORM REPORTS...
   WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/CLIMO/
NWS JAN CURRENT SVR/TOR WATCHES...
   WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/RTIMAGES/JAN/WATCH/TOASVA.PNG

   PLEASE CONVERT ALL WEB ADDRESSES TO LOWER CASE BEFORE ENTERING!

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 21, 4:21 PM CST, 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
421 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

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

0410 PM     HAIL             CASEYVILLE              31.67N 90.66W
01/21/2016  E1.00 INCH       LINCOLN            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORT OF QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN CASEYVILLE COVERING THE
            GROUND.

&&

DCOX
Local storm report, Jan 21, 4:26 PM CST, 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
426 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

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

0400 PM     HAIL             3 SW NEW HOPE           31.52N 90.87W
01/21/2016  E1.75 INCH       FRANKLIN           MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORT OF GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL ON THE ROAD ON UNION CHURCH
            ROAD NORTHEAST OF MEADVILLE.

&&

DCOX
Local storm report, Jan 21, 4:53 PM CST, 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
453 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

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

0410 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MADISON                 32.45N 90.11W
01/21/2016                   MADISON            MS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            REPORTS OF TREE DOWN ON POWERLINE ON NORTH AZALEA DRIVE.
            POWER IS OUT IN THE AREA. TREE DOWN BLOCKING ROAD ON
            MADISON AVENUE NEAR STONEGATE DRIVE. TREE DOWN BLOCKING
            TRAFFIC ON RICE ROAD.

&&

DCOX
Local storm report, Jan 21, 4:58 PM CST, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
458 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

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

0435 PM     TSTM WND DMG     N LOYD STAR             31.63N 90.55W
01/21/2016                   LINCOLN            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORT OF A LARGE TREE DOWN AT THE 3600 BLOCK OF OLD RED
            STAR ROAD.

&&

DCOX
Local storm report, Jan 21, 5:03 PM CST, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
503 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

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

0450 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NNW NESHOBA           32.66N 89.15W
01/21/2016                   NESHOBA            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            PINETOP BLOWN OUT OF A TREE IN ROADWAY AT HIGHWAY 15
            SOUTH. ALSO REPORT OF DIME SIZE HAIL ON HIGHWAY 15 WEST
            OF PHILADELPHIA.

&&

DCOX
Local storm report, Jan 21, 5:13 PM CST, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
513 PM CST THU JAN 21 2016

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

0432 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 WNW WESSON            31.73N 90.48W
01/21/2016                   COPIAH             MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            DAMAGE TO A BARN AND HOUSE AND TREES DOWN. POSSIBLE
            TORNADO.

&&

DCOX

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Jackson, MS (KJAN), 12:00Z

11.3 hours before the tornado, 50 km from the path. January 21, 2016.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2016-01-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -87261, lifted condensation level 551 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2016-01-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 173 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 53 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-87261 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
551 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
173 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1
0-3 km lapse rate
4.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Brookhaven (1R7), 50 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 45 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2016 tornado in MississippiEvery tornado in Mississippi since 1950Warnings in force in Mississippi nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of January 21, 2016

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 214:14 PM CSTEF0Copiah, MS3.050$17,000
January 214:25 PM CSTEF1Lincoln, MS5.3200$165,000
January 215:46 PM CSTEF0Scott, MS2.175$9,000
January 215:58 PM CSTEF1Tangipahoa Parish, LA0.250
January 216:49 PM CSTEF2Lamar, MS6.5530$65,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.