During this time of the year, the grip of winter’s cold can still be felt in many places. However, there are instances when the weather can take an unexpected turn, defying the late February norms. Such an extraordinary occurrence transpired on February 24, 2016 – marking nine years since that fateful day. Fueled by unseasonably warm and humid air spreading northwards in February, an intense storm system brought about a series of severe thunderstorms from Florida all the way up to New England.
Pennsylvania witnessed the touchdown of two tornadoes, one in Bradford County and a more powerful EF2 tornado in Lancaster County. Prior to this event, only one tornado had been recorded in Pennsylvania during the month of February since 1950, making the Lancaster County twister a rare and unprecedented phenomenon. Meanwhile, Virginia experienced its first deadly tornadoes in February on record, as twisters ravaged through Appomattox County (claiming one life) and Waverly (resulting in three fatalities).
Even the typically tranquil New England region was not spared, as severe thunderstorms swept through, generating wind gusts of up to 83 mph in Massachusetts and causing damaging thunderstorm winds as far north as Penobscot County, Maine. The issuance of a February severe thunderstorm watch by NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in New England after a 19-year hiatus highlighted the exceptional nature of the weather event.
This was part of a widespread two-day outbreak that saw a total of 65 tornadoes and over 500 reports of severe weather spanning from the Deep South to the Eastern United States on February 23-24. Tragically, seven lives were lost, and 136 individuals sustained injuries due to the destructive force of the tornadoes.
This serves as a poignant reminder that severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are unpredictable natural phenomena that can occur anywhere, at any time, given the right atmospheric conditions, irrespective of the date on the calendar.
Jonathan Erdman, a seasoned meteorologist at weather.com with a career spanning back to 1996, has a keen interest in extreme and peculiar weather occurrences. For more insights and updates on weather events, connect with him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook.
