The tornado outbreak was caused by a large low-pressure system across the central United States that intensified on February 28 over Kansas, and a cold front moved across the region, providing the lift needed to develop storms.
Additionally, a surge of very moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and warm temperatures across the south side of the storm expanded these developments.
Temperatures were in the 70s °F (low 20s °C) in some areas to the south, while the mercury was below freezing on the north side.
The dewpoints were in the 60 °F (16 °C) range as far north as southeastern Kansas, which provided extra fuel.

The Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk of severe storms for February 28 across parts of the central Great Plains.
The first tornadoes developed early in the evening that day in Kansas as the dry line pushed eastward and was lifted by the cold front.
In total, 12 tornadoes formed that evening across Kansas and Missouri, 11 of which were weak; however, one of these tornadoes was rated an EF4, the first such tornado recorded and the first violent tornado since September 22 of the previous year.
No one was injured by that storm.
Farther south, expected activity in Oklahoma and Arkansas didn't take place as the atmospheric cap held up.

A high risk of severe storms — the first such issuance since April 7, 2006 — was issued for a large part of the Deep South for March 1 as the cold front moved eastward.
The activity began almost immediately, with several isolated tornadoes taking place that morning across the Mississippi Valley, one of which caused the outbreak's first death.
Isolated tornadoes were also reported as far north as Illinois, near the center of the low; however, the most intense activity began around noon and continued throughout the afternoon and evening, with southern Alabama and southern Georgia being hit the hardest.
Nearly continuous supercells formed north of the Gulf of Mexico and produced many tornadoes, some of which hit large population centers with devastating effects.
Those tornadoes killed twenty people.

The squall line finally overtook the supercells just after midnight on March 2, after putting down 37 tornadoes that day.
As the squall line overtook the cells, a few tornadoes — all EF0 — took place overnight in Florida and extreme southern Georgia within the squall line, before the severe weather emerged in the Atlantic Ocean that morning.
The final tornado was a landfalling waterspout in the Outer Banks of North Carolina late that morning.
In addition to the tornadoes, widespread straight-line wind damage from microbursts were also reported, along with scattered large hail, the largest of which were the size of baseballs.
The tornado outbreak was caused by a large low-pressure system across the central United States that intensified on February 28 over Kansas, and a cold front moved across the region, providing the lift needed to develop storms. Additionally, a surge of very moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and warm temperatures across the south side of the storm expanded these developments. Temperatures were in the 70s °F (low 20s °C) in some areas to the south, while the mercury was below freezing on the north side. The dewpoints were in the 60 °F (16 °C) range as far north as southeastern Kansas, which provided extra fuel.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk of severe storms for February 28 across parts of the central Great Plains. The first tornadoes developed early in the evening that day in Kansas as the dry line pushed eastward and was lifted by the cold front. In total, 12 tornadoes formed that evening across Kansas and Missouri, 11 of which were weak; however, one of these tornadoes was rated an EF4, the first such tornado recorded and the first violent tornado since September 22 of the previous year. No one was injured by that storm. Farther south, expected activity in Oklahoma and Arkansas didn't take place as the atmospheric cap held up.
A high risk of severe storms — the first such issuance since April 7, 2006 — was issued for a large part of the Deep South for March 1 as the cold front moved eastward. The activity began almost immediately, with several isolated tornadoes taking place that morning across the Mississippi Valley, one of which caused the outbreak's first death. Isolated tornadoes were also reported as far north as Illinois, near the center of the low; however, the most intense activity began around noon and continued throughout the afternoon and evening, with southern Alabama and southern Georgia being hit the hardest. Nearly continuous supercells formed north of the Gulf of Mexico and produced many tornadoes, some of which hit large population centers with devastating effects. Those tornadoes killed twenty people.
The squall line finally overtook the supercells just after midnight on March 2, after putting down 37 tornadoes that day. As the squall line overtook the cells, a few tornadoes — all EF0 — took place overnight in Florida and extreme southern Georgia within the squall line, before the severe weather emerged in the Atlantic Ocean that morning. The final tornado was a landfalling waterspout in the Outer Banks of North Carolina late that morning. In addition to the tornadoes, widespread straight-line wind damage from microbursts were also reported, along with scattered large hail, the largest of which were the size of baseballs.
Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 2, 2007