Mississippi Weather and Climate

Book excerpt: From Hurricane Katrina to the Mississippi River floods of 1927 and 2011, and from a high temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of -19, Mississippi has seen its share of weather extremes. In fact, Mississippi's rainfall can be described in terms of "feast or famine." Even during the feast years, the rain may come at the wrong time for farmers to plant crops or in unwanted quantities. The Pearl River flood of 1979 is an example of too much rain falling over a short period of time with disastrous consequences. Mississippi Weather and Climate explores some of the reasons behind these extremes. The book begins with a look at the factors that shape Mississippi's climate and then moves into a discussion of normal weather conditions. Three chapters take a closer look at some of Mississippi's most dramatic weather. Historical events including the Candlestick Park tornado, Hurricanes Camille and Katrina, and the ice storms of 1994 and 1998 are described in more detail. The book details Mississippi's past climate as well as its projected climate and explores what the future may hold for residents of the state. Finally, the last two chapters reveal how the weather and climate affect people, from the way homes were built in Mississippi's early days and the types of plants that thrive or die here to the way weather information is collected and reported in the form of a local TV weather forecast. Mississippi Weather and Climate is a fascinating look at the science behind the weather and how natural events affect the people and land in the Magnolia State.