An outbreak of tornadoes occurred from southeast TX into MS on 28 December 2024. One corridor of long-track/long-duration tornado activity occurred near the LA border in far SERN TX during mid to late afternoon, and a second corridor was observed over SRN and CNTRL MS. The southeast TX long-track tornado appeared to occur in an atypical environment for long-pathlength tornadoes due to small hodographs. However, the tornadic storm may have been augmented by coastal convergence and enhancement to low-level shear. A surface meso low was also present immediately west of the tornadic storm, which is a feature that could enhance storm intensity due to increased low-level convergence/mesoscale ascent. Otherwise, moisture and instability were more than sufficient for strong sustained updraft development across the region, including MS, where shear profiles were more classically supportive of longer-track tornadoes. One EF3 tornado tracked for 46 km during a 44 min period south-southwest of Jackson, MS. A NAMNEST forecast sounding was archived near the path of that tornado, and yielded a predicted tornado pathlength of 44.5 km and duration of 51.9 min, which was in error by only ~2 km and ~8 min, respectively.
Archived weather data for this outbreak is posted below.
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Storm survey map for 28 December 2024. Two corridors of long-track tornado activity occurred in far southeast TX as well as southern/central MS.
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NAMNEST forecast hodograph with tornado pathlength and duration guidance valid 01UTC 29 December 2024 south of Jackson, MS.
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NAMNEST forecast sounding valid 01UTC 29 December 2024 south of Jackson, MS.
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Surface analysis valid the afternoon of 28 December 2024. Several low pressure waves advanced northeast from southeast TX into MS. In addition, rich moisture was present across the warm sector and was supportive of long-lived/long-track tornadic supercells.
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250 mb objective analysis valid 00UTC 29 December 2024. The most significant tornado activity occurred within the entrance region of a southerly 250 mb jetlet/speed max.
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The all-important 850 mb level, which yielded southerly wind speeds in excess of 50 kt south-southeast of a low-pressure disturbance. Those speeds aided in longer duration/longer-track tornadoes.
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KDGX base reflectivity depicting one of several longer-lived tornadic storms.
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KDGX base SRV depicting one of several longer-lived tornadic storms.
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