Significant Weather Events

January 2 Severe Weather and Tornadoes

Event Overview

A complex of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front in west Texas and moved eastward during the early morning hours of January 2nd. Southerly flow ahead of the storm system ushered in moist air from the Gulf of Mexico with dewpoints reaching the upper 60s and low 70s across southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana by daybreak. The warm, moist air combined with colder air aloft to produce an unstable atmosphere across the region. Additionally, strong wind fields over the area were supportive of organized thunderstorms. The complex of thunderstorms strengthened as it entered this favorable environment and went on to produce damaging winds along with tornadoes across much of the Gulf Coast.

Tornado Table

Time	Location	Strength	Killed	Injuries	Path Length	Max Path Width
Jan 2 9:03 AM	Brookeland, TX	EF-1	0	0	2.6 Miles	100 Yards
Jan 2 9:44 AM	Trout Creek, TX	EF-1	0	0	0.3 Miles	20 Yards
Jan 2 10:06 AM	Fields, LA	EF-1	0	0	0.3 Miles	20 Yards
Jan 2 10:17 AM	Oretta, LA	EF-1	0	0	1.2 Miles	50 Yards
Jan 2 10:30 AM	Longville, LA	EF-1	0	0	4.6 Miles	100 Yards
Jan 2 10:30 AM	Ragley, LA	EF-1	0	0	2.8 Miles	100 Yards
Jan 2 11:06 AM	Boyce, LA	EF-1	0	0	0.5 Miles	50 Yards
Jan 2 11:30 AM	Mamou, LA	EF-0	0	0	0.5 Miles	25 Yards
Jan 2 11:31 AM	Meeker, LA	EF-1	0	0	1.4 Miles	100 Yards
Jan 2 11:44 AM	Bunkie, LA	EF-1	0	0	1.6 Miles	200 Yards
Jan 2 11:47 AM	Hessmer, LA	EF-1	0	0	2.4 Miles	200 Yards
Jan 2 11:51 AM	Marksville, LA	EF-1	0	0	1.0 Miles	200 Yards

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
EF0...Weak........65 to 85 MPH
EF1...Weak.......86 to 110 MPH
EF2...Strong....111 to 135 MPH
EF3...Strong....136 to 165 MPH
EF4...Violent....166 to 200 MPH
EF5...Violent.............>200MPH

2 January Multi-Radar Loop

2 January 12Z sounding