Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for March 20, 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.
Earthquakes
An earthquake struck Mendoza, San Luiz, Argentina. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 14,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Foggia, Italy. It killed 3,600 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. It killed 3,600 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Hancock, Warren, McDuffie counties, Georgia and tracked 70.7 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 28 and injuring 70. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Sparta/N Warrenton/Camak/N Thomson/Appling/NW Augusta, GA/S Edgefield, SC.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Jones, Baldwin counties, Georgia and tracked 25 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 13 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Gray to E Milledgeville, GA.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Harris, Talbot counties, Georgia and tracked 25.2 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 11 and injuring 40. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Hamilton/E Shiloh/Valley Plain, GA.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Muscogee, Harris, Talbot counties, Georgia and tracked 34.9 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 50. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Columbus/N Talbotton/Baughville, GA.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Washington, Glascock, Jefferson counties, Georgia and tracked 22.2 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 40. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: ESE Sparta/S Gibson, GA.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Aelana, Ceyhan, Adana, Turkey. It killed 300 people.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Lee, Chambers, Harris counties, Alabama and tracked 23.5 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Opelika, AL/S West Point/Whitesville, GA.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Jefferson, Burke, Richmond counties, Georgia and tracked 51.5 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Keysville/SSE Augusta, GA/Jackson/New Ellenton to Williston, SC.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Kichwamba, Bondibogyo, Tanzania, Dr Congo, Uganda. It killed 157 people, injured 1,300 and did $1.5 million in damage.
96 on March 20, oldest first.
An unrated tornado touched down in Montgomery County, Indiana and tracked 5.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 3. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Scott Twp., IN.
An F4 tornado touched down in Hancock, Warren, McDuffie counties, Georgia and tracked 70.7 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 28 and injuring 70. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Sparta/N Warrenton/Camak/N Thomson/Appling/NW Augusta, GA/S Edgefield, SC.
An F4 tornado touched down in Jones, Baldwin counties, Georgia and tracked 25 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 13 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Gray to E Milledgeville, GA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Harris, Talbot counties, Georgia and tracked 25.2 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 11 and injuring 40. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Hamilton/E Shiloh/Valley Plain, GA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Muscogee, Harris, Talbot counties, Georgia and tracked 34.9 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 50. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Columbus/N Talbotton/Baughville, GA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Washington, Glascock, Jefferson counties, Georgia and tracked 22.2 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 40. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: ESE Sparta/S Gibson, GA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Lee, Chambers, Harris counties, Alabama and tracked 23.5 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Opelika, AL/S West Point/Whitesville, GA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Jefferson, Burke, Richmond counties, Georgia and tracked 51.5 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Keysville/SSE Augusta, GA/Jackson/New Ellenton to Williston, SC.
An F3 tornado touched down in Sumter, Lee, Florence counties, South Carolina and tracked 83.6 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Sumter/S Cartersville/S Florence/S Marion, SC/Tabor City, NC.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lexington County, South Carolina and tracked 5 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 12. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Columbia, SC.
An F3 tornado touched down in Jones, Putnam counties, Georgia and tracked 15.2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Gray, GA.
An F2 tornado touched down in Orangeburg County, South Carolina and tracked 25 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Norway/S Orangeburg, SC.
An F3 tornado touched down in Upson, Lamar, Monroe counties, Georgia and tracked 30 miles, injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Thomaston/S Forsyth, GA.
An F2 tornado touched down in Cobb County, Georgia, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Austell, GA.
An F2 tornado touched down in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, killing 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Desoto Parish, LA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Chambers, Randolph, Heard counties, Alabama and tracked 17.5 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Roanoke/Doublehead/Bacon Level/E Rock Mills/Lime, AL/Glenn, GA.
On March 20–21, 1913, a tornado outbreak affected southern parts of the United States, claiming 53 lives and injuring at least 156 people. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak, retroactively rated F4 on the Fujita scale, struck Lower Peach Tree, Alabama, killing 27 people and injuring 60.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F4 tornado touched down in Clark, Dallas counties, Arkansas and tracked 9 miles, killing 6 and injuring 4. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Dalark, AR.
An F2 tornado touched down in Grant County, Arkansas and tracked 1.7 miles, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Junet/Bookman, AR.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Mississippi, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Brookhaven, MS.
An F2 tornado touched down in Smith, Jones counties, Mississippi and tracked 15.7 miles, killing 1 and injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Mize/Summerland/Soso, MS.
An F1 tornado touched down in Johnson County, Kansas and 20 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Goodman Heights, KS.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cleveland, Oklahoma counties, Oklahoma and tracked 13.3 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Oklahoma City, OK.
A powerful tornado struck Tinker Air Force Base on March 20, 1948. The storm destroyed 54 aircraft, including 17 transport planes valued at $500,000 apiece. Total damage amounted to more than $10 million, a record for the state that stood until the massive tornado outbreak of May 3, 1999. The tornado prompted the first attempt at tornado forecasting. Five days later, forecasters at Tinker believed conditions were again favorable for tornadoes, and issued the first recorded tornado forecast. A tornado did in fact strike the base later that day.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
The 1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes were two tornadoes which struck Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on March 20 and 25, 1948. Both are estimated to have been equivalent to F3 in intensity on the modern Fujita scale of tornado intensity, which was not devised until 1971.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Mississippi County, Missouri and tracked 3.6 miles, 250 yards wide at its widest, injuring 17.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lee County, Texas and tracked 7.2 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lee, Burleson counties, Texas and tracked 16.9 miles, 1,760 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in San Augustine, Sabine, Sabine Parish counties, Texas and tracked 85.2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9.
An F3 tornado touched down in Sabine, Natchitoches Parish, Winn Parish counties, Texas and tracked 44.7 miles, 77 yards wide at its widest, injuring 18.
An F3 tornado touched down in Angelina County, Texas and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F4 tornado touched down in Oakland County, Michigan and tracked 3.8 miles, 117 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 55.
An F4 tornado touched down in Macon, Piatt, Champaign counties, Illinois and tracked 63.7 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, injuring 18.
An F4 tornado touched down in Tippecanoe, Carroll counties, Indiana and tracked 16.7 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, injuring 8.
48 tornadoes were recorded on March 20, 1976, in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio and more, 3 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 3 people.
An F3 tornado touched down in Webster, Clay, Monroe counties, Mississippi and tracked 49.4 miles, 1,400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9.
An F3 tornado touched down in Macomb County, Michigan and tracked 17.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 3.
An F3 tornado touched down in West Carroll Parish, Chicot, Louisiana and tracked 4.6 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, injuring 32.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cullman County, Alabama and tracked 9.3 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 17.
An F3 tornado touched down in Blount County, Alabama and tracked 19.2 miles, 40 yards wide at its widest, injuring 11.
An F3 tornado touched down in Montgomery, Christian counties, Illinois and tracked 8.8 miles, 27 yards wide at its widest, injuring 4.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1976, primarily in the United States. , although some events may take place internationally.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F1 tornado touched down in Clay County, Mississippi and tracked 0.1 miles, 17 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Washington Parish, Louisiana and tracked 2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Greene County, Mississippi and tracked 1 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hall, White counties, Georgia and tracked 4 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 12 and injuring 171.
The tornado began in northwest Hall county and moved into southern White county. Total distance covered was about 13 miles. Aerial and ground surveys by NWS employees showed extensive damage along the path.
An F3 tornado touched down in Rockingham County, North Carolina and tracked 12 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 27.
Severe thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on the 20th produced two tornadoes, damaging winds and hail to golf ball size.A supercell thunderstorm produced two tornadoes in North Carolina and a third one just over the Virginia border.
Thunderstorms during the late morning and afternoon hours produced a tornado, flash flooding, hail up to golfball size, and damaging winds.From the same storm that produced two tornadoes in North Carolina, a tornado formed about 2 miles west of Sandy Level in extreme…
A home video of this storm showed a wall cloud with several small vortices. One of these touched down very briefly and damaged the roof of one home. The adjacent homes, and there were many, were untouched. The insulation from the home was then spread into adjacent trees.
A tornado first touched down in rural northeast Durham county off Bahama Road. The tornado moved northeast and took the roof off a manufactured home on a brick foundation. One minor injury occurred in the home.
This tornado occurred with the same parent thunderstorm that produced a tornado earlier in northeast Durham county. The tornado touched down in Berea on Highway 158. A brick ranch home sustained significant damage to the roof and garage.
The same thunderstorm complex that produced tornadoes in Wake county produced yet another small tornado just east of Louisburg on Hwy 158. Six houses sustained minor damage and one mobile home received major damage. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped in the area.
An F3 tornado touched down in Mitchell, Worth counties, Georgia and tracked 25 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 200.
An F2 tornado touched down near Branchville, and traveled northeast. Its path was similar to the February 14, 2000 tornado. The tornado intensified to F3 as it passed just south of Camilla, then weakened as it neared the Mitchell-Worth County line.
The F2 tornado traveled northeast from northeast Mitchell County into southwest Worth County. It damaged a few dozen homes and destroyed several others. Two persons were killed when their mobile home was destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were down.
A tornado touched down in Cypress, just west of Grand Ridge, and traveled northeast before lifting to the north of Sneads. Two mobile homes and a single-family home were destroyed. 15 single-family and mobile homes were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were down.
An F1 tornado touched down in South San Francisco damaging approximately 60 structures.
This tornado touched down just north of the Pine Ridge Community and tracked east-northeast for 3 miles. One person was injured when they were blown across a concrete patio. The most extensive damage occurred along Widden Road.
Strong surface winds gusted above 43 knots (50 mph) in many locations across the southern half of Oklahoma. A few of these locations occasionally gusted above 50 knots (58 mph).
This tornado touched down just south of Soso and tracked northeast to the Shady Grove Community. Many trees were damaged along the path with damage becoming more extensive near and around the Shady Grove Community.
A cold front slowly moved into Southeast Texas and then into far west sections of Louisiana during the 20th. The cold front stalled upon entering Louisiana and then slowly moved back west through the evening before finally moving east in the morning of the 21st.
A vigorous upper level trough closed off across the Southwest United States leading up to the outbreak of severe storms and flash flooding across Northwest Louisiana during the late morning hours of March 20th and continuing into the morning hours of March 21st.
A warm plume of moist tropical air brought a very active period of weather to the area between the evening of March 20 and the evening of March 22.
3 on March 20, oldest first.
Hurricane Alex reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 927 mb, a category 4 storm.
North to northeast gales of 35 knots, with higher gusts, produced 11 to 14 foot waves on Lake Erie. Also, the water level at Toledo (Lucas County) was seven feet above low water datum. This combination resulted in major flooding and beach erosion.
Hurricane Vance reached its peak of 125 kt (145 mph) with a central pressure of 913 mb, a category 4 storm.
35 on March 20, oldest first.
Flooding occurred on the Chehalis, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish, Skagit, Naselle, Willapa, Satsop, Wynoochee, Elwha, Cedar and Tolt rivers. This was the first time in about 20 years the Wynoochee River flooded and about 150 people were evacuated along its banks.
After a winter with record setting cold and snow, the rapid snow melt caused the Yellowstone River to rise to flood stage. Many ice jams developed causing low land flooding. While two homes were evacuated, no damage to homes was reported.
The Peace River along State Road 70 in Arcadia crested at 18.14 feet on the 23rd, over seven feet above the flood stage of eleven feet. Nearly 150 homes and recreational vehicles incurred water damage from the floodwaters, primarily in the Arcadia Peace River Campground.
An area of deep low pressure over the southeastern U.S. moved slowly into the southern middle Atlantic region over a 24-hour period, then off the coast by evening of the 21st.
Heavy rainfall caused localized flooding of small lakes in the Hidden Lakes subdivision, two miles north northeast of Lakeland. Several homes in the subdivision incurred water damage.
A low pressure system caused heavy showers and wind gusts 30 to 50 mph that downed a few powerlines...but widespread rainwater flooding along the Grand Strand caused more serious problems.
Heavy rains and clogged drains contributed to localized flooding in the town of Andrews. On US 17A, 4 miles west of Georgetown a motorist was killed and two were injured when a car hydroplaned into another vehicle.
Light rain moved into northeast Kentucky during the predawn hours of the 19th. Light to moderate rainfall fell during the 19th, as a warm front tired to lift north from the Tennessee Valley.
A band of heavy rain, about 30 miles wide, stretched from the Huntington vicinity on northeast, toward Spencer, Burnsville, and Buckhannon. The rain fell in about a 30 hour period from the predawn hours of the 19th to after dawn on the 20th.
Rains of 4 to 5 inches fell on southern Lawrence County in a 30 hour period on the 19th until after dawn on the 20th. The heaviest rains fell in about a 6 hour period, before dawn on the 20th. The most rain appeared to have fallen along the Ohio River.
The Licking River flooded due to heavy rains. 75 percent of the homes in Farmers were damaged and numerous roads were flooded.
After morning flash flooding, moderating rainfall led to slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along creeks and streams into the evening hours. The flooding became quite severe, and was described as the worst observed in the county in over 60 years.
An extended period of moderate to heavy rain combined with heavy upstream rainfall to cause slow rises on numerous creeks and streams, which culminated in an extended period of flooding across the county.
After morning flash flooding, moderating rainfall resulted in slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along creeks and streams into the evening hours. Some of the flooding was described as the worst in the area in over 5 years.
After morning flash flooding on the 20th, moderating rainfall resulted in slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along creeks and streams that persisted for several days.
After morning flash flooding, moderating rainfall contributed to slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along numerous creeks and streams into the evening hours.
After the flash flooding caused by earlier heavy rain, moderating rainfall resulted in slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along creeks and streams across the county until the morning of the 21st.
After heavy rain caused flash flooding during the late evening of the 19th, and the early morning of the 20th, moderating rainfall resulted in slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along many creeks and streams in areas from Berea, to Greenville, Taylors, and…
After heavy early morning rain caused flash flooding, moderating rainfall contributed to slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along numerous creeks and streams across the county. Numerous low lying roads and bridges were washed out.
Persistent heavy rain brought widespread flooding across central North Carolina, beginning in the morning of March 20 and continuing into the afternoon. Numerous roads across the area had to be closed due to flooding, and numerous creeks overflowed their banks.
The Roanoke River had minor flooding from the 20th to the 23rd. At Brookneal the river crested at 25.03 feet on the 21st at 0400, and at Randolph the river crested at 26.42 feet on the 21st at 2100.The Dan River flooding experienced up to major flooding from the 20th through the…
After earlier heavy rainfall resulted in development of flash flooding across parts of the county, moderating rainfall resulted in slower rises, but continued and additional flooding along creeks and streams, mainly across southern portions of the county.
Locally heavy rains, between 2 and 3 inches, fell in just a couple hours across portions of central Lauderdale County. This heavy rain caused flash flooding across portions of Meridian where many streets were under water and a few businesses had water enter the building.
An elderly man drowned after driving into floodwaters while he was on his way to a doctor's appointment. The 85 year old male was pulled from a flooded area near the Lost River. His body was found about 70 feet away from his car in four and a half feet of water.
Rapid snowmelt and ice jamming caused the Elm River near Westport to rise above flood stage on March 20th. The Elm River reached an all time record level of 22.69 feet on March 25th almost 9 feet above flood stage. The previous record was 22.11 feet set on Apri1 10th, 1969.
Due to a very wet fall, and a deep snow pack by mid March, when temperatures began to rise and melt the snow, area streams, creeks and eventually rivers rose to minor, moderate, and major stage levels.
By early March, the Mississippi River began rising above it's banks. As a result, land inside the levee system was flooded. One fatality occurred when a driver drove his vehicle into the flood waters and lost control.
A very slow-moving upper level low pressure center brought severe weather, heavy rain, and flash flooding from the 20th through the 22nd.
A slow moving cold front moved to the Texas and Louisiana border through the afternoon and evening of the 20th. Flash floods, floods, and severe weather occurred along and ahead of the creeping boundary.
Runoff from snowmelt and ice jams caused flooding along many creeks and rivers across south central South Dakota.
A levee near Craig, MO was compromised and water rushed into the town of Craig. The town was inundated under several inches of water for several days.
Showers and thunderstorms developed through the early morning hours as a low pressure system moved through the Ohio Valley. Some of the storms produced locally heavy rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches.
A deepening low pressure system crossed the Great Lake region on March 20th and promoted heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms. Localized flooding had been anticipated for parts of Ohio since 2 inches of rain already fell 48 hours prior.
The first in a series of disturbances moved across Arizona from March 20 to 21. This caused widespread snow showers to develop. The heaviest snow was over the higher terrain in upslope areas. This storm also delivered strong and damaging winds.
A cutoff low moved in from the northwest and pulled deep tropical moisture from the south over the Hawaiian islands. This led to the development of prolonged slow moving heavy rain and thunderstorms.
18 on March 20, oldest first.
A mobile home just north of Dayton was overturned. Four persons sustained minor injuries. Trees down throughout county. Around 2000 customers were without power immediately following the storm.
Strong downslope winds developed overnight across Weber County. Wind gusts estimated at 115mph (100kts) tore the roofs off of 3 condominiums in South Ogden.
Santa Ana winds began mid morning on Monday, March 20 and continued until the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 21.
Strong gradient winds caused a 250 foot crane that was being used to construct a roller coaster at the Sahara Casino in Las Vegas to topple over. The crane crushed a fence and landed in a parking lot at the adjacent Wet 'n Wild water park.
A very strong, cutoff upper-level low pressure system moved slowly through the southeast U.S. from the evening of the 19th of March through the morning of the 20th.
Many thousands of trees were downed in the mountains, where the character of the wind was a steady, persistent wind of 35 to 45 mph with higher gusts for the duration of the event.
Straight-line winds damaged several homes, with numerous trees and power lines down. Reported by the Seminole County EMA.
Straight-line winds damaged an elementary school and a church. A roof was blown off a house. Reported by a contract observer.
A strong low pressure dropped southeast across Ontario, passing northeast of Lake Superior, during the day on the 20th. At the same time a nearly 1050 mb polar high pressure area moved south into central and eastern Saskatchewan.
Occurred in Peaster.
The Fannin county 911 center reported that golf ball-sized hail was observed at the June Walker Chevrolet dealership just southwest of Blue Ridge.
Strong to occasionally severe gradient winds were associated with the passage of a strong storm system over the Texas Panhandle on the 20th. Westerly winds were generally sustained in the 30 MPH range with gusts approaching 55 MPH over a large part of the South Plains region.
Strong winds in North Palm Springs knocked down 14 power poles, several of which were snapped in half. The resultant power outage affected 438 Southern California Edison customers. Nearby at the Palm Springs airport ASOS, a peak wind gust of 38 mph was observed.
Strong winds on the backside of a vigorous Low over Southeast Canada downed a tree on a car in Westchester County, killing 1 person and injuring 2 others.
Strong winds over Snohomish and Island counties lasted for several hours. A woman was killed in the Monroe area when a tree fell on the minivan she was driving.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through the extreme southern portions of the FWD County Warning Area, and a few reports of significant wind damage were reported in the Lampasas area.
During the late evening of March 19th, 2012 and the early morning hours of March 20th, a squall line of thunderstorms developed across South and South-Central Texas.
A prefrontal trough developed ahead of a cold front moving southeast through the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida Peninsula on the 20th, producing numerous thunderstorms.
18 on March 20, oldest first.
Snowstorm of March 20, 1952 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from March 20, 1952 to March 24, 1952.
Snowstorm of March 20, 1967 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from March 20, 1967 to March 23, 1967.
A powerful winter storm blanketed northern Arizona with heavy snow. Some of the highest elevations reported around 2 feet of snow. There were a number of trafic accidents with some fatalities.
Snowstorm of March 20, 2001 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from March 20, 2001 to March 23, 2001.
A late season winter storm moved northeast from the Tennessee Valley early Wednesday, March 20th passing across southern New England Wednesday night.
Three snowshoers were involved in an avalanche, initiated by them, on La Plata Peak, about 11 miles west of Granite in northwest Chaffee county. A 22-year old Colorado Springs man died in the avalanche, which was a couple hundred feet wide and around 1600 feet long.
Strong high pressure over eastern Siberia on the 18th moved to the eastern Arctic Ocean through the 20th and strengthened to 1055 mb. this created a strong pressure gradient over northern Alaska with cold air and strong gusty northeast winds spreading southwest over the state.
A very strong storm system brought record snowfall to the region on the first day of spring. The snow began to accumulate the morning of the 19th and continued into the early morning hours of the 21st.
The last snow event of the memorable winter season of 2009-2010 occurred on the night of March 20th. The highest storm total snowfall was 8 inches in Collin County where a narrow band of heavy snow persisted through much of the night.
A late winter storm tracked along the Red River on this date in 2010. Widespread snow fell, with the greatest accumulations across north-central into northeast Oklahoma, where four to seven inches accumulated. Farther south though the Oklahoma City metro and portions of south-central Oklahoma, most snow accumulation averages ranged from two to four slushy inches.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A powerful Pacific storm system produced high winds, including extreme downslope winds, and locally heavy high elevation snow over the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin.
A strong low pressure system dug through southern California, bringing very strong winds, heavy rain and heavy snow, with blizzard conditions in the mountains. Several inches of rain were reported at favored upslope locations.
A strong spring storm system produced heavy snow across the mountains of the Northern Panhandle as a moist warm front moved across the area during the morning hours.
A winter storm on the first day of astronomical spring dropped snow across most of New Jersey on the 20th. Before precipitation ended, it transitioned to rain in the southern half of New Jersey.
Snowstorm of March 20, 2018 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from March 20, 2018 to March 22, 2018.
An area of low pressure moved up the Ohio Valley on March 20th. An inverted trough stretching north from the low caused bands of snow to develop across northern Ohio late in the evening of the 20th. Due to warm ground temperatures the snow initially did not accumulate much.
A potent storm system crossed through the Ohio Valley March 20-21 and led to a band of heavy wet snow over portions of central Kentucky. The highest totals observed were 10-12 inches with widespread amounts of 4 to 8 inches.
1 on March 20, oldest first.
Union recorded 36 inches, Missouri’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it (a tie with an earlier value).
45 on March 20, oldest first.
The Raetihi forest fire was a catastrophic fire that occurred on 18–20 March 1918, in and around Raetihi, Horopito and Ohakune in the North Island of New Zealand. The fire almost destroyed the townships of Raetihi and Ohakune, killed thousands of sheep and cattle and destroyed areas of native forest in the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Drennan Fire started on March 20, 1989, in New Mexico, and burned 2,777 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on March 20, 1996, in Polk County, Texas, and burned 3,500 acres; the cause was recorded as smoking.
The Meadow Creek Fire was discovered on March 20, 1996, in Idaho, and burned 1,911 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Thedford Fire was discovered on March 20, 1997, in Nebraska, and burned 9,000 acres; the cause was recorded as smoking.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on March 20, 2000, in Hawaii County, Hawaii, and burned 1,750 acres.
The Aguila Fire was discovered on March 20, 2000, in Arizona, and burned 1,280 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2001, in Texas, and burned 1,875 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2001, in Texas, and burned 1,787 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2001, in Texas, and burned 1,321 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2001, in Texas, and burned 1,310 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2002, in Nebraska, and burned 11,014 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2002, in Nebraska, and burned 1,478 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2002, in Colorado, and burned 1,208 acres.
The Birch Reservoir Fire was discovered on March 20, 2005, in Oklahoma, and burned 4,000 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2005, in Missouri, and burned 2,830 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 20, 2005, in Missouri, and burned 2,592 acres.
The Lake City Fire was discovered on March 20, 2008, in Barber County, Kansas, and burned 4,250 acres.
The Duke Fire was discovered on March 20, 2011, in Arizona, and burned 8,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Indian Gulch Fire was discovered on March 20, 2011, in Jefferson County, Colorado, and burned 1,570 acres.
The Persimmon Ridge Fire was reported on March 20, 2017, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, and burned 3,700 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Coker Fire was reported on March 20, 2017, in Hughes County, Oklahoma, and burned 2,368 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Chewi Proctor Fire was reported on March 20, 2017, in Adair County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,850 acres.
The Wet Pond Fire was reported on March 20, 2019, in Santa Rosa County, Florida, and burned 4,930 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Curtis Fire was reported on March 20, 2019, in Woodward County, Oklahoma, and burned 2,131 acres.
The Baffin Fire was reported on March 20, 2021, in Kenedy County, Texas, and burned 4,800 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The 124 Fire was reported on March 20, 2021, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Kings Road Fire burned 120 acres, with one fatality reported as firefighters responded to the fire.
A strong low pressure system brought locally high winds to the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin.
The Big L Fire was reported on March 20, 2022, in Erath County, Texas, and burned 10,177 acres.
The Ramsey Fire was reported on March 20, 2022, in Brown County, Texas, and burned 3,456 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The IUA Range Fire was reported on March 20, 2022, in Vernon County, Louisiana, and burned 3,348 acres.
The Toms Camp Fire was reported on March 20, 2023, in Perry County, Mississippi, and burned 4,509 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The combination of an anomalously strong westerly wind event and extremely low relative humidity across the region sparked numerous wildfires across the entire region.
The combination of warm, dry and breezy conditions created favorable conditions for fire starts and spread.
The West Fire was reported on March 20, 2024, in Page County, Virginia, and burned 6,330 acres.
The Cimarron Bluff Fire was reported on March 20, 2024, in Harper County, Oklahoma, and burned 4,113 acres.
The Dove Hollow Fire was reported on March 20, 2024, in Hardy County, West Virginia, and burned 2,950 acres.
The Capon - Brushy Run Fire was reported on March 20, 2024, in Rockingham County, Virginia, and burned 2,100 acres.
The Big Cedar Fire was reported on March 20, 2024, in Osage County, Oklahoma, and burned 2,098 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Claiborne - 2 Rock Creek Ridge Road Fire was reported on March 20, 2024, in Claiborne County, Tennessee, and burned 1,467 acres.
The Big Glow Fire was reported on March 20, 2025, in Greene County, Tennessee, and burned 2,875 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Sand Creek Fire was reported on March 20, 2026, in Osage County, Oklahoma, and burned 6,897 acres.
The Sandpiper Fire was reported on March 20, 2026, in Natrona County, Wyoming, and burned 6,287 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The March Fire was reported on March 20, 2026, in Powder River County, Montana, and burned 2,268 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
21 on March 20, oldest first.
An earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Turkey. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Aegean Sea, Greece. It killed 2 people. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Foggia, Italy. It killed 3,600 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Tenerife, Canary Islands. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000).
An earthquake struck Northern, California, United States. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Mendoza, San Luiz, Argentina. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 14,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
An earthquake struck Central, Italy.
An earthquake struck Hawaii, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Xinping, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 7 people.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Seikaido, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1 person and destroyed 1 house.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Aelana, Ceyhan, Adana, Turkey. It killed 300 people.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Kichwamba, Bondibogyo, Tanzania, Dr Congo, Uganda. It killed 157 people, injured 1,300 and did $1.5 million in damage.
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Homa Bay, Usiri, Got Kokech, Kenya. It killed 1 person and injured 1.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Juanjui, Peru. It killed 12 people, destroyed 500 houses and did $20 million in damage.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Ngamring, Tibet (Xizang Province), China. It killed 2 people and injured 3.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Fukuoka, Genkai, Kyushu, Japan. It killed 1 person, injured 500 and destroyed 65 houses.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Northern, Algeria. It killed 4 people, injured 9 and destroyed 62 houses.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Xinjiang Province, China. It destroyed 2,200 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Guerrero, Oaxaca, Mexico. It killed 2 people, injured 13, destroyed 800 houses and did $600 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Honshu Island, Japan. It injured 11 and did $550 million in damage.
3 on March 20, oldest first.
Taupo, New Zealand erupted. It killed 1 person.
Between March and June 2010 a series of volcanic events at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland caused enormous disruption to air travel across Western Europe.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lewotobi, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 1 person and injured 1.
11 on March 20, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Chios Island, Aegean Islands, Greece. It killed 2 people.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. It killed 3,600 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Beirut, Lebanon.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake struck N. California, United States.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand, with a maximum water height of 1.5 meters. It killed 1 person.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Hawaii, United States, with a maximum water height of 1.5 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Seikaido, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.8 meters. It killed 1 person and destroyed 1 house.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan, with a maximum water height of 1 meters.
A tsunami struck Gulf of Alaska, AK, United States, with a maximum water height of 0.08 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck S. Mexico, with a maximum water height of 0.2 meters. It killed 2 people, injured 13, destroyed 800 houses and did $600 million in damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as meteorological struck Nagasaki, Japan, with a maximum water height of 2.9 meters.
3 on March 20, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began March 20, 1974, reached Kp 7- and lasted 39 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 68; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began March 20, 1990, reached Kp 7+ and lasted 24 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 77; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began March 20, 2026, reached Kp 7 and lasted 15 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 43; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on March 20, oldest first.
A 13 year old male was swept out to sea at Atlantic Beach. Child was playing in a tide pool when a wave swept him into the surf. The victim could not swim. Coast Guard search efforts were suspended on March 22, 2004, 2 days after the boy went missing.
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.