NWS Little Rock, AR - Drought Development/Very Hot in July, 2022 (Through the 22nd)

Starting in mid-June and continuing into the first half of July, rain pretty much shut off in Arkansas. A big ridge of high pressure nudged over the area from the Plains, and downpours went on hiatus. Fort Smith (Sebastian County) had no precipitation at all, with a paltry 0.03 inch at Fayetteville (Washington County), 0.06 inch at Jonesboro (Craighead County), and 0.07 inch at Little Rock (Pulaski County).

In addition to a lack of rain, the heat cranked up. On July 8th, the temperature topped out at 106 degrees in Fort Smith (Sebastian County), 105 degrees at Mount Ida (Montgomery County) and Texarkana (Miller County), and 104 degrees at Hot Springs (Garland County). The mercury hit 102 degrees at Fayetteville (Washington County) and Jonesboro (Craighead County), which made it the hottest day in nearly ten years at both sites. The thermometer showed 108 degrees on the 9th in Texarkana (Miller County). This was the hottest reading locally since 2011.

By the 22nd, triple digit heat was noted on 18 days in 2022 (mostly in July) at Fort Smith (Sebastian County) and Texarkana (Miller County), 16 days at Hot Springs (Garland County), 13 days at Russellville (Pope County), 11 days at Little Rock (Pulaski County), and 10 days at Mountain Home (Baxter County).

While the situation was grim, there was some relief in places. On the morning of the 3rd, a cluster of thunderstorms affected a small portion of southern Arkansas. A whopping 11.46 inches of rain dumped at Moro Bay State Park (Bradley County). At El Dorado (Union County), 4.76 inches of liquid was measured. So much rain in so little time flooded roads in the city, with water flowing into some buildings.

On the 12th/13th, hit and miss thunderstorms popped up across the central and southern counties. Two to three inches of rain was reported at Marche (Pulaski County), with one to two inch amounts at Malvern (Hot Spring County) and Mount Ida (Montgomery County). Golf ball size hail pelted Paron (Saline County). A storm unleashed ping pong ball size hail south of Conway (Faulkner County) near Round Mountain, and quarter size hail at Daisy (Pike County), DeGray Lake State Park (Clark/Hot Spring Counties), west of Ferndale (Pulaski County), northwest of Lewisville (Lafayette County), and Pangburn (White County). Trees were downed southeast of Fouke (Miller County), Hot Springs (Garland County), Magnet Cove (Hot Spring County), Oak Grove (Pulaski County), Vilonia (Faulkner County), and west Little Rock (Pulaski County).

On the 17th, high pressure wobbled to the west, and this opened the door for an incoming cold front from the north. The front triggered scattered thunderstorms in northern and eastern sections of the state. One to two inches of rain fell at Batesville (Independence County), Blytheville (Mississippi County), Jonesboro (Craighead County), Marianna (Lee County), Newport (Jackson County), Salem (Fulton County), and West Memphis (Crittenden County). A 63 mph gust was recorded near Oil Trough (Independence County), with a 62 mph gust at Walnut Ridge (Lawrence County), a 60 mph gust at Fayetteville (Washington County), and a 56 mph gust at Searcy (White County). Wind and lightning caused at least 25,000 power outages. Power was cut at the water treatment plant in Paris (Logan County), leaving the city without water temporarily. Several homes had trees on them in town (due to thunderstorm wind).

On the 21st, another front sparked more storms here and there, mainly in the south and west. Nashville (Howard County) got two to three inches of rain, and there were one to two inch totals at Antoine (Pike County), Mena (Polk County), and Murfreesboro (Pike County). Dermott (Chicot County) and Thornton (Calhoun County) had quarter size hail. Trees were toppled at Caddo Gap (Montgomery County), Fordyce (Dallas County), Hackett (Sebastian County), Mena (Polk County), and Nashville (Howard County).