Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for February 28, in any year, each linked to its full record.
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Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Ardabil, Iran. It killed 1,100 people, injured 2,600, destroyed 12,000 houses and did $76 million in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Tayabas, Bursa, Turkey. It killed 2,200 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 28, 1966 was ranked category 5, Extreme, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from February 28, 1966 to March 6, 1966.
Earthquakes
64 Mw. A devastating precursor quake took place in Mustafakemalpaşa, a town of Bursa Province, and caused severe destruction all over Bursa and other neighboring cities.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Billion-dollar disasters
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.9 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 67, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 28, 1997 to March 5, 1997.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Jones, Wayne, Clarke counties, Mississippi and tracked 35 miles, 1,230 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 350.
Billion-dollar disasters
A severe storm disaster that cost $2.3 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 6, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 28, 2017 to March 1, 2017.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 28, 1962 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 28, 1962 to March 7, 1962.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 28, 1980 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 28, 1980 to March 3, 1980.
Tornadoes
An EF4 tornado touched down in Perry, Randolph, Jackson counties, Missouri and tracked 53.47 miles, 1,100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12.
Tornadoes
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Canary Is, Rabat, Sale, Spain, Portugal, Morocco. It killed 25 people and injured 80. It caused a tsunami.
60 on February 28, oldest first.
An F2 tornado touched down in Hempstead County, Arkansas and tracked 5 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Washington, AR.
An F4 tornado touched down in Jones, Wayne, Clarke counties, Mississippi and tracked 35 miles, 1,230 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 350.
Tree fell on car. Some roof damage.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Linn County, Kansas and tracked 24.49 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest.
A strong storm system lifted northeast into the region from Oklahoma, during the late afternoon and early evening hours on February 28th.
A strong storm system lifted northeast into the region from Oklahoma, during the late afternoon and early evening hours on February 28th.
A low pressure system pushed northeastward out of Oklahoma during the afternoon hours the 28th. The warm front extending from the low provided a focus for thunderstorm development.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Henry County, Kentucky and tracked 2.26 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
A strong storm system moved through the area on February 28th, producing three tornadoes in southeast Tennessee and widespread flooding in east Tennessee. One person died.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Franklin, Moore counties, Tennessee and tracked 16.1 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 4.
26 tornadoes were recorded on February 28, 2011, in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina. They killed 1 people.
A powerful cold front and upper level system combined with a marginally unstable, moist and highly sheared environment to produce severe thunderstorms and a tornado.
An early season severe weather outbreak occurred across eastern KY on February 28th. The first storms began moving across the area around 6am on Monday. The final warnings were issued around 915 am.
A line of severe storms moved through during the morning hours of February 28th. The main threats were damaging winds and flash flooding, however one tornado also occurred with this event.
A cold front moved through southern Indiana and central Kentucky on the morning of February 28. A strong low low level jet developed ahead of this front with winds of 60-80 knots at 2-3 thousand feet, resulting in very high speed shear and storm relative helicity values.
A surface cyclone accelerated northeast from the southern Plains through central Missouri and the Ohio Valley. An associated warm front lifted northward through the Mid-Mississippi and Lower Ohio Valleys in advance of the surface low.
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 27th, a low pressure system developed in the Southern Plains, eventually tracking across the Tennessee Valley, well to the north of Alabama.
Severe thunderstorms produced wind damage and spawned one tornado as they moved across the Midlands of South Carolina.
A powerful cold front and upper level system combined with a weakly unstable, moist and highly sheared environment to produce severe thunderstorms and a tornado.
A strong system moved across the Midwest and brought a round of severe storms to the Ozarks late on the 28th and early on the 29th of February.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Osage, Wabaunsee counties, Kansas and tracked 5.4 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Polk, Dallas counties, Missouri and tracked 9.5 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12.
On the evening of Tuesday, February 28 2012, a very strong upper level storm system caused widespread thunderstorms to form across most of central and eastern Kansas. The storms initiated approximately 4:00 PM and increased in coverage and intensity throughout the night.
A powerful storm system produced widespread severe weather across portions of central, south-central and southeast Kansas during the evening hours on the 28th.
A squall line with embedded sustained supercells crossed southwest Indiana. The embedded supercells raced east-northeast at 60 to 70 mph, while the line moved southeast at a slower rate.
Although severe weather reports were limited on this Tuesday afternoon and evening, the first severe thunderstorm event of 2012 featured the first-ever confirmed February tornado within the 24-county South Central Nebraska area.
Although the coverage of storms was limited on this Tuesday afternoon and evening, the first severe thunderstorm event of 2012 featured the first-ever documented February tornado within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Perry, Randolph, Jackson counties, Missouri and tracked 53.47 miles, 1,100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12.
An EF3 tornado touched down in LaSalle County, Illinois and tracked 11.5 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 14.
An EF3 tornado touched down in White, Posey, Gibson counties, Illinois and tracked 44.13 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
30 tornadoes were recorded on February 28, 2017, in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 4 people.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Marshall, Woodford, LaSalle counties, Illinois and tracked 17.77 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest.
Isolated supercell thunderstorms developed across southeast Missouri during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
The late afternoon into the evening of Tuesday, February 28 brought a favorable setup for severe weather, including strong tornadoes across much of the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Lower Great Lakes regions.
Isolated supercell thunderstorms moved into southern Illinois during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
Just after nightfall on February 28, 2017, a violent tornado struck just outside of the city of Perryville, located in the state of Missouri, and caused devastating damage to multiple homes and neighborhoods before crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois, where many rural communities and farmsteads were impacted. The tornado was part of a prolific and widespread winter outbreak in the United States that impacted much of both the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An isolated but very powerful supercell thunderstorm moved across southwest Indiana during the late evening hours. The storm originated over Missouri in a destabilizing pre-frontal air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
An unseasonably warm and humid airmass was in place across central Illinois on February 28th...with afternoon high temperatures soaring to record levels in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
Two tornadoes were noted in White County on February 28, 2017.
A severe weather outbreak occurred on February 28th and lasted into the early morning hours of March 1st 2017. Four tornadoes were documented to have occurred in the National Weather Service St.
Isolated severe thunderstorms developed across western Kentucky during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
Following a week of record highs, a late winter severe weather outbreak brought widespread severe thunderstorms to Iowa, Illinois, and northeast Missouri. Supercell thunderstorms produced numerous reports of large hail and a few tornadoes.
Following a week of record highs, a late winter severe weather outbreak brought widespread severe thunderstorms to Iowa, Illinois, and northeast Missouri. Supercell thunderstorms produced numerous reports of large hail and a few tornadoes.
Strong to severe thunderstorms impacted much of the region from the afternoon of February 28th through the early morning hours of March 1st, 2017.
A severe weather outbreak occurred on February 28th and lasted into the early morning hours of March 1st 2017. Four tornadoes were documented to have occurred in the National Weather Service St.
A warm front moved into far southern Lower Michigan, enhancing low level shear and an already unstable environment to allow for a line of thunderstorms to develop and become severe as it tracked across far southern Lower Michigan and far northern Indiana.
A stalled frontal boundary brought waves of heavy rainfall to central Kentucky from February 26 through February 28. This caused record rainfall, isolated severe winds, and even a tornado. As a result, Bowling Green set a February daily rainfall record with 5.11 on the 28th.
In the midst of a widespread heavy rainfall event, a short-lived tornado produced damage in portions of Clinton and Wayne Counties in southern Kentucky. Thunderstorms were embedded in the heavier rainfall throughout the day and evening.
A warm front lifted north across East Texas and North Louisiana during the early morning hours of February 28th, reaching Southeast Oklahoma and the northern sections of Southwest Arkansas prior to daybreak.
Showers and thunderstorms developed during the early morning hours ahead of a cold front moving through the Ohio Valley.
A strong upper-level low tracked through the Great Lakes and into the Ohio River Valley early on February 28th. Nocturnal convection was mainly elevated before 5 AM, with a few hail reports noted.
Record February high temperatures in the lower 70s created enough instability to allow for strong thunderstorms as a very strong cold front pushed through during the overnight hours. A few thunderstorms reached severe limits, highlighted by an EF-2 tornado in Grand Blanc.
A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) advanced across the area late in the afternoon on February 28 along a powerful cold front. Despite a lack of lightning, a kink in the strong line of showers spun up a brief tornado in Broome County, just south of Castle Creek.
6 on February 28, oldest first.
The 1949 Central Queensland cyclone was an unnamed tropical cyclone that struck the Central Queensland coast in Australia on 2 March 1949.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typhoon Sally, also known as Typhoon Bebeng in the Philippines, was a moderate typhoon which impacted Palau and the Philippines during February and March 1967. The third tropical depression, first tropical storm, and first typhoon of the 1967 Pacific typhoon season, Sally originated from a tropical depression northeast of Papua New Guinea on February 28, which underwent slow development, not becoming a tropical storm until March 1.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Farida reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 941 mb, a category 4 storm.
The 1993 Pacific typhoon season was the most active season for the Philippines, seeing a total of 32 storms forming or entering their area of responsibility. Overall, it was an above average season, spawning 28 tropical storms, 15 typhoons and three super typhoons.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Flossy reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph) with a central pressure of 945 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Carina reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 910 mb, a category 4 storm.
21 on February 28, oldest first.
The Hunter Valley Floods of 23 February 1955 was a major flood on the Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. They were one of the most devastating natural disasters in Australia's history.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Persistent strong thunderstorms produced 2 to 3 inches of rain in a couple of hours. The city of Murray was especially hard hit, where motorists became stranded in water as much as 3 feet deep. An elderly woman and her son were rescued from their flooded house.
Heavy rainfall of two to four inches caused localized street flooding from Port Richey in Pasco County northeast to Bushnell in Sumter County. Several vehicles incurred water damage from standing water at low-lying intersections.
Mild weather Sunday through Monday resulted in a good deal of snowmelt with runoff into area rivers. Ice jams also formed especially on the AuSable River.
An earthquake triggered a mudslide that damaged a home. The slide also blocked the Cedar River, which then backed up and flooded a road, forcing its closure.
Heavy rains combined with melting snow to cause extensive flooding in Rexburg and throughout Madison County. Several roads washed out county wide and extensive basement flooding was reported in several houses in Rexburg.
A deep trough was developing across the eastern U.S. as a large polar high dropped south out of central Canada and a vigorous closed upper low moved from the central U.S. into the southeast.
A strong area of low pressure moved northeast across Ohio on February 28th. Heavy rain fell over northern Ohio in association with this low. Rainfall totals of between one and three inches were reported. Up to ten inches of heavy snow was one the ground at daybreak on the 27th.
Numerous showers and thunderstorms developed and moved across portions of Northern Indiana. One to three inches of rain fell across the area with localized higher amounts. This resulted in some roads becoming impassable due to flood waters.
Out ahead of a strong late winter cold front, dew points rose into the 50s. A marginally unstable air mass allowed a squall line to sweep through during the morning hours. Hail and strong wind gusts were associated with the convection.
Flooding from the heavy rains on the 28th continued across portions of the area into the 1st and 2nd of March.
A strong low pressure system moved across the Upper Ohio Valley bringing heavy rain as well as a line of severe thunderstorms. Flooding of streams and creeks was widespread across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
A strong storm system triggered slow moving thunderstorms across southwest VA on the 28th. The storms brought heavy rain and flooding to many cities and rural areas.
A strong low pressure system brought high winds, heavy rain, and heavy mountain snow to portions of the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin.
A Pacific storm system moved across the Bay Area on February 28. It dropped several inches of rainfall and brought gusty winds to the area.
A weak, upper-level trough moved through California overnight on February 26th, into the morning of the 27th, increasing gusty west winds and bringing a round of light to moderate showers over and west of the mountains.
Heavy rain associated with the intersection of a stalled frontal boundary and a coastal trough along the Treasure Coast trained into the coasts of St. Lucie and Martin Counties during the morning and early afternoon hours.
Major flash flooding occurred in the Tennessee border counties from Fulton east to Elkton. Ahead of a northward moving warm front, rain moved northeastward across the region during the late afternoon and evening hours on February 27.
A cold front pushed into an unstable and very moist airmass to produce numerous showers and thunderstorms north of Interstate 40 during the afternoon of February 28th. Storms eventually evolved into a line and pushed southeast across the Mid-South. A few severe storms occurred.
Waves of rain, heavy at times, moved across the region during the afternoon of February 26th through the morning of March 1st. Creeks and streams rose out of their banks by the final day of February, resulting in flooded roadways across West Virginia.
Widespread rain fell across the Ohio Valley during the morning hours as a warm front lifted north through the area. Two to three inches of rain fell across much of the region.
31 on February 28, oldest first.
Thunderstorm winds lifted 5 mobile homes from their foundation on Vinings Road south of Roberta and destroyed them. A silo on highway 341 south of Roberta was also blown down.
Thunderstorm winds overturned a 12 X 35 foot storage building. One barn was destroyed and roofs were damaged on three houses and two other barns.
Isolated tea cup sized hail was reported by the public at a restaurant in New Port Richey. A few vehicles and commercial rooftops incurred damage from the large hail.
Thunderstorm winds downed several large trees, numerous power lines, and damaged vehicles and the roofs of a few homes and businesses, mainly in the 6200 block of Florida Avenue in Port Richey.
Straight-line winds caused scattered damage in the vicinity of Beacon Hill and St. Joe Beach. Two homes received moderate to severe roof damage. A neighboring vehicle was damage by a fallen power pole.
Severe thunderstorms were responsible for numerous reports of wind damage across portions of southwest and south central Georgia. A funnel cloud was sighted north of Valdosta along Interstate 75.
Thunderstorm winds downed trees and damaged a school and nearby home in Sneads. Golf ball sized hail fell near New Hope in Holmes County.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees across a county road in Dale County. Lightning was blamed for a house fire northeast of Fort Rucker.
A cold front moved through South Central Texas during the evening of February 27th. The front caused strong northerly winds which continued into the afternoon of February 28th.
A vigorous short wave was moving rapidly from the south central to the southeast United States, accompanied by a strong Pacific cold front. Unseasonably warm air, which had prevailed across the southeast U.S.
A line of showers and thunderstorms entered the mountains of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia during the late afternoon hours. The line intensified and expanded northward as it moved out of the mountains.
A bowing line segment developed ahead of a strong cold front approaching from the west. Despite very strong deep layer shear, marginal instability resulted in only sporadic |reports of wind damage across central North Carolina.
Out ahead of a strong late winter cold front, dew points rose into the 50s. A marginally unstable air mass allowed a squall line to sweep through during the early morning hours.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved into the area after 8 pm ahead of a pre-frontal trough. These storms had a history of producing damaging wind gusts and remained severe as they moved into our westernmost counties.
A strong low pressure system moved across the Upper Ohio Valley bringing heavy rain as well as a line of severe thunderstorms. Flooding of streams and creeks was widespread across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
A strong system moved across the Midwest and brought a round of severe storms to the area late on the 28th and early on the 29th of February. A squall line with embedded bows and super cellular type storms produced large hail and very strong damaging winds.
A warm front lifted northward across the area ahead of a strong upper level storm system, resulting in widespread thunderstorms in eastern Oklahoma. These storms produced damaging wind as they moved across the region during the late evening of the 28th.
A mid level jet streak cut across the state as an upper level trough lifted northeast.
A strong cold front, associated with a low pressure system over the Central Plains, moved east northeast across the region, with a broken line of thunderstorms.
A strong pressure gradient between an approaching cold front to the west and high pressure over the southeast U.S. produced strong southwest winds. The highest measured peak wind gust was 53 mph at the Harrisburg airport.
On the evening of February 28, a cold front pushed through the are area, forming a line of thunderstorms that produced large hail.
Strong to severe thunderstorms impacted much of the region from the afternoon of February 28th through the early morning hours of March 1st, 2017.
A cold front pushed into an unstable and very moist airmass to produce numerous showers and thunderstorms north of Interstate 40 during the afternoon of February 28th. Storms eventually evolved into a line and pushed southeast across the Mid-South. A few severe storms occurred.
A line of thunderstorms moved across Central and North GA ahead of a cold front in the afternoon hours of the 28th. High winds aloft and marginal instability, due to diurnal heating ahead of the line, allowed for storms to bring damaging winds to the surface.
Strong low pressure moved northeast across the Great Lakes on February 28th, but created a strong pressure gradient between this storm and high pressure across the Canadian Maritimes.
Ahead of a cold front in the early morning hours of February 28, 2024, a line of convection moved east through central Kentucky in an environment of limited instability and high shear. This helped to produce severe hail and wind damage across north-central Kentucky.
Strong low pressure moved northeast across the Great Lakes on February 28th, but created a strong pressure gradient between this storm and high pressure across the Canadian Maritimes.
A squall line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved southeast through the region during the morning hours of the 28th. The thunderstorms produce strong and gusty winds at points along the line, with several reports of trees, power lines and minor structural damage reported.
An anomalously highly sheared environment combined with moderate instability, under a passing jet streak amid an approaching cold frontal zone, to produce scattered thunderstorms after midnight.
A cold front moved through eastern Kentucky during the morning hours of February 28. Strong winds aloft were able to mix down to the surface with the storms that formed along the boundary, leading to numerous trees down and high wind gusts across much of eastern Kentucky.
A strong upper-level low tracked through the Great Lakes early February 28th and into A strong upper-level low tracked through the Great Lakes and into the Ohio River Valley early on February 28th.
21 on February 28, oldest first.
Snowstorm of February 28, 1942 was ranked category 3, Major, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 28, 1942 to March 4, 1942.
Snowstorm of February 28, 1962 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 28, 1962 to March 7, 1962.
Snowstorm of February 28, 1966 was ranked category 5, Extreme, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from February 28, 1966 to March 6, 1966.
Snowstorm of February 28, 1980 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 28, 1980 to March 3, 1980.
Snowstorm of February 28, 1994 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 28, 1994 to March 4, 1994.
Two hiking companions were hiking up in the area of Byron Glacier, in Portage Valley. They began hiking Saturday morning, February 28th, and were up on top of the ridge above Byron Glacier by the late afternoon.
Avalanche just north of Ketchum buried and killed a snowmobiler. Determined he died from force of avalanche and injuries suffered rather than asphyxiation.
Snowstorm of February 28, 2005 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 28, 2005 to March 2, 2005.
A combination of light snow, which developed in advance of an approaching area of low pressure, and road temperatures around freezing, created slippery conditions for motorists across portions of northern Indiana.
A very strong winter storm moved across the southeastern U.S., then up the east coast during the 28th of February. This storm brought heavy snow amounts to most of southwestern Virginia from the piedmont to the mountains.
A low pressure system ejecting out of the Northern Rockies and into Wisconsin brought snow across western and central North Dakota from late Tuesday night February 27th into Wednesday night February 28th.
A short wave trough associated with a very cold upper low brought areas of heavy snow to parts of the western Washington lowlands, including Western Whatcom County, Everett and Vicinity, Seattle/Bremerton Area, and East Puget Sound Lowlands.
An upper level low pressure system, traveling quickly from northwest to southeast across Arkansas, brought snow to much of Arkansas on the 28th. Snowfall amounts were rather small, generally ranging from a few tenths of an inch to an inch.
A strong upper level low pressure system moved through Arkansas during the night of February 28th, 2009. The upper level low produced bands of snow across East Arkansas during the evening hours which continued into the early morning hours of March 1st, 2009.
February of 2011, in Oklahoma City, had extremes of both cold and warm weather. With a snowy start to the month, 18.9 inches of snowfall was measured. This amount stands as the 2nd highest all-time monthly snowfall total for Oklahoma City.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Low pressure over Colorado early February 28th deepened rapidly over southern Minnesota during February 29th. Heavy snow fell in 24 hours or less along and south of MN Highway 210 and along the north shore of Lake Superior to Silver Bay.
Two people died in Tarrant County after their vehicle lost control on a patch of ice and fell into a very cold creek. Another occupant was injured.
The 2015 Afghanistan avalanches were a series of devastating snow avalanches that occurred in late February 2015 across northeastern Afghanistan, primarily affecting four provinces. The hardest hit was Panjshir Province, where entire villages were buried under the snow.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A weak storm system dropped light snow in Lincoln County.
A band of light freezing drizzle developed early Thursday morning, February 28, as temperatures fell below 32 degrees behind a strong cold front, causing multiple automobile accidents in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Snowmobilers caused avalanche resulting in one fatality. It occurred at Brown Bear Mine near Harts Pass. It started at around 6600 feet and traveled to 6240 feet. The area was under moderate avalanche outlook at the time.
1 on February 28, oldest first.
With a multi-year drought continuing over much of the region, it was a dry start to 2014. Through the months of January and February, only 0.43 inches of moisture had been recorded at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City. This made it the 4th driest two-month start to any year. It wasn’t any better in Wichita Falls, where only 0.35 inches of moisture was measured, making it the 7th driest start.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
2 on February 28, oldest first.
A 43 year old homeless man was found near McDonough Street and Stryker Avenue in Joliet on the morning of February 28th. Low temperatures were in the lower to middle 20s.
The Kenosha County Medical Examiner reported a death due to hypothermia.
4 on February 28, oldest first.
Astoria recorded 36 inches, Illinois’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Astoria recorded 41 inches, Illinois’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it (a tie with an earlier value).
Lake Park recorded 52 inches, Iowa’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it (a tie with an earlier value).
Farmington recorded 84 inches, Maine’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
37 on February 28, oldest first.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 1988, in Kansas, and burned 1,579 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 28, 1996, in Rice County, Kansas, and burned 1,500 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 28, 1999, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and burned 2,200 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Trinchera Fire was discovered on February 28, 2000, in Quay County, New Mexico, and burned 3,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Xt Fire was discovered on February 28, 2000, in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and burned 3,095 acres; the cause was recorded as smoking.
The Haverlock Fire was discovered on February 28, 2000, in Guadalupe County, New Mexico, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Oversite Fire was discovered on February 28, 2002, in Cochise County, Arizona, and burned 2,189 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Yellow Fire was discovered on February 28, 2002, in Arizona, and burned 1,035 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2004, in Arkansas, and burned 1,022 acres.
The Road 305 Fire was discovered on February 28, 2005, in Puerto Rico, and burned 1,300 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The 06 Stegall Mtn Fire started on February 28, 2006, in Missouri, and burned 1,577 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2006, in Missouri, and burned 1,390 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 28, 2006, in Magoffin County, Kentucky, and burned 350 acres.
The St.george Fire was discovered on February 28, 2007, in Georgia, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The County-Line Fire was discovered on February 28, 2008, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,075 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Sabine Pass Fire was discovered on February 28, 2009, in Texas, and burned 5,978 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The El Torro Fire was discovered on February 28, 2009, in Jackson County, Texas, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Wilderness Ridge Fire was discovered on February 28, 2009, in Bastrop County, Texas, and burned 1,491 acres; the cause was recorded as power generation/transmission/distribution.
A wildfire developed in Curry County, damaging one structure.
The Iron Horse Fire was discovered on February 28, 2011, in Florida, and burned 17,000 acres.
The Fm 234 & Cr 105 Fire was discovered on February 28, 2011, in Jackson County, Texas, and burned 3,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2011, in Texas, and burned 2,339 acres.
The Crews Road Fire was discovered on February 28, 2011, in Brantley County, Georgia, and burned 2,228 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 28, 2011, in Osage County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,770 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2011, in Texas, and burned 1,459 acres.
The Heinson Farm Fire was discovered on February 28, 2011, in Meade County, Kansas, and burned 1,280 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Ferry 7 Fire was discovered on February 28, 2011, in Florida, and burned 698 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2013, in Louisiana, and burned 4,437 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2013, in Louisiana, and burned 1,477 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 28, 2013, in Louisiana, and burned 1,354 acres.
In the wake of thick high clouds this morning and one rogue high wind gust from virga near Vigo Park (Swisher County), intense southwest winds expanded east across all of the South Plains and far southwest Texas Panhandle under clearing skies.
The 303 Fire was reported on February 28, 2017, in Hockley County, Texas, and burned 9,299 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Prison Fire was reported on February 28, 2017, in Swisher County, Texas, and burned 2,444 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Crossroads West Fire was reported on February 28, 2017, in Lea County, New Mexico, and burned 2,075 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Two Hollows Fire was reported on February 28, 2020, in Pearl River County, Mississippi, and burned 2,135 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Mason Mountain Fire was reported on February 28, 2025, in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,871 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Turkey Hammock (05) Fire was reported on February 28, 2025, in Brevard County, Florida, and burned 1,171 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
25 on February 28, oldest first.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Gerat, Afghanistan.
An earthquake struck Baghdad, Iraq.
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Omate, Peru.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Rhodes, Fethiye, Greece, Turkey. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Tayabas, Bursa, Turkey. It killed 2,200 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
64 Mw. A devastating precursor quake took place in Mustafakemalpaşa, a town of Bursa Province, and caused severe destruction all over Bursa and other neighboring cities.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck SW Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
2 on the moment magnitude scale. It was one of the most powerful measured in Canada in the 20th century, with a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale at its epicentre in the area of Charlevoix-Kamouraska along the Saint Lawrence River near île aux Lièvres and not greater than VI (Strong) in the United States.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Sea of Okhotsk, Russia.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck S, Adelaide, Australia. It did $17 million in damage.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Azores.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Canary Is, Rabat, Sale, Spain, Portugal, Morocco. It killed 25 people and injured 80. It caused a tsunami.
The 1969 Portugal earthquake struck western Portugal and Morocco on 28 February at 02:40 UTC. 8 and the maximum felt intensity was VII on the Mercalli intensity scale.
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A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Hiroo, Urakawa, Russia. It caused a tsunami.
The 1979 Saint Elias earthquake affected southeastern Alaska at 12:27 AKST on 28 February. 5 earthquake had an epicenter in the east of the Chugach Mountains.
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A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Alaska, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck S, Claremont, Covina, California, United States. It injured 30 and did $12.7 million in damage.
7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VII. 7 million.
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A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Ardabil, Iran. It killed 1,100 people, injured 2,600, destroyed 12,000 houses and did $76 million in damage.
1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The strike-slip earthquake occurred in northern Iran, near the city of Ardabil.
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A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Olympia, Seattle, Tacoma, Washington, United States. It killed 1 person, injured 400 and did $2 billion in damage.
The 2001 Nisqually earthquake occurred at 10:54:32 local time on February 28, 2001, and lasted nearly a minute. 8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).
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A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Southern, Iran. It injured 6.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Cabanaconde, Caylloma, Arequipa, Peru. It destroyed 64 houses.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck S Highlands, Papua New Guinea. It killed 1 person.
4 on February 28, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Fetiye, Asia Minor, Turkey, with a maximum water height of 0.6 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Portugal, with a maximum water height of 0.9 meters. It killed 25 people and injured 80.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck N. Kuril Islands, Russia, with a maximum water height of 1.5 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck SE. Alaska, AK, United States, with a maximum water height of 0.15 meters.
1 on February 28, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 28, 1951, reached Kp 7 and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 55; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
2 on February 28, oldest first.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.9 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 67, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 28, 1997 to March 5, 1997.
A severe storm disaster that cost $2.3 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 6, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 28, 2017 to March 1, 2017.
6 on February 28, oldest first.
Lightning struck a house on Creekside Drive. No injuries were reported in the fire that began in the attic. Twenty-two firefighters took 2 hours to put out the blaze.
A surface and upper level low supported episodes of thunderstorms within a high shear and low CAPE environment over southeastern Georgia. Thunderstorms with dangerous lightning occurred as this system approached the Atlantic Ocean.
Lightning from a thunderstorm caused a house fire in McCormick County.
Hazardous surf conditions claimed a life on a beach in Monterey County due to sneaker waves.
A tourist staying at the Carambola Beach Resort near Cane Bay on St. Croix drowned Sunday morning while diving in choppy waters near the resort’s beach.
A shearline dropping south into the Marianas with fresh to strong winds generated a strong northeast swell, which created high surf within Kilo Wharf due to swell refraction at the opening of the harbor.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-25.