Jackson, Mississippi – Residents across central and northern Mississippi have only a few hours to prepare before a fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms pushes across the state tonight with wind gusts up to 70 mph, possible tornadoes, and hail as large as quarter size.
According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, much of Mississippi sits under a Level 3 of 5 enhanced severe weather risk this evening. Storms are expected to develop to the west and move rapidly east across the state between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Monday, bringing the potential for damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, and large hail.
The first storms could reach the Mississippi River counties near Natchez and Greenville around 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., spreading toward the I-20 corridor including Vicksburg and Jackson between roughly 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Heavy rain and strong gusts may briefly reduce visibility and bring down tree limbs or power lines along major routes such as Interstate 55 and Interstate 20.
The severe line is expected to continue east overnight toward Meridian, Philadelphia, and Laurel between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Monday, where damaging wind gusts could still approach 60 mph.
Gusty winds ahead of the storms may also impact travel today, with sustained winds 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 45 mph possible across parts of the state.
Behind the storms, temperatures will plunge sharply. A hard freeze Monday night into Tuesday morning could drop temperatures into the low to mid-20s, especially across northern Mississippi including Greenwood and Eupora, which may damage early-season crops and sensitive plants.
Residents should secure outdoor items, charge devices, and make sure weather alerts are enabled before storms arrive tonight. Additional watches or warnings could be issued later this evening as the storm line approaches Mississippi.
