An intense low-pressure system produced widespread impacts across the United States in early March 2023. Additionally, an

outbreak In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...

of 35 tornadoes affected 12 states from the Southern United States to the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

. In all, the storm system killed 13 people due to flooding and strong winds. At least 17 other people were injured.

Impact

Western United States

On March 1, the snowstorm in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

led to many pileups, and several roads such as I-40,

I-17 I17 may also refer to: * Interstate 17, an Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States * Japanese submarine ''I-17'', a B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy * Polikarpov I-17, a Soviet single-seat figh ...

, and

US 93 U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south U.S. Numbered Highway in the western United States, that connects U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in Wickenburg, Arizona, with British Columbia Highway 93 at the Canadian border (north of ...

closed. In addition,

I-80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...

closed from

Applegate, California Applegate is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. It is south-southwest of Colfax, and northeast of Auburn. The city's msl elevation is . Its ZIP code is 95703 and its area code 530. Applegate was originally settled i ...

to the

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

state line. In Nevada, portions of US 93, I-11 and

I-15 I15 may refer to: * Interstate 15, a north–south Interstate Highway in the United States of America * Polikarpov I-15, a Soviet fighter aircraft * I15 (band), a band * , of the Imperial Japanese Navy * Älvsborg Regiment The Älvsborg Regiment ...

were shut down as well, as well as several state highways. On March 1, the

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. It is one of the three universities gove ...

cancelled all in person classes.

Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, US National Park located in southeastern California, straddling north-central Riverside County, California, Riverside County and part of southern San Bernardino County, ...

temporarily closed due to the inclement weather, and the

San Bernardino National Forest The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States national forest in Southern California encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernar ...

shut down for two weeks. All park roads in

Mojave National Preserve Mojave National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, US, between Interstate 15 in California, Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, ...

were shut down, and partial closures also occurred in

Redwood National Park The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of one List of national parks of the United States, United States national park and three List of California state parks, California state parks located along the coast of northern Cali ...

Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and toda ...

Kings Canyon National Park Kings Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Fresno and Tulare Counties, California. Originally established in 1890 as General Grant National Park, the park was greatly expanded and ren ...

and

Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park is a national park of the United States that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern sect ...

. A supermarket in

Crestline, California Crestline is a census-designated place in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 11,650 at the 2020 census, up from 10,770 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States ...

collapsed due to the snow. One person was killed due to the storm in California. Further east, I-40 westbound lanes was also shut down in

Gallup, New Mexico Gallup is a city in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States, with a population of 21,899 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A substantial percentage of its population is Native Americans in the United States, Native American, wi ...

. In the state of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, portions of

US 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Highway, United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major ...

were shut down as well.

Southern United States

On March 1, hail fell in north Texas, some of which were up to half-dollar size. Hail fell in Dilley, Texas, causing damage to windows and cars, as well as a severe thunderstorm warning for softball sized hail in

Pearsall, Texas Pearsall ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Frio County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,325 at the 2020 census, down from 9,146 at the 2010 census. Geography Pearsall is located near the center of Frio County. Interstate 35 by ...

. On March 2, severe storms led to a ground stop at

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas region, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartere ...

. On March 3, the storm led to the lowest pressure on record in

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

and

Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a city in Warren County, Kentucky, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 72,294 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Kentucky, third-most populous city in the stat ...

. Mammoth Caves National Park was shut down on March 4 due to storm damage. Nearly 400,000 residents in Kentucky alone lost power, with over 1800 being placed under boil water advisories. The storm resulted in five people being killed in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, three in

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, two in

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, one in

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, and one in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

.At least 13 people are dead as severe storms bring tornadoes, flooding to South; head to Northeast
ABC7NY, March 4, 2023

Eastern United States

On March 3, snow led to many snow emergencies in the Albany, New York metropolitan area and near

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...

. Ultimately, of snow fell in Albany. 72,700 customers in eastern New York lost power due to the winter storm. On the night of March 3,

WestJet WestJet Airlines, is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in 1994, it is the second-largest airline in Canada and the eighth-largest airline in North America by frequency. It began operations in 1996 with 220 employee ...

cancelled all flights out of Toronto Pearson Airport due to the snow. The snowstorm also shut down

Detroit Metro Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the primary international airport serving Detroit and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Romulus, a Detroit suburb. It is by far Michigan's busiest ...

on the night of March 3, and a ground stop was imposed at

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County and extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 520,070 (2024 estimate) living within the city limits, Atlan ...

due to severe weather. Over 100 flights were cancelled due to the storm at

Boston Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...

. The

Maine Turnpike Interstate 95 (I-95) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs north–south from Miami, Florida to Houlton, Maine. The highway enters Maine from the New Hampshire state line in Kittery, Maine, Kittery and runs for to the Cana ...

had a speed restriction as a result of the storm. Between March 3 and 4, up to of rain fell in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, with of rain falling in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Tornado outbreak

March 1

While confidence for a widespread severe weather outbreak increased for March 2, an enhanced risk for severe weather, including the possibility for a few strong/ EF2+ tornadoes, was issued for March 1. A large

capping inversion A capping inversion is an elevated inversion layer that caps a convective planetary boundary layer. The boundary layer is the part of the atmosphere which is closest to the ground. Normally, the sun heats the ground, which in turn heats the ...

, placed along northern

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, was expected to contain the atmosphere from initiating convective activity, but the presence of

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Moisture is defined as water in the adsorbed or absorbed phase. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some comme ...

, daytime heating in the area, and steep mid-level

lapse rate The lapse rate is the rate at which an atmospheric variable, normally temperature in Earth's atmosphere, falls with altitude. ''Lapse rate'' arises from the word ''lapse'' (in its "becoming less" sense, not its "interruption" sense). In dry air, ...

s, made the environment favorable for severe weather, including the possibility for

supercell A supercell is a thunderstorm characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone, a deep, persistently rotating updraft. Due to this, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms. Of the four classifications of thunderstorms (su ...

s capable of all hazards. Given the favorable parameters in place, the

Storm Prediction Center The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is a US government agency that is part of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), operating under the control of the National Weather Service (NWS), which in turn is part of the National Oceani ...

(SPC) issued a large corridor, extending from extreme northeastern

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, most of central

, northwestern

, and southwestern

, were the highest probabilities for tornadoes were located. A slight risk, lined with a 5% risk for tornadoes, was issued around the main area of concern, and extended into central Tennessee, and northern

. A large, 30% risk for strong, damaging

wind gust A wind gust or just gust is a brief, sudden increase in the wind speed. It usually lasts for less than 20seconds, briefer than a ''squall'', which lasts minutes. A gust is followed by a lull (or slackening) in the wind speed. Generally, winds are ...

s was also placed along central and eastern portions of Arkansas, extending into northwest Mississippi and southwest Tennessee, as was a hatched corridor for very large

hail Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailsto ...

was also introduced for this corridor.

March 2

As a large, widespread, and damaging storm complex event was occurring throughout the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

, which unleashed powerful damaging winds and tornadoes across

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, and

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, the SPC highlighted a potential area for the risk of severe weather in the following days, with the main, 30% area for severe weather centered around eastern Texas, northern Louisiana, southern

, middle portions of

, and western

, as conditions were expected to be very favorable for the development of thunderstorms capable of all severe weather hazards. After introducing a massive level 3/enhanced risk for March 2 on February 28, which now included portions of southeastern Oklahoma, the SPC upped the threat to a level 4/moderate risk, throughout a corridor centered along the

Ark-La-Tex The Ark-La-Tex (a portmanteau of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; also stylized as Arklatex or ArkLaTex) is a socio-economic region where the Southern United States, Southern U.S. states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas join together. ...

region, clipping into extreme southeastern Oklahoma, on March 1. Throughout the risk area, the environmentally favorable conditions for severe weather were set in motion due to the presence of abundant

instability In dynamical systems instability means that some of the outputs or internal states increase with time, without bounds. Not all systems that are not stable are unstable; systems can also be marginally stable or exhibit limit cycle behavior. ...

that was expected ahead of a

cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...

starting from north-central Texas, and intense

wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...

prevalent across the entire region. With this setup, a linear cluster of discrete

supercell thunderstorm A supercell is a thunderstorm characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone, a deep, persistently rotating updraft. Due to this, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms. Of the four classifications of thunderstorms (sup ...

s was expected to develop, and given the favorable wind and instability patterns, a 15%, hatched risk for strong/ EF2+ tornadoes was placed along the moderate risk area, while a large, surrounding 10% hatched risk for strong tornadoes was placed and extended into central portions of Arkansas, and all the way into northwestern Mississippi. At the 1630 UTC update on March 2, however, the 15% hatched area was removed due to lingering uncertainty about the timing of the most favorable wind shear for tornadoes versus the convective mode of the ongoing storms. Despite this, a moderate risk remained due to a 45% hatched risk for damaging winds and 45% hatched area for large

that had also been issued.

March 3

Confirmed tornadoes

March 1 event

March 2 event

March 3 event

Notes

References

External links