National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Tracking Areas of Winter Weather and Heavy Rainfall

A cold front will move through the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. today, bringing areas of snow and snow squalls which can bring rapid reductions to visibility and slick roads. A storm system will shift from the northern Gulf Coast through the Southeast U.S. today through Friday with areas of heavy to excessive rainfall and light snow further north. Heavy snow is also expected in the Rockies. Read More >

3/19/2003 - Event Summary

At the surface, a strong area of low pressure was centered over eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas on the morning of the 19th. A stationary front extended from the low into the Ohio Valley. A strong cold front trailed from the low into northeastern Arkansas and Mississippi. Storms developed in the late morning into the early afternoon hours as the cold front pushed near and east of the I-65 corridor. Some of these as seen below produced damaging winds, hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter, and tornadoes.  

 
Image Image
March 19th, 2003 Surface Analysis at 7 AM March 19th, 2003 500 mb Analysis at 7 AM