Notorious March severe weather outbreaks

 

March 31, 2023 severe weather (Source: NOAA)

March typically sees an uptick in severe weather across the central and southern United States. That’s compared to the quieter fall and winter months when severe weather outbreaks are relatively rare. 

There are specific criteria that make a thunderstorm “severe,” including the presence of any of the following: wind gusts of at least 58 mph; hail 1”/+ in diameter; or a tornado. Sometimes the strongest thunderstorms can have more than one type of severe weather. There have been some notable March severe weather outbreaks in recent years:

2023: A massive outbreak occurred last March 31 with over 700 confirmed severe weather reports, including over 160 tornadoes. The outbreak stretched from Iowa to Georgia with tornadoes having claimed 19 lives along with dozens of fatalities. Hail over 3” in diameter was also reported in Illinois and multiple wind gusts were at least 70 mph.

2022: This outbreak spanned three days and covered a large swath of the United States with severe weather reports from Nebraska to Florida to Pennsylvania. The Mid-Atlantic Region was impacted on March 31 with a slew of severe weather reports across the DMV. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado caused minor damage in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Meanwhile, another EF-0 tornado was confirmed in Centreville, Virginia. Both tornadoes were on the ground for less than a minute.  Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

2020: There was a severe weather outbreak March 1 from Missouri to Tennessee. Large hail was reported with sightings of 2” to 3” in diameter. A series of tornadoes occurred late in the evening and continued into the early morning hours of March 2, primarily in Tennessee. There was a total of 20 tornadoes that caused 31 fatalities, according to NOAA. The strongest tornado that touched down was an EF-4 in Putnam County, Tennessee, with winds between 166 mph and 200 mph.

2012: March 2012 was the warmest March on record in the nation’s capital and for much of the United States. Consequently, there was a significant amount of severe weather. The most significant outbreak occurred on March 2, when there was a total of 160 confirmed tornadoes from Illinois to South Carolina. A total of 29 fatalities were reported during this outbreak. 

As accurate as weather warnings have become, if people are asleep or don’t get the latest information, then that’s a recipe for disaster. While smartphone technology has greatly improved the ability to relay the latest critical weather news to the public, it isn’t 100% effective yet. That’s why a NOAA weather radio or the NOAA weather alerts app for your smart phone is a good idea.