A multi-day severe weather and tornado outbreak impacted the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States from February 5–7. A powerful upper-level trough progressed eastward across the country, intersecting an abundant supply of moist air to produce severe weather. An eastward-propagating cold front supported a damaging squall line across the Southeast U.S. on February 5–6; supercell thunderstorms ahead of this line also produced numerous tornadoes. One EF1 tornado in the pre-dawn hours of February 6 killed one person in Demopolis, Alabama. On the morning of February 7, a secondary front progressed across Maryland and Virginia, unexpectedly leading to hundreds of damaging wind reports across Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Five tornadoes were reported in the Washington, D.C., area, the most on record for a wintertime severe weather event. Across the three-day outbreak, 37 tornadoes were confirmed, including several that were strong and long-tracked. The tornado outbreak was part of a much larger storm complex that would eventually become European windstorm Storm Ciara.

Meteorological synopsis Rounding out the final day of January, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) began highlighting the potential for a prolonged period of severe weather across the Southern United States in the extended range forecast. General 15% severe probabilities yielded to a Slight risk across portions of the central Gulf Coast region valid on February 5. This outlook underwent significant expansions northward on February 4, and an Enhanced risk was introduced from extreme northeast Louisiana into northwestern Alabama shortly before the beginning of the tornado outbreak; this area saw the strongest tornadoes.

On the morning of February 5, a major upper-level trough was progressing eastward across the Central United States, supporting broad southwesterly winds in advance of it. At the surface, a stationary front existed from northwestern Alabama into a low-pressure area over northern Louisiana, transitioning into a cold front southwestward into southeastern Texas. Despite high instability and favorable wind shear profiles, storms were initially slow to organize across Mississippi as widespread cloud cover prevented the northward progression of the warm sector and temperatures warmed aloft. This trend was only temporary, however, with an abrupt increase in tornadic activity throughout the afternoon hours. Numerous tornadoes occurred throughout Mississippi into Alabama, including several strong and long-tracked tornadoes. Into the overnight hours, southerly low-level winds continued to provide a moist environment, with dewpoints in the upper 60s °F. Storms intensified along an eastward-progressing cold front over Mississippi, aided by generally parallel wind shear profiles and cooling upper-level temperatures as the trough approached from the west. Ahead of the front, additional supercells formed and produced tornadoes, including an exceptionally long-lived EF2 tornado across Jasper, Clarke, and Lauderdale counties in Mississippi. An EF1 tornado southeast of Demopolis, Alabama, destroyed two manufactured homes, causing one death and one injury.

Throughout February 6, an Enhanced risk of severe weather existed across a large section of the Southeastern United States. Overnight severe thunderstorms in Mississippi and Alabama continued to persist and shift eastward throughout the early morning hours. Despite only modest instability across northeastern Georgia into central North Carolina, the presence of a very moist and strongly-sheared environment led to many more tornadoes, including two EF2 tornadoes in North Carolina south of Kings Mountain and east of Kannapolis. The line of strong to severe thunderstorms continued eastward throughout the afternoon of February 6, producing hundreds of damaging wind reports before shifting offshore. The next morning, following a brief reprieve in severe thunderstorm activity, the SPC outlined a Marginal risk across eastern Virginia and central Maryland. Here, a secondary front supported an intensifying line of thunderstorms in a low instability but high wind shear environment. In defiance of forecasts, this band of convection produced hundreds of damaging wind reports across the Mid-Atlantic over the course of four hours. In addition, five tornadoes were confirmed throughout the Washington, DC, area, making this the largest wintertime tornado outbreak on record there.

Confirmed tornadoes

February 5 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, February 5, 2020EF#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax width EF1NNE of MageeSimpsonMS20:57–21:07Two houses sustained moderate roof damage, and another house had a window blown out and a carport destroyed. A car and an RV were rolled and destroyed, and a shed lost most of its tin roof. A mobile home was pushed off its blocks and its carport was blown away. Trees were uprooted and snapped along the path. EF2ShongeloSmithMS21:20–21:24A low-end EF2 tornado moved through a forest, snapping or uprooting a substantial number of trees. EF1S of Oil City to NE of Little YazooYazooMS21:28–21:40A large tornado destroyed a shed, inflicted minor shingle damage to a home sustained, and snapped or uprooted numerous trees. EF2W of Vaughan to ESE of GoodmanYazoo, Holmes, AttalaMS21:57–22:24A large, low-end EF2 tornado snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees and downed several power poles and lines. A large metal storage shed was destroyed, a large metal building had some of its walls pulled out, and about a dozen homes suffered some degree of roof damage. A large hay barn was completely destroyed and several other outbuildings were damaged. Four people were injured. EF1E of Kosciusko to S of EthelAttalaMS22:46–22:48A few dozen trees, three metal sheds, and a mobile home were damaged. Power lines were downed as well. EF2E of Ethel to SE of McCoolAttala, ChoctawMS22:58–23:04A low-end EF2 tornado downed power lines and snapped or uprooted many large trees. A mobile home and an RV were damaged by fallen trees. A few houses suffered some roof damage, and a few sheds were damaged as well. EF1N of MaudColbertAL23:18–23:25Small sheds and outbuildings sustained roof damage, and the walls of one structure collapsed. Trees were uprooted and snapped along the path. EF1SSW of CarthageLeakeMS23:33–23:48A chicken house was collapsed, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. EF1N of Standing PineLeakeMS23:50–23:57A mobile home was rolled several yards and destroyed, and a nearby compost shed was also demolished. Another manufactured home sustained some roof damage, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. EF1Loretto to S of LeomaLawrenceTN23:55–00:07A well-built detached garage was destroyed, a bank sign was blown down, several homes and other structures in town suffered damage, power lines were toppled, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. EF1LawrenceburgLawrenceTN23:56–00:07This tornado moved directly through Lawrenceburg. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, one of which fell on a house. A library in Lawrenceburg had part of its roof torn off. Outbuildings, barns, power lines, and the roofs of homes were damaged. One person was injured. EF0NW of ShelbyvilleBedfordTN00:47–00:57A carport and the roofs of a barn and some other structures were damaged. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, and utility poles were downed. EF0N of Centertown to S of Green HillWarrenTN01:23–01:31A barn was completely destroyed, a house suffered minor damage to its front porch and garage, and several trees were snapped, some of which were downed onto a mobile home. EF1E of Shady Grove to S of SpartaWhiteTN01:55–01:59This tornado moved off Gum Springs Mountain to just south of Sparta, removing the roof from a home, damaging a barn and an outbuilding, and downing many trees and numerous power lines. EF1NE of Sparta to DeRossettWhiteTN02:02–02:09Several outbuildings and barns, a covered porch, and the roof of a house were destroyed. A mobile home suffered extensive damage, and numerous trees were snapped. This tornado ascended the Cumberland Plateau at Bon Air Mountain. EF2S of Bay Springs to Enterprise to ESE of ToomsubaJasper, Clarke, LauderdaleMS04:51–05:57A large, strong, and long-tracked tornado snapped or uprooted countless trees and toppled a metal fire tower. The roofs of numerous houses, sheds, outbuildings, trailers, barns, and chicken houses were damaged. A couple of well-built homes lost large portions of their roofs. In the town of Enterprise, trees were downed and a metal storage building was destroyed at EF1 strength, while trees were snapped at EF2 strength farther northeast in Basic. Wooden power poles were snapped and power lines were downed, and a high school suffered minor awning damage.

February 6 event