EF1 tornado in Claiborne County, Mississippi

This tornado began just west of the Mississippi River north of St. Joseph. The tornado damage was observed in the bluffs, east of the Mississippi River, snapping and uprooting numerous trees along the path. This is where the tornado was the strongest and widest, with nearly 105 mph winds. In addition, trees were uprooted along the Grand Gulf Road and Back Grand Gulf Road. In Grand Gulf Military Park, there was damage to a steeple at a historic church. Along the Mississippi River bluffs, the track was visible well to the northeast, with widespread tree damage in the distance. The forested area to the northeast was inaccessible in Claiborne County and into the Big Black River basin until it crossed into southern Warren County. Here the tornado crossed Allen Station Road, where widespread tree damage and minor roof damage occurred to mobile homes in a hunting camp. The tornado continued to track northeast before crossing Highway 61, where small limb damage was observed, and shortly lifting soon after. Maximum winds were 105 mph. Total path length was 11.75 miles.

A well defined, positively-tilted trough existed across the Southern Plains and at the surface, a cold front was progressing across Arkansas and Louisiana, while an intensifying area of low pressure propagated northeast along the boundary. Discrete supercells developed in the morning on December 16 and moved northeast, spawning multiple strong tornadoes over northeast Louisiana and south Mississippi. These storms produced a total of 10 tornadoes.