...FEBRUARY WRAPS UP AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND WET WINTER 2012/2013...



THIS IS THE MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 2013 AND THE 
SEASONAL CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR WINTER 2012/2013.

TEMPERATURE INFORMATION...
MEAN TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY RANGED FROM A DEGREE 
BELOW NORMAL AT GREENWOOD TO NEAR NORMAL AT JACKSON TO 1.7 DEGREES 
ABOVE NORMAL AT HATTIESBURG. AFTER A STRETCH OF VERY ABOVE NORMAL 
TEMPERATURES TO END JANUARY...FEBRUARY BEGAN WITH A BRIEF SHOT OF 
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES RETURNED FOR 
THE 4TH THROUGH THE 11TH...COINCIDING WITH SEVERAL DAYS OF 
PRECIPITATION. A COOLER AIRMASS RETURNED AROUND THE 13TH AND 
REMAINED IN PLACE THROUGH THE 20TH OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN 
PORTIONS OF THE AREA BUT PERSISTED THROUGH THE 24TH OVER NORTHERN 
PORTIONS OF THE AREA. AFTER ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON THE 
25TH...THE MONTH ENDED WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

TEMPERATURES WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL DURING METEOROLOGICAL WINTER 
2012/2013. DEPARTURES FROM AVERAGE RANGED FROM 3 DEGREES ABOVE 
AVERAGE AT MERIDIAN TO 4.1 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE AT GREENVILLE. THIS 
WAS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES DURING 
DECEMBER AND JANUARY...THOUGH WARMER THAN USUAL CONDITIONS PERSISTED 
INTO FEBRUARY AT GREENVILLE...VICKSBURG/TALLULAH...JACKSON AND 
HATTIESBURG. WINTER 2012/2013 WAS THE 5TH WARMEST WINTER ON RECORD 
AT VICKSBURG/TALLULAH...TIED AS THE 7TH WARMEST AT HATTIESBURG...AND 
TIED AS THE 10TH WARMEST ON RECORD AT GREENWOOD.

BELOW ARE THE WARMEST WINTERS FOR THE FOLLOWING SITES...

  VICKSBURG/TALLULAH     HATTIESBURG          GREENWOOD
1.  54.9 (1951/52)     1.  59.7 (1949/50)   1. 52.5 (1971/72)
2.  54.7 (1949/50)     2.  58.1 (1956/57)   2. 52.4 (1949/50)
3.  54.0 (1956/57)     3.  57.7 (1951/52)   3. 52.2 (1951/52)
4.  51.8 (1998/99)     4.  57.5 (1948/49)   4. 51.0 (1948/49)
5.  51.6 (2012/13)     5.  54.8 (2011/12)      51.0 (1956/57)
6.  51.4 (2011/12)         54.8 (1998/99)   6. 48.8 (1970/71)
7.  51.1 (1953/54)     7.  54.1 (2012/13)   7. 48.7 (2011/12)
8.  50.6 (1952/53)         54.1 (1961/62)   8. 48.6 (1974/75)
9.  50.4 (1999/00)     9.  53.1 (2007/08)   9. 48.5 (1991/92)
10. 50.3 (1955/56)    10.  53.0 (1952/53)      48.5 (2012/13)

THE ONE MONTH TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK FOR MARCH INDICATES EQUAL CHANCES 
FOR ABOVE...NEAR OR BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE ENTIRE NWS 
JACKSON FORECAST AREA. THE THREE MONTH OUTLOOK FOR SPRING INDICATES 
MUCH GREATER CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THAN FOR NEAR OR 
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NWS JACKSON FORECAST AREA.


PRECIPITATION INFORMATION...
FEBRUARY CONTINUED A TREND OF ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL ACROSS THE VAST 
MAJORITY OF THE NWS JACKSON FORECAST AREA. THE EXCEPTION WAS ACROSS 
PARTS OF NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND NORTHERN 
LOUISIANA...WHERE PRECIPITATION WAS AS MUCH AS TWO INCHES BELOW 
NORMAL. AMONG THE SIX PRIMARY LOCAL CLIMATE SITES...RAINFALL WAS 
MOST ABOVE NORMAL AT HATTIESBURG...WHERE THE MONTHLY RAINFALL 
DEPARTURE WAS 5.11 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. SOME OTHER AREAS OF 
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WERE AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE 
MONTH. IT WAS THE 4TH WETTEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD AT HATTIESBURG... 
THE 5TH WETTEST ON RECORD AT VICKSBURG/TALLULAH...AND THE 9TH 
WETTEST ON RECORD AT JACKSON.

BELOW ARE THE WETTEST FEBRUARIES FOR THE FOLLOWING SITES...

  HATTIESBURG        VICKSBURG/TALLULAH     JACKSON 
1. 17.59 (1961)    1. 13.04 (1966)        1. 12.94 (1896) 
2. 16.29 (1966)    2. 10.71 (1956)        2. 10.28 (1987) 
3. 11.27 (1956)    3.  9.58 (1983)        3.  9.73 (1923) 
4. 10.50 (2013)        9.58 (1987)        4.  9.69 (1903) 
5.  9.50 (2004)    5.  9.55 (2013)        5.  9.57 (1905) 
6.  9.27 (1979)    6.  9.47 (2003)        6.  9.48 (1939) 
7.  9.19 (1983)    7.  8.83 (1950)        7.  9.28 (1950) 
8.  8.93 (1949)    8.  8.81 (1985)        8.  9.16 (2003) 
9.  8.58 (1990)    9.  8.69 (2006)        9.  8.86 (2013) 
10. 8.51 (1987)   10.  8.64 (1965)       10.  8.40 (1946)

SEASONAL PRECIPITATION FOR WINTER 2012/2013 WAS ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS 
THE ENTIRE NWS JACKSON FORECAST AREA...WITH UNUSUALLY WET CONDITIONS 
OBSERVED AT MOST LOCATIONS ALL THREE MONTHS OF THE SEASON. WINTER 
PRECIPITATION WAS OVER 10 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL AT THE THREE LOCAL 
CLIMATE SITES ALONG I-20 - JACKSON...MERIDIAN...AND VICKSBURG/ 
TALLULAH. IT WAS THE SECOND WETTEST WINTER ON RECORD AT VICKSBURG/ 
TALLULAH...THE THIRD WETTEST ON RECORD AT MERIDIAN...THE FOURTH 
WETTEST ON RECORD AT JACKSON...AND THE SIXTH WETTEST ON RECORD AT 
HATTIESBURG.

BELOW ARE THE WETTEST WINTERS FOR THE FOLLOWING SITES...

  VICKSBURG/TALLULAH    MERIDIAN               JACKSON 
1. 31.88 (1982/83)    1. 33.86 (1989/90)     1. 33.42 (1982/83) 
2. 31.23 (2012/13)    2. 32.40 (1936/37)     2. 30.82 (1978/79) 
3. 29.46 (1973/74)    3. 27.91 (2012/13)     3. 26.19 (1912/13) 
4. 26.07 (1998/99)    4. 27.81 (1973/74)     4. 26.15 (2012/13) 
5. 25.68 (1978/79)    5. 24.25 (1986/87)     5. 25.24 (1931/32) 
6. 24.93 (1997/98)    6. 23.69 (1902/03)     6. 24.67 (1989/90) 
7. 23.78 (1990/91)    7. 23.60 (1997/98)     7. 24.43 (1973/74) 
8. 23.54 (1965/66)    8. 23.06 (1982/83)     8. 23.87 (1978/79) 
9. 23.20 (1988/89)    9. 22.56 (1971/72)     9. 23.49 (1943/44) 
10.22.61 (1972/73)   10. 22.42 (1961/62)    10. 21.92 (1908/09)

  HATTIESBURG
1.  29.24 (1965/66)
2.  28.56 (2009/10)
3.  28.03 (1960/61)
4.  25.89 (1997/98)
5.  25.24 (1989/90)
6.  25.11 (2012/13)
7.  24.95 (1986/87)
8.  23.21 (1982/83)
9.  22.95 (1978/79)
10. 22.65 (1990/91)

THANKS TO THE RECENT EXCESSIVE RAINFALL THE LATEST U.S. DROUGHT 
MONITOR INDICATES NO DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXIST ACROSS THE NWS JACKSON 
FORECAST AREA. THE LATEST DROUGHT OUTLOOK INDICATES NO ADDITIONAL 
DROUGHT DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MAY 2013.

THE ONE MONTH PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR MARCH INDICATES EQUAL 
CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL...NORMAL...AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION 
ACROSS THE ENTIRE NWS JACKSON FORECAST AREA. THE THREE MONTH OUTLOOK 
FOR SPRING INDICATES GREATER CHANCES FOR BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION 
THAN FOR NEAR OR ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH 
MISSISSIPPI. ELSEWHERE...THERE ARE EQUAL CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL... 
NORMAL...AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION.


SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENTS...
WITHOUT QUESTION...THE MOST NOTABLE WEATHER EVENT IN FEBRUARY WAS 
THE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THE 10TH AS A STRONG 
COLD FRONT PUSHED ACROSS THE REGION. IT WAS THIS SYSTEM THAT 
PRODUCED A VIOLENT TORNADO THAT TRACKED FROM NEAR OAK GROVE IN LAMAR 
COUNTY...THROUGH WEST HATTIESBURG...HATTIESBURG...AND PURVIS IN 
FORREST COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS RATED EF-4 WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 170 
MPH. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE TORNADO TRACKED THROUGH A VERY 
POPULATED AREA...REMARKABLY NO LIVES WERE LOST THOUGH OVER 80 PEOPLE 
WERE INJURED IN THE STORM. EARLIER ON IN THE EVENING...THE SAME 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED ANOTHER STRONG TORNADO THAT TRACKED FROM 
WESTERN MARION COUNTY TO AROUND THE LAMAR COUNTY BORDER...INJURING 
3. AN EF-1 TORNADO ALSO OCCURRED NEAR THE ARM COMMUNITY IN LAWRENCE 
COUNTY. THIS SYSTEM ALSO CAUSED WIND DAMAGE AND LARGE HAIL OVER 
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND NORTHEAST 
LOUISIANA. FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN THE JACKSON METRO 
AREA...THE VICKSBURG AREA...AND ACROSS PARTS OF JONES...JEFFERSON 
DAVIS...AND COPIAH COUNTIES. ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE STORMS ON THE 
12TH BROUGHT SCATTERED REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL FROM AROUND NATCHEZ 
EASTWARD THROUGH THE JACKSON AND LAUREL AREAS OF MISSISSIPPI.

THE NEXT ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER CAME AS A POTENT STORM SYSTEM 
PUSHED ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE AFTERNOON OF THE 21ST THROUGH THE 
EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE 22ND. THREE TORNADOES OCCURRED WITH THIS 
SYSTEM...INCLUDING AN EF-2 NEAR BASSFIELD...AND EF-1 NEAR CLAYTON... 
AND AN EF-0 SOUTHWEST OF COLLINS. IN ADDITION...LARGE HAIL WAS 
REPORTED WITH SEVERAL STORMS...AND FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED 
AROUND JACKSON...FOREST...MERIDIAN...AND BASSFIELD.

ONE OTHER COLD FRONT BROUGHT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS TO THE AREA ON 
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THE 25TH. THIS EVENT WAS PRIMARILY 
LIMITED TO A FEW REPORTS OF DIME TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL AND SOME 
DOWNED TREES IN A FEW AREAS.

THROUGHOUT THE MONTH...ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION CONTRIBUTED TO 
RIVER FLOODING. THE PEARL AND BIG BLACK RIVER BASINS WERE MOST 
AFFECTED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD.


NEWLY ESTABLISHED RECORDS...

DATE    SITE    RECORD TYPE     NEW RECORD   PREV RECORD(DATE) 

10TH    KHBG    DAILY RAINFALL  3.90          3.18(1981)
10TH    KJAN    DAILY RAINFALL  2.44          2.43(1965)
10TH    KMEI    DAILY RAINFALL  3.48          2.37(1903)
12TH    KTVR    DAILY RAINFALL  2.01          2.00(1966)


NOTES...

ALL DATA ABOVE ARE PRELIMINARY AND HAVE NOT UNDERGONE FINAL QUALITY 
CONTROL BY THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER (NCDC). THEREFORE... 
THESE DATA ARE SUBJECT TO REVISION. FINAL AND CERTIFIED DATA CAN BE 
ACCESSED AT THE NCDC WEBPAGE - HTTP://WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV (ALL LOWER 
CASE).

TEMPERATURE/PRECIPITATION NORMALS ARE BASED ON THE 1981-2010 
CLIMATOLOGICAL PERIOD. DATA ARE PROVIDED BY NCDC.

FOR ADDITIONAL LOCAL CLIMATE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE NWS 
JACKSON CLIMATE ZONE AT: 
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JAN/?N=CLIMATE_ZONE_STATION_LIST 
(ALL LOWER-CASE)
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