Strong southwesterly winds transported a moist air mass northeastward across the Gulf Coast states and the Tennessee Valley.
The moisture combined with daytime heating to support a moderately unstable air mass in advance of a cold front, which pushed southeastward across the Tennessee Valley and Gulf States during the afternoon and evening.
The cold front combined with a strong jet stream aloft resulted in the development of severe thunderstorms along the cold front.
As a result, a moderate risk of severe weather was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.

Several tornadoes touched down during the afternoon and evening hours into the early morning of February 19.
The strongest tornado was rated as an EF3 tornado, which traveled 18.6 miles (29.9 km) through Wilkes and McDuffie counties in Georgia.
It destroyed a cinder block home, damaged 15 homes and destroyed 19 outbuildings.
One person was killed in Hancock County after an EF3 tornado destroyed a church and four mobile homes in the area.
A mile-wide EF2 tornado that touched down in Meriwether County damaged several homes with one home completely losing its roof.
One person was injured by debris as an EF1 tornado traveled through Putnam County, destroying a restaurant on the southwest side of Eatonton.
U.S. Highway 129 was shut down after high winds downed power lines.
Two different tornadoes caused damage in Jasper County, each with winds of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
In Newton County, 20 to 30 homes in a heavily wooded subdivision were damaged by trees blown down by an EF1 tornado that was on the ground for 2 miles (3.2 km).
Other tornadoes, with winds ranging from 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) to 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), occurred in Taylor, Houston and Oconee counties.
In the southern portion of Georgia, a supercell thunderstorm produced two tornadoes (rated EF2 and EF3) in Grady and Thomas counties.
In Thomas County alone, there were 160 structures damaged with nine mobile homes destroyed and 20 single family homes destroyed.
In Alabama, an EF1 tornado tracked across a forest in Randolph County, where several hundred trees were either snapped off or blown down.
Strong southwesterly winds transported a moist air mass northeastward across the Gulf Coast states and the Tennessee Valley. The moisture combined with daytime heating to support a moderately unstable air mass in advance of a cold front, which pushed southeastward across the Tennessee Valley and Gulf States during the afternoon and evening. The cold front combined with a strong jet stream aloft resulted in the development of severe thunderstorms along the cold front. As a result, a moderate risk of severe weather was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.
Several tornadoes touched down during the afternoon and evening hours into the early morning of February 19. The strongest tornado was rated as an EF3 tornado, which traveled 18.6 miles (29.9 km) through Wilkes and McDuffie counties in Georgia. It destroyed a cinder block home, damaged 15 homes and destroyed 19 outbuildings. One person was killed in Hancock County after an EF3 tornado destroyed a church and four mobile homes in the area. A mile-wide EF2 tornado that touched down in Meriwether County damaged several homes with one home completely losing its roof. One person was injured by debris as an EF1 tornado traveled through Putnam County, destroying a restaurant on the southwest side of Eatonton. U.S. Highway 129 was shut down after high winds downed power lines. Two different tornadoes caused damage in Jasper County, each with winds of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). In Newton County, 20 to 30 homes in a heavily wooded subdivision were damaged by trees blown down by an EF1 tornado that was on the ground for 2 miles (3.2 km). Other tornadoes, with winds ranging from 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) to 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), occurred in Taylor, Houston and Oconee counties. In the southern portion of Georgia, a supercell thunderstorm produced two tornadoes (rated EF2 and EF3) in Grady and Thomas counties. In Thomas County alone, there were 160 structures damaged with nine mobile homes destroyed and 20 single family homes destroyed. In Alabama, an EF1 tornado tracked across a forest in Randolph County, where several hundred trees were either snapped off or blown down.
Tornadoes of 2009