▁port ions ▁of ▁sout he astern ▁Alabama ▁and ▁south western ▁Georgia ▁later ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 ▁where ▁the ▁threat ▁for ▁torn ado es , ▁some ▁potentially ▁strong , ▁appeared ▁most ▁likely . ▁ ▁The ▁severe ▁weather ▁prediction ▁for ▁March   3 ▁came ▁to ▁f ru ition ▁that ▁morning ▁as ▁a ▁broad ▁mid - level ▁cy clone ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁jet ▁stream ▁pushed ▁east ward ▁over ▁northern ▁Ontario ▁and ▁James ▁Bay . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁short wave ▁tr ough s ▁rot ated ▁around ▁the ▁southern ▁sem ic irc le ▁of ▁this ▁low - press ure ▁system , ▁with ▁an ▁especially ▁well - defined ▁short wave ▁progress ing ▁from ▁the ▁South ▁Central ▁United ▁States ▁east ward ▁across ▁the ▁App al ach ian ▁Mountains ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁This ▁feature ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁surface ▁low ▁over ▁northern ▁Mississippi ▁and ▁Alabama , ▁a iding ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁transport ▁of ▁rich ▁and ▁deep ▁mo ist ure ▁origin ating ▁from ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁Str ong ▁south w ester ly ▁low - level ▁wind s ▁couple d ▁with ▁strong ▁forcing ▁for ▁as cent ▁along ▁a ▁trailing ▁cold ▁front ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁squ all ▁line ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁the ▁Carol inas ▁down ▁into ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁Deep ▁South . ▁A head ▁of ▁this ▁line , ▁the ▁combination ▁of ▁mid - level ▁Con ve ct ive ▁Av ailable ▁Pot ential ▁Energy ▁of ▁ 5 0 0 – 1 , 2 0 0   J / kg , ▁a ▁low -