Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for February 29, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco. It killed 13,100 people, injured 25,000 and did $120 million in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Agadir, Morocco. It killed 13,100 people, injured 25,000 and did $120 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tornadoes
An EF4 tornado touched down in Saline, Gallatin counties, Illinois and tracked 26.09 miles, 325 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 108.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Tennessee and tracked 2 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 150.
Tornadoes
32 tornadoes were recorded on February 29, 2012, in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 13 people.
Tornadoes
A squall line with embedded sustained supercells crossed southern Illinois. The embedded supercells raced east-northeast at 60 to 70 mph, while the line moved southeast at a slower rate.
Tornadoes
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 29, 1960 was ranked category 3, Major, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 29, 1960 to March 5, 1960.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Stoddard County, Missouri and tracked 19.96 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Esau reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 935 mb, a category 4 storm.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in DeKalb County, Alabama and tracked 3.3 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 12.
Tornadoes
An F1 tornado touched down in Marshall County, Tennessee and tracked 0.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 166.
25 on February 29, oldest first.
An F4 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Tennessee and tracked 2 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 150.
An F3 tornado touched down in DeKalb County, Alabama and tracked 3.3 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 12.
An F1 tornado touched down in Marshall County, Tennessee and tracked 0.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 166.
An F3 tornado touched down in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana and tracked 1 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
A small tornado formed in north Callaway County. One barn was destroyed and several trees downed or uprooted.
A small tornado struck in northwest Pike County. Damage was limited to downed trees,
An EF4 tornado touched down in Saline, Gallatin counties, Illinois and tracked 26.09 miles, 325 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 108.
32 tornadoes were recorded on February 29, 2012, in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 13 people.
A squall line with embedded sustained supercells crossed southern Illinois. The embedded supercells raced east-northeast at 60 to 70 mph, while the line moved southeast at a slower rate.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Stoddard County, Missouri and tracked 19.96 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Cumberland County, Tennessee and tracked 11.13 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 7.
A strong storm system moving across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys caused scattered strong to severe thunderstorms to develop across eastern portions of Middle Tennessee during the afternoon hours.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Barry County, Missouri and tracked 1.7 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 4.
A squall line with embedded sustained supercells crossed southeast Missouri. The embedded supercells raced east-northeast at 60 to 70 mph, while the line moved southeast at a slower rate.
An EF1 tornado touched down in DeKalb, White counties, Tennessee and tracked 14.84 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
A squall line with embedded sustained supercells entered western Kentucky early in the morning. The embedded supercells raced east-northeast at 60 to 70 mph, while the line moved southeast at a slower rate.
Low pressure deepened rapidly as it moved north into Wisconsin during the early morning hours on the 29th of February. A regional severe weather outbreak developed during the early morning hours across Kansas, southern Missouri and southern Illinois.
A strong cold front sparked widespread strong to severe thunderstorms as it moved across the Ohio and Tennessee valley regions during the afternoon and early evening hours of February 29th. The bulk of the severe weather events on this day were large hail and damaging winds.
A strong cold front moved through the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms. There were several reports of damaging winds, large hail and one tornado.
A boundary across the area triggered thunderstorms over east Tennessee toward the end of the month. The boundary aided in the development of an EF-0 tornado as well as golfball-size hail and several reports of wind damage.
1 on February 29, oldest first.
Hurricane Esau reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 935 mb, a category 4 storm.
6 on February 29, oldest first.
Ahead of a warm front, showers and embedded thunderstorms began before dawn on Wednesday, the 29th. The warm front lifted northeast through West Virginia between dawn and midday.
Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain developed in the warm sector along the Mason-Dixon line in the afternoon on the 29th. These showers continued to train over parts of Marion, Monongalia, and Preston counties in West Virginia as well as Garrett County in Maryland.
Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain developed in the warm sector along the Mason-Dixon line in the afternoon on the 29th. These showers continued to train over parts of Marion, Monongalia, and Preston counties in West Virginia as well as Garrett County in Maryland.
A warm front cross the region during the afternoon of the 29th, and then a cold front approach the area during the evening. Numerous showers and storms developed in association with both of these fronts. Some of the storms increased to severe levels and produced damaging winds.
Ahead of a warm front, showers and embedded thunderstorms began before dawn on Wednesday, the 29th. The warm front moved northeast through southeast Ohio between dawn and midday. By late afternoon that warm front had lifted into the eastern Ohio and southwestern Pennsylvania.
Since 29 February 2024, flooding affected various regions across the country, including Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan. At least 40 people were killed and 62 injured in the floods.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
51 on February 29, oldest first.
A large and strong 952 mb low drifted north to 200 miles southwest of Amchitka late Thursday. Winds reached 46 mph at Adak and 55 mph at Shemya in advance of the front associated with this low.
A dryline tracked across northern and western Missouri on the afternoon of February 29, triggering widely scattered thunderstorms. Dime to quarter-size hail was reported in several locations in northwest and north-central Missouri.
High wind generated near a strong upper system and associated surface low, produced severa gusts across the area from 50 to 58 mph.
Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs and power lines in Avon.
A mini bow echo developed over extreme Northeast Missouri during the early evening and continued northeast into portions of Hancock and McDonough counties. Winds of 60 to 70 mph produced scattered reports of damage.
Thunderstorm wind gusts destroyed a mobile home and caused some roof damage to another home. Several trees were also downed in the area.
Thunderstorm wind gusts destroyed a couple of outbuildings and downed trees.
Window blown out of a house, wind damage to outbuildings.
Strong local winds with gusts to 56 mph were reported at Kelso.
Storm spotters reported 3/4 inch hail covering U.S. Highway 63 north of Columbia.
Storm spotters reported 1 inch hail.
Storm spotters reported 1 inch hail.
The roof of a mobile home was ripped off by high winds on County Road 3090 near Brushie Prairie.
Thunderstorms developed over central Kansas the afternoon of the 29th and gradually spread east into northeast and east central Kansas in the early evening. Many became severe and produced numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Strong winds destroyed 2 outbuildings.
An isolated severe thunderstorm went through the southeastern tip of Runnels County and Southwest Coleman County along Lake Ivie. Damage was limited to pole barns and camper shelters at a camp near the lake.
An intense low pressure area moved from northeast Nebraska, across southern Minnesota, into southern Wisconsin during the night of the 28th through the day on the 29th. The dry low pushed over Iowa during the night and produced gusty southwest winds.
A warm front crossed the region during the afternoon of the 29th, and then a cold front approached the area during the evening. Numerous showers and storms developed in association with both of these fronts.
A boundary across the area triggered scattered thunderstorms during the evening hours across southwest Virginia. A few of the storms produced damaging thunderstorm wind or hail as large as a golfball.
A warm front lifted northward across the area ahead of a strong upper level storm system, resulting in widespread thunderstorms in northwestern Arkansas.
A broken line of strong to severe storms developed ahead of a strong cold front. The severe storms produced wind damage to a roof and some power lines.
Deepening low pressure tracking through the Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes produced very strong winds across central Illinois during the afternoon of February 29th. Winds gusted to between 45 and 55 mph at times, causing minor wind damage around the area.
A cold front moved through Eastern Arkansas during the early morning hours of February 29, 2012. Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the front. Some storms became severe producing large hail and damaging winds.
A strong upper level system pushed off to the north of Arkansas, leading to severe thunderstorms producing large hail and gusty winds.
A warm front passed during the early morning hours on the 29th with rain showers. Surface dew points and instability increased during the midday and early afternoon, ahead of an approaching cold front. The afternoon thunderstorm development produced some large hail.
Deep low pressure over southern Minnesota allowed for strong winds to extend across much of the Great Lakes. Wind gusts were generally in the 40 to 50 mph range, with a few gusts as high as 55 mph.
A cold front moved through North Mississippi during the afternoon hours of February 29, 2012. Showers and thunderstorms redeveloped ahead of the front. Some storms became severe producing damaging winds.
A couple supercell thunderstorms weakened as they moved from Tennessee into the mountains of North Carolina. The storms still produced some straight line wind damage as they dissipated over the high terrain.
A cold front moved through the western portions of the Mississippi Valley during the day on February 29th. Well out head of the front, the atmosphere destabilized and became favorable for isolated severe thunderstorms in the northern portion of central Alabama.
Another round of high winds occurred along the Front Range Foothills. Peak wind gusts included: 84 mph at the National Wind Technology Center; 77 mph, 3 miles south-southwest of Boulder; 75 mph, 3 miles southwest of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.
Two low pressure areas merged across Quebec during the evening of February 29th and this helped strengthen a cold front that moved across New York and Vermont during the night of February 29th and into the morning hours of March 1st.
A tight surface pressure gradient produced a brief period of high winds through the wind corridors of southeast Wyoming.
Two low pressure areas merged across Quebec during the evening of February 29th and this helped strengthen a cold front that moved across New York and Vermont during the night of February 29th and into the morning hours of March 1st.
A line of storms formed along a boundary in the Texas panhandle on the evening of the 29th and moved eastward across Oklahoma through the night into March 1st. Storms were enhanced by a strengthening low level jet overnight, and some of them produced severe hail and winds.
A cold front moved through the region during the late evening on Monday, February 29th and into the early morning hours on Tuesday, March 1st.
A trough of low pressure and its associated surface cold front moved into western Nevada from the northwest to the southeast during the evening hours of February 29th into the early morning hours of March 1st.
A trough of low pressure and its associated surface cold front moved into the Sierra Nevada from the northwest to the southeast during the evening hours of February 29th into the early morning hours of March 1st.
Upper level jet maximum continues to move through the area. Dry but windy conditions prevail into the evening for most of north-central MT with gusts 25-35 kts for most|areas with a few 40-45kt gusts along the Canadian border.
A strong upper level low descending out of the BC area, allowed for a tightening pressure gradient leading to much of the state seeing wind gusts ranging from 45 to 75 mph.
An otherwise major winter storm that pushed through the region closed out the Month of February. This storm increased the potential for damaging winds (gusts 55+ mph) February 29 that preceded the passage of a strong cold front through the region March 1.
Prefrontal winds ahead of a cold front brought widespread high gusts and impacts to the higher elevation summits and the Snake River Valley.
Strong winds occurred with a cold front passage on February 29.
An otherwise major winter storm that pushed through the region closed out the Month of February. This storm increased the potential for damaging winds (gusts 55+ mph) February 29 that preceded the passage of a strong cold front through the region March 1.
The continuous impactful storms over the winter brought another round of rain and wind to Northwest California during the last day of the month.
Tight surface pressure gradients, combined with a strong jet aloft, resulted in some high wind gusts across the Livingston and Paradise Valley areas.
45 on February 29, oldest first.
Snowstorm of February 29, 1960 was ranked category 3, Major, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from February 29, 1960 to March 5, 1960.
The northern Black Hills received 1.5 to three feet of snow during a 36 hour period starting the evening of February 29 through the morning of March 2.
10 inches of new snow was reported at Coral Canyon in Ruby Valley, 9 inches in Austin, 7 inches in Spring Creek, and 6 inches in Wells.
Tuolumne Meadows and Mammoth Mountain both reported an additional 6 inches of new snow.
February was a quiet month with only one major snow event...with this occurring on the last day of the month.
Blizzard conditions developed across the northeast plains of Colorado as a low pressure system intensified over the Central Plains.
Heavy snow of 6 to 9 inches fell across parts of central and north central South Dakota. Some snowfall amounts included, 6 inches at Isabel and Ree Heights, 7 inches at Gettysburg and Eagle Butte, 8 inches at Murdo, and 9 inches northeast of Isabel in southern Corson County.
Snow and strong winds occurred over much of the Nebraska panhandle creating blizzard conditions. Snowfall amounts from 6 to 10 inches were reported from many areas with amounts near 1 foot reported in the Chadron, NE. area.
A strong winter storm produced gusty winds, heavy snowfall, and icy conditions to much of western and north central Nebraska. Blizzard conditions were seen across the area as reports of up to 9 inches of snow occurred.
A strong winter storm that produced blizzard conditions across the Nebraska panhandle also produced strong wind gusts up to 44 mph, blowing snow and icy conditions in parts of western and north central Nebraska.
A winter storm produced 2-4 inches of snow across extreme northwest Kansas, southwest Nebraska and eastern Colorado during the afternoon and overnight hours of February 29th.
A winter storm produced 2-4 inches of snow across extreme northwest Kansas, southwest Nebraska and eastern Colorado during the afternoon and overnight hours of February 29th.
Highway 550 was closed for an extended period of time due to natural avalanches from heavy snowfall. Portions of the highway were buried up to 10 feet deep in compacted snow.
A weak system moved through the region, bringing with a burst of light snow and snowfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches falling. The snow was a contributing factor to a 2-car accident in Noble County.
A low pressure system tracked east from the Great Lakes on Friday February 29th, into eastern Canada by Saturday morning on March 1st. A second low pressure area developed near New York City by Saturday morning.
Low pressure moving quickly across the Ohio Valley brought heavy snow to parts of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland. Snow fell ahead of the system followed by lake enhanced snow in cold northwest flow behind the low pressure.
A clipper type low pressure system brought snow to Sussex County and snow and then rain across the Passaic and Raritan River Basins in northern New Jersey on February 29th into March 1st.
A clipper type low pressure system brought snow to the Poconos and snow and then rain in Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and the northern Philadelphia suburbs on February 29th into March 1st.
A clipper low moved east from the Great Lakes and into the Northeast, producing periods of moderate to heavy snow over the Alleghenies and Laurel Highlands. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from five to ten inches.
An Alberta clipper low pressure system tracked across Lake Superior and spread snow and lake effect snow across northwest and northeast portions of Upper Michigan on February 29 continuing into March 1.
A low pressure system tracking through the Northern Great Lakes lead to a widespread snowfall around 2 inches across much of southeast Michigan with higher amounts from I-94 to the Ohio border of 3 to 5 inches.
A complex multi-part long duration (24 to 36 hour) storm blanketed east central New York with 3 up to 15 inches of snow and sleet on Wednesday, February 29th and Thursday, March 1st. A large low pressure system approached from the upper mid west and Great Lakes region Wednesday.
A powerful winter storm that brought blizzard conditions to portions of Wisconsin and Minnesota and severe weather to portions of the Tennessee River Valley on February 29th weakened as it moved across the Northeast on March 1st.
Several waves of low pressure moved south of southern New England bringing a prolonged period of snow to the region. Anywhere from 1 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area.
A large, cold storm system moved through Utah at the end of February and the beginning of March, with the initial cold front entering the state on February 29th. This storm brought widespread heavy snowfall to the northern half of Utah. Note that this event continued into March.
A strong Pacific system brought heavy snow to southeast Idaho. 9 to 20 inch amounts were common in the mountains with some road closuers as well.
Low pressure, originating in Colorado, would move into the upper Mississippi Valley on the 29th, then occlude and weaken. Strong southerly flow ahead of the system produced a wintry mix of precipitation in Northern Lower Michigan.
A powerful winter storm that brought blizzard conditions to portions of Wisconsin and Minnesota and severe weather to portions of the Tennessee River Valley on February 29th weakened as it moved across the Northeast on March 1st.
Several waves of low pressure moved south of southern New England bringing a prolonged period of snow to the region. Anywhere from 1 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area.
Several waves of low pressure moved south of southern New England bringing a prolonged period of snow to the region. Anywhere from 1 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area.
A combination of strong moist, isentropic ascent and breezy southwesterly, orographically favored winds ahead of a deep low pressure system tracking along the Washington Coast led to heavy snow across the Northern Idaho Panhandle.
A complex multi-part long duration (24 to 36 hour) storm blanketed southern Vermont with 8 to 16 inches of snow and sleet Wednesday, February 29th and Thursday, March 1st with lower amounts of 4 to 8 inches across southeastern Bennington County.
Several waves of low pressure moved south of southern New England bringing a prolonged period of snow to the region. Anywhere from 1 to 12 inches of snow fell across the area.
A broad upper trough moved over the region late on the last day of February through the first day of March. The upper trough was followed by a moist northwest flow on March 2nd which persisted into March 3rd.
Strong and cold low pressure moved from the Gulf of Alaska on the 28th to the West Coast on the 29th bringing snow and gusty winds to the Sierra and western Nevada. Unsettled conditions continued into March 1 as the cold trough slowly moved through the Western CONUS.
A complex multi-part long duration (24 to 36 hour) storm blanketed the Berkshires with 3 to 11 inches of snow and sleet on Wednesday, February 29th and Thursday, March 1st. A large low pressure system approached from the upper mid west and Great Lakes region Wednesday.
Moist Pacific flow brought moderate to heavy snow to western Wyoming. A foot of snow fell at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and eight inches of new snow was reported north of Wilson in the Jackson Valley.
A protracted winter weather event on February 29th and March 1st dropped up to 3 inches of snow in the Poconos and was followed by around a quarter inch of ice.
Snow accumulated 3 to 6 inches near and north of Interstate 90 from late morning of February 29th to a little after midnight on March 1st. The snowfall made travel hazardous, with several accidents but no known fatalities or injuries.
A low pressure area brought a couple rounds of snow to Southern WI during the evening of February 29th through the afternoon of March 1st. Three to six inches of snow including some blowing and drifting snow occurred. Slide-offs and accidents were common throughout the region.
Snow accumulated 2 to 5 inches in southwest Minnesota from early afternoon of February 29th to a little after midnight on March 1st. The snowfall made travel hazardous, with several accidents but no known fatalities or injuries. Winds were not strong enough to cause blowing snow.
Snow accumulated 3 to 4 inches in northwest Iowa near the northern border of the state, with less a short distance to the south, from early afternoon of February 29th to a little after midnight on March 1st.
A weak storm system brought accumulating mountain snow to the region. The snow accumulation for this event generally ranged from 2 to 12 inches for elevations over 5000 feet.
The coldest and snowiest storm of the season arrived at the end of February and continued into early March, bringing substantial disruptions to daily life.
A quick-moving, but potent disturbance moving across southern New Mexico and Far West Texas brought strong lift and enough moisture to generate widespread precipitation.
1 on February 29, oldest first.
The temperature reached 59 degrees in both Green Bay (Brown county) and Oshkosh (Winnebago county) on the 29th, setting new record highs at both locations. Rhinelander (Oneida county) set a new record high of 58 degrees on the 29th.
7 on February 29, oldest first.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 29, 1988, in Arkansas, and burned 2,451 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 29, 2000, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,800 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 29, 2000, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,220 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 29, 2000, in Gulf County, Florida, and burned 1,135 acres; the cause was recorded as railroad operations and maintenance.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 29, 2008, in Texas, and burned 6,823 acres.
The Truck Fire was reported on February 29, 2016, in San Miguel County, New Mexico, and burned 5,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Range 135 Fire was reported on February 29, 2024, in El Paso County, Colorado, and burned 7,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
3 on February 29, oldest first.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Agadir, Morocco. It killed 13,100 people, injured 25,000 and did $120 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Hachijojima, Tokyo, S of Honshu, Japan. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Sobral, Brazil.
3 on February 29, oldest first.
A tsunami struck Ligurian Sea, France.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco. It killed 13,100 people, injured 25,000 and did $120 million in damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck East off Hachijo Island, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.42 meters.
1 on February 29, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 29, 1992, reached Kp 7- and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 44; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
5 on February 29, oldest first.
Despite having an extra day, the leap year February of 1996 ended as the driest February on record in the state of Oklahoma. Statewide average precipitation for the month was only 0.20 inches. Oklahoma City recorded a mere 0.02 inches of moisture, tying the mark with 1947 as the driest February.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A series of storm lows far west and northwest of the state produced surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north and west shores of all the islands.
An area of low pressure in the Northern Plains moved northeast during the day. The trailing cold front also pushed east, moving across the Tennessee Valley by Wednesday evening.
A shallow marine layer produced dense fog primarily over the coastal mesas.
A strong cold front moving across the region generated storm force winds over portions of Lake Superior on the morning of the 29th.
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 2026-09-24.