On January 12th 2023 a tornado outbreak occurred in the states of Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina. In addition to the tornadoes there were widespread damaging wind reports from thunderstorms.

A lot of the tornadoes were long tracked tornadoes. That is why it took some of the weather services two weeks to complete storm surveys. This storm system was more like a Late February early March storm system. Overall 39 tornadoes have been confirmed.

So how did the ingredients come together?

First a storm system came in from the west/southwest. Ahead of this storm system was warm temps in the 60's and 70's. Behind the storm system was cold air. A strong jet came in from the southwest. This provided 80 mph winds in the mid-levels of the atmosphere. The cold air colliding with the warm air caused instability. The turning of the winds caused wind shear to develop.

The 80 mph winds in the mid-levels of the atmosphere created strong wind energy. Despite cloudy conditions the wind energy was very strong. This is why sunshine was not needed to get the storms to turn severe.

There was two parts to the storm system. The Southern part which impacted Central/Southern Mississippi, Central/Southern Alabama, Central Georgia and Upper region of South Carolina. This area saw individual super cell thunderstorms develop ahead of the front. These super cells where the ones that produced the long track tornadoes. A lot of these tornadoes were EF2 intensity a few were EF3's.

The second part of the storm system involved a squall line. A line of thunderstorms developed in Central Kentucky. This squall line stretched from Central Kentucky to Northern Alabama. As the squall line moved east it started to intensify.

Due to the wind shear ahead thunderstorms in the squall line started to produce tornadoes. These tornadoes were short lived but still intense compared to the ones occurring farther south.

The squall line also produced damaging straight line winds as they tapped into the 80 mph winds in the mid-levels of the atmosphere.

A lot of the storms in the squall line not only produced tornadoes but damaging winds up to 70 mph. A few thunderstorms produced winds up to 80 mph.

When this outbreak was other 39 tornadoes had been confirmed and 360 damaging winds from thunderstorms were reported.

This type of event usually occurs a few weeks later heading into spring. It was odd to have an event like this in January. This proves what me and other Meteorologist always state. Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms will occur when conditions are right no matter the month.