National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Clear and Cooler Temperatures Across Much of the Eastern U.S.; Heavy Rain in Florida

A high pressure system is bringing mostly clear skies and cooler temperatures across much of the eastern U.S. to the Mid-South. A stationary front will produce thunderstorms and heavy rain across the Florida Peninsula to the immediate Southeastern coast. Severe thunderstorms are possible across portions of the central and southern Plains. 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.  

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