Are you interested in what happened during a recent event? Check out the report below.
Severe Storms Then Much Cooler on October 12-19, 2022
In the picture: Drought conditions as of 10/11/2022.
Heading into mid-October, drought conditions were widespread across Arkansas. It was bone dry through the 11th. Rainfall was one to two inches below average in much of the state. By the 13th, burn bans were posted in 71 of 75 counties, and there was a high to extreme wildfire danger.
Precipitation in October, 2022 (Through the 11th)
Site
Amount
Normal
+/-
% of Normal
Fayetteville (NW AR)
TRACE
1.52
-1.52
0%
Harrison (NC AR)
0.00
1.24
-1.24
0%
Jonesboro (NE AR)
TRACE
1.25
-1.25
0%
Fort Smith (WC AR)
TRACE
1.40
-1.40
0%
Little Rock (C AR)
TRACE
1.35
-1.35
0%
West Memphis (EC AR)
TRACE
1.29
-1.29
0%
Texarkana (SW AR)
TRACE
1.48
-1.48
0%
El Dorado (SC AR)
TRACE
1.50
-1.50
0%
Pine Bluff (SE AR)
0.00
1.50
-1.50
0%
In the picture: A large trough of low pressure ("L") covered much of the central and eastern United States by mid-October, 2022. A northwest flow aloft developed, and this drove cold fronts into Arkansas. The fronts brought much needed rain, followed by significantly cooler air.
As the situation became dire, the pattern changed a bit. A northwest wind flow aloft drove cold fronts toward Arkansas from Canada. There were finally chances of rain, and the promise of much cooler air.
In the picture: According to an outlook from the Storm Prediction Center (in Norman, OK), there was at least some potential of severe weather across Arkansas on 10/12/2022.
On the 12th, the first of two fronts arrived, and triggered scattered strong to severe thunderstorms. Quarter size hail was reported near Carbon City (Logan County), Cabot (Lonoke County), Decatur (Benton County), Fayetteville (Washington County), just northwest of Hoxie (Lawrence County), and southeast of Strawberry (Lawrence County). A tree was downed on Highway 7 close to Amy (Ouachita County), and a 58 mph gust was measured at Goodwin Field west of El Dorado (Union County). Quarter to three quarter inch precipitation amounts were fairly common, with one to two inch totals at Antoine (Pike County), Camden (Ouachita County), and El Dorado (Union County).
Following the front, it was breezy and very dry on the 13th/14th. Afternoon humidity levels were well below 30 percent, and wildfires were a major concern. Red Flag Warnings were posted in northern Arkansas both days, and any burning was strongly discouraged.
In the picture: A cold front was set to push through Arkansas from the north on 10/15/2022. Severe weather was expected along and ahead of the front.
Front number two was knocking on our doorstep by the 15th. This front was more potent than its predecessor, with a big warmup taking place.
In the picture: Temperatures were in the 80s to lower 90s across central and southern Arkansas at 300 pm CDT on 10/15/2022.
At 300 pm CDT, temperatures were in the 80s to lower 90s across central and southern sections of the state. Humidity levels were also on the rise, and it was just a matter of time before the weather became active.
In the video: The satellite showed scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developing over mainly northern and central Arkansas during the late afternoon and evening of 10/15/2022. Large hail was reported, with some stones ranging from lime size to slightly larger than baseballs.
Thunderstorms erupted in the late afternoon and evening. Downpours were more substantial this time, with half inch to inch amounts and locally over two inches in northern and central Arkansas.
In the picture: Five day rainfall through 700 am CDT on 10/17/2022. While beneficial precipitation helped settle the dust in northern and central Arkansas, much of the south stayed dry.
Twenty four hour rainfall through 700 am CDT on the 16th included 3.09 inches at Fort Smith (Sebastian County), 1.78 inches at Subiaco (Logan County), 1.71 inches at Beedeville (Jackson County), 1.63 inches at Bogg Springs (Polk County), 1.62 inches at Crystal Valley (Pulaski County), 1.50 inches at Cabot (Lonoke County) and Waldron (Scott County), 1.44 inches at Dardanelle (Yell County), and 1.39 inches at Russellville (Pope County).
In the midst of warning operations, we wanted to share the largest hail report that we've received so far tonight. A measured 3" diameter hailstone that fell in the town of Olyphant at 7:58 PM this evening. Large hail will continue to be a threat with storms, stay alert! #ARwxpic.twitter.com/bPDQFVEsly
In the picture: Huge hail (slightly larger than baseballs) was noted at Olyphant (Jackson County) on 10/15/2022.
There was a lot of hail, and some of it was huge. At Olyphant (Jackson County), three inch diameter stones (slightly larger than baseballs) were witnessed.
In the picture: Severe weather reports (mostly hail) on 10/15/2022.
Hail to the size of limes pelted areas southeast of Bailey (Independence County), west of Butlerville (Lonoke County), at Lepanto (Poinsett County), and southwest of Limestone (Newton County). Golf ball size hail fell east of Cabot (Lonoke County), near Calico Rock (Izard County), at Mammoth Spring (Fulton County), northwest of Marked Tree (Poinsett County), and at Paron (Saline County).
In the picture: Freeze Warnings were posted in northern Arkansas for the overnight hours of 10/17/2022 and early the next morning. Freeze Warnings were in effect statewide the next night as chilly conditions plunged southward toward the Gulf Coast.
After the front departed, it started feeling a lot more like autumn. Temperatures bottomed out below freezing on the night of the 17th/early on the 18th. The thermometer showed 24 degrees at Gilbert (Searcy County), 25 degrees at Marshall (Searcy County), 27 degrees at Compton (Newton County), and 28 degrees at Clinton (Van Buren County), Highfill (Benton County), Mountain Home (Baxter County), and Rogers (Benton County).
In the picture: Low temperatures were largely below freezing across much of Arkansas on 10/19/2022.
It was evening colder on the morning of the 19th. The mercury plummeted to 19 degrees at Gravette (Benton County), 20 degrees at Strickler (Washington County), 21 degrees at Arkadelphia (Clark County), Gilbert (Searcy County), and Lead Hill (Boone County), 22 degrees at Fayetteville (Washington County) and Marshall (Searcy County), 23 degrees at Mammoth Spring (Fulton County) and Mena (Polk County), and 24 degrees at Booneville (Logan County), Jessieville (Garland County), Marche (Pulaski County), Mountain View (Stone County), and Searcy (White County). Little Rock (Pulaski County) almost had the earliest freeze on record (dating back to 1874), and missed it by a degree (a low of 33 degrees).
While the freeze in parts of the north was right on schedule to up to a week early, it was two to three weeks premature across the rest of the region (typically occurring during the first half of November).
The Mud Island Marina home of the #Memphis Yacht Club which is surrounded by the Mississippi River has all the boats sitting in mud now. Record low levels on the #MississippiRiver are causing many different problems. pic.twitter.com/kXWIt378QE
In the video: The Mud Island Marina in Memphis, TN lived up to its name on 10/19/2022, with boats sitting in sludge due to record low water levels along the Mississippi River. It was a different story eleven years ago, with record high water levels occurring. The video is courtesy of Charles Peek via Twitter.
Meanwhile, all was not well along the Mississippi River. A lack of rain and long term drought conditions were causing this major tributary to slowly shrink. At Memphis, TN on the 18th, the river officially hit an all-time record low level of -10.79 feet, breaking the previous low mark of -10.70 feet set on July 10, 1988.
The Not-So-Mighty Mississippi River
As drought conditions continued to plague the middle of the country in mid-October, barge traffic slowed way down because the mighty Mississippi River was losing volume. While mass quantities of harvested crops are normally moved by barge up and down the river this time of year, this year's loads were lighter and fewer given a lack of water. Farmers were forced to store their crops locally, with the supply chain interrupted.
In Louisiana, the Army Corps of Engineers was constructing a massive underwater levee to keep salt water from heading northward along the Mississippi River. Over time, without a levee, salt water was expected to make headway into the river, with not enough flow to hold it back.
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