Severe Thunderstorm and Tropical Storm Bertha Impacts

Numerous severe thunderstorms are expected across a broad region from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast States today into tonight. Swaths of damaging wind gusts are expected and some tornadoes are possible. Bertha is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to portions of the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle westward to southeastern Louisiana later today and Wednesday. Read More >

Overview

The third in a series of winter storms in December affected the region on New Year's Eve 2000, which coincided with a major college football game game between Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The primary difference with this storm compared to previous events was that the bulk of the precipitation fell as snow instead of sleet and freezing rain. Snowfall amounts varied from a dusting to an inch over the Toledo Bend Country and Central Louisiana, to as much as 3 to 6 inches generally north of Interstate 20. A few locations in Southwest Arkansas recorded totals near 7 inches. Shreveport Regional Airport officially recorded 2.2 inches of snowfall, which was the highest daily total snowfall in Shreveport since February 1, 1985, when 4.4 inches of snowfall was recorded.

About 30 minutes before kickoff, snow blew into Shreveport with strong wind whipping from one end zone to the other. The game started with the synthetic grass field a mix of green and white. By the second quarter, the turf was blanketed by snow. Plows were used during timeouts to make the goal lines, end lines, and hash marks visible.

As the snow fell throughout the game, at times, it came down so hard that it made watching the game like looking through television static. Many of the 36,974 fans at Independence Stadium left at halftime. "There might have been a different football game under normal conditions, but our team just never gave up," said Mississippi State Coach Jackie Sherrill, who held the same post at Texas A&M from 1982-88. "I was surprised both teams scored as many points as we did in the snow."

Mississippi State won the game in overtime, 43-41.

Graphics

Photos

Snowfall map from the event. Areas along and to the north of I-20 received the greatest amount of snow from this storm.

500 mb chart from the event. An upper-level disturbance was moving over top of an Arctic airmass already in place at the surface.

Radar image showing heavy snow bands north of I-20

Radar image from the event at 7:15pm CST showing the heaviest snow bands along and to the north of I-20. Lighter snow shows up south of Interstate 20.

Image taken from the area during the snowstorm on New Year's Eve.

Snow covering the ground and cars at the NWS office in Shreveport

Photo taken outside the National Weather Service office in Shreveport during the storm.

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Severe Thunderstorm and Tropical Storm Bertha Impacts

December 31, 2000: The "Snow Bowl"