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Public Information Statement...Part 5
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
625 AM CST Thu Jan 2 2020
...A Preliminary Review of 2019 Weather and Climate Data for the
State of Arkansas... (updated)
Summary
=====================================================================
Preliminarily, 2019 was the warmest year for Arkansas in two years.
However, the average annual temperature wasn`t much different than
last year. By average temperature, the coldest month was January,
and the warmest month was August. By departures from normal, the
most significant warmth occurred in September, which was 7.0 degrees
above average, and the most significant cold was in November (-3.7
degrees), March (-2.4 degrees), and July (-1.2 degrees).
The hottest temperature during the year was 106 degrees, which was
recorded at Crossett 2 SSE on September 9th. This is the first
instance of the year`s hottest temperature in the state occurring in
September since 1990.
The coldest temperature during the year was 2 degrees, which
occurred at Kingston 2 S on March 5th. This is the first year since
2016 with the states coldest temperature being above zero. This is
also the first instance of the coldest temperature for a given year
being in the month of March since 2002.
2019 was the wettest year since 2015, and about the 7th wettest on
record. The wettest month was May, and the driest month was
September. There were four months which ended up in the top 10
wettest for the state as a whole...February (7th wettest), April
(10th wettest), May (10th Wettest), and October (8th wettest). Of
the driest months, December ended up being about the 15th driest.
Snow fell in January, February, March, April, October, November and
December, and although it wasn`t excessive by any means, it was
measurable in each month it fell. The most significant winter storm
occurred in January, when snow fell primarily from western into
northeast Arkansas. Amounts of one to three inches were common, with
localized areas of four to six inches. The heaviest totals tended to
be in the Ozarks, with seven inches at Big Flat in southern Baxter
County. A minor ice storm occurred in northern Arkansas around the
Harrison and Mountain Home areas on February 19th, with ice accruals
one quarter to one half inch reported.
Severe thunderstorms occurred in most months this year, and there
were 33 reported tornadoes. Severe weather wise, the climatological
Spring season (March 1-May 31) was most active. The most significant
severe weather occurred with the tornado outbreak of May 2, when
eight weak tornadoes struck from the Little Rock metro area to
northeast Arkansas. The strongest tornadoes, both rated EF2,
occurred on April 25th and October 21st. The April 25th storm moved
into Ashley County from Morehouse Parish, Louisiana and primarily
affected areas south of Crossett. The October 21st tornado hit in
Benton County and was on the ground for just over 31 miles. Hangars
were damaged at an airport close to Siloam Springs. Numerous homes
and businesses were hit, and outbuildings destroyed. This particular
tornado had a path width of 1.5 miles, and was found to be the 2nd
widest on record in the state of Arkansas since official tornado
record keeping began in 1950.
The bigger story this year was rain...and lots of it. As previously
mentioned, four months ended up being in the top ten wettest for the
state since averages have been tabulated (1895), and it was the wettest
year for the state in four years.
There were reports of flash flooding in various places in the state
each month. What didn`t help was very high rainfall rates in
extremely short periods of time. For example, on the afternoon and
evening of July 8th, about two inches of rain fell in 30 minutes in
Pine Bluff, causing flooding on many roads and a municipal building
in town. July 13th through 17th saw the remnants of Hurricane Barry
move through the state. The system dumped 16.17 inches of rain
between 1 PM CDT on the 15th and 100 PM CDT on the 16th. Of that
total, 3.32 inches of rain fell in one hour.
The rainfall total of 16.17 inches on July 16th broke the all-time
record for the highest 24-hour rainfall in the state of Arkansas.
The previous record had been 14.06 inches at Big Fork 1 SSE on
December 3, 1982. Records were also set for the highest 24-hour
rainfall for the month of July, as well as the highest rainfall
associated with a tropical system affecting the state. Naturally,
serious flooding occurred, with the worst effects felt in Howard,
Pike, Clark, Nevada and Hempstead County.
As far as prolonged effects, though, the most serious flooding was
during May and June. Rains had been heavy already in April and early
May. In mid to late May, excessive rain in the Arkansas River Basin
in Oklahoma began to cause significant rises downstream all the way
to the Mississippi River. Over the course of the next few weeks,
this lead to record flooding on the Arkansas River and its
tributaries. The combination of heavy rainfall and massive releases
from area lakes caused the Arkansas River to rise to record levels.
The flood of record occurred at Van Buren (Crawford County), Toad
Suck (Perry County), and Pendleton (Desha County). At Ozark, Little
Rock, and Pine Bluff, stages were the highest since the opening of
the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System in late 1970. Little Rock
recorded its highest stage since 1945, and the 7th highest stage in
nearly 200 years of river observations. Pine Bluff saw its highest
stage since 1943. Several levees were stressed, with a breach
occurring near Dardanelle.
All of the flooding and heavy rain made for the wettest Spring statewide
since 1957, and the third wettest over all. In terms of average rainfall,
only 1927 and 1957 were wetter.
Below are the extremes and averages observed during the year. Please
remember...most of the data below are preliminary until final quality
control by the National Center for Environmental Information
in Asheville, North Carolina.
State of Arkansas - 2019 Temperature, Rainfall, and Snowfall Extremes
Highest Temperature........106 at Crossett 2 SSE (September 9th)
Lowest High Temperature.... 22 at Kingston 2 S (March 5th),
Strickler RAWS (March 4th),
Winslow 7 NE (January 20th)
Highest Low Temperature.....81 at Mena Airport (June 21st)
Lowest Temperature.......... 2 at Kingston 2 S (March 5th)
***Highest Yearly Rainfal...85.75 inches at Portland
***Lowest Yearly Rainfall...49.57 inches at Omaha 2 S
Highest Yearly Snowfall.....5.1 inches at Compton
Highest Daily Rainfall.....16.17 inches at Dierks (July 16th)
Highest Daily Snowfall......4.8 inches at Charleston 1.7 E (January 20th)
Greatest Snow Depth.........5 inches at Charleston 1.7 E (January 20th)
Highest Monthly Rainfall...19.19 inches at Decatur 2.6 ESE (October)
Highest Monthly Snowfall....4.8 inches at Charleston 1.7 E (January)
Least Monthly Rainfall......0.00 inches at Arkadelphia 2 N (September)
Other Extremes...
Latest Snowfall.............April 15th (Winslow 7 NE)
Latest Spring Freeze........April 15th (Mammoth Spring, Jessieville RAWS,
Batesville 8 WNW)
Earliest 90-degree Day......May 16th (Silver Hill RAWS, Nimrod, Earle)
Earliest 100-degree Day.....August 7th (Little Rock AFB)
Latest 100-degree Day.......October 4th (Crossett 2 SSE, Eudora)
Earliest Fall Freeze........October 12th (Several locations north and west)
Earliest Snowfall...........October 30th (Harrison and Fayetteville)
State of Arkansas - 2019 Average Temperatures
Avg.
Month Temp DFN Coolest Since Warmest Since Rank/Remarks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 40.8 +1.5 2017 47th Warmest
February 46.0 +2.9 2017 33rd Warmest
March 48.9 -2.4 2014 33rd Coolest
April 60.8 +0.3 2017 54th Warmest
May 70.6 +2.0 2017 31st Warmest
June 76.5 -0.9 2017 35th Coolest
July 79.1 -1.2 2014 32nd Coolest
August 80.4 +1.1 2011 43rd Warmest
September 79.8 +7.0 1925 ***WARMEST***
October 61.0 -0.8 2012 48th Coolest
November 46.2 -3.7 2018 13th Coolest
***December 45.2 +3.7 2015 24th Warmest***
------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Year 61.3 +0.9 2016 29th Warmest***
NOTES:
DFN - Departure from Normal
***December and yearly averages are preliminary, so the final ranks could very
well be slightly different.
State of Arkansas - 2019 Average Precipitation
Month Average Rainfall DFN Wettest Since Driest Since Rank/Remarks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 4.51 inches +0.47 2013 48th Wettest
February 7.77 inches +4.05 2018 7th Wettest
March 3.98 inches -0.79 2013 46th Driest
April 8.25 inches +3.21 2017 10th Wettest
May 9.18 inches +4.03 2015 10th Wettest
June 6.12 inches +2.04 2014 15th Wettest
July 4.83 inches +1.12 2015 30th Wettest
August 4.51 inches +1.13 2018 24th Wettest
September 1.96 inches -1.63 2017 27th Driest
October 7.34 inches +3.88 2009 8th Wettest
November 4.60 inches +0.31 2018 50th Wettest
***December 2.37 inches -2.00 2010 15th Driest***
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Year 65.42 inches +15.81 2015 7th Wettest***
NOTES:
DFN - Departure from Normal
***December and yearly averages are preliminary, so the final ranks could very well
be slightly different.
State of Arkansas - Tornadoes of 2019
All tornadoes are listed by separate events/outbreaks.
No. Date Rating Length Counties Affected Tornado Path
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Feb. 7 EF1 2.3 miles Marion 7.0 SSE Yellville to 7.0 SE Yellville
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Mar. 9 EF1 6.4 miles Pulaski, Lonoke 5.0 E Wrightsville to 3.0 NNE Keo
3. Mar. 9 EF1 10.8 miles Lonoke, Prairie 2.0 S Culler to 4.0 S Screeton
4. Mar. 9 EF1 5.2 miles Lonoke, Prairie 2.0 S Parkers Corner to 4.0 WNW Slovak
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Apr. 25 EF2 16.2 miles Ashley 8.0 WNW Beekman, LA to 6.0 SSW Hamburg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Apr. 30 EF1 6.7 miles Boone 1.0 SSE Bergman to 2.0 WSW South Lead Hill
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. May 2 EF1 1.6 miles Pulaski 2.0 WSW Mabelvale to 1.0 NNW Mabelvale
8. May 2 EF0 4.8 miles Pulaski 2.0 NNW Sylvan Hills to 1.0 SSW Olmstead
9. May 2 EF0 3.6 miles Faulkner, Pulaski 2.0 SW Olmstead to 2.0 NNW Olmstead
10. May 2 EF0 1.8 miles Pulaski 4.0 NE Macon to 5.0 NNE Macon
11. May 2 EF0 0.6 miles Faulkner 4.0 SW Otto to 3.0 NNE Cato
12. May 2 EF0 7.1 miles Prairie 4.0 WSW Des Arc to 6.0 NNW Des Arc
13. May 2 EF0 0.2 miles Jackson 3.0 ESE Swifton to 3.0 ESE Swifton
14. May 2 EF0 0.1 miles Greene 4.0 NE Lafe to 4.0 NE Lafe
15. May 2 EF0 0.2 miles Mississippi 0.4 SSW Calumet to 0.3 S Calumet
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. May 8 EF1 0.26 miles Jefferson 2.0 ENE Pine Bluff to 2.0 ENE Pine Bluff
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. May 18 EF1 5.3 miles Sebastian 1.0 S Arkoma, OK to 1.7 NE Fort Smith
18. May 18 EF1 3.5 miles Sebastian 2.2 NW Greenwood to 2.2 NE Greenwood
19. May 18 EF1 1.0 mile Washington 1.5 W Prairie Grove to 0.5 WNW Prairie Grove
20. May 18 EF1 2.9 miles Sebastian, Crawford 1.8 NW Barling to 4.9 SW Kibler
21. May 18 EF1 7.3 miles Sebastian, Franklin 4.8 SE Lavaca to 4.0 NNE Charleston
22. May 18 EF1 1.6 miles Crawford 0.8 NW Mulberry to 1.0 ENE Mulberry
23. May 18 EF1 <0.1 mile Prairie 3.0 W Slovak to 3.0 W Slovak
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. May 26 EF0 1.5 miles Washington 3.7 NW Savoy to 3.0 NNW Savoy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. May 29 EF0 0.6 miles Randolph 3.0 SSW Ravenden Springs to 3.0 S Ravenden Springs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26. Jun. 23 EF0 0.1 miles Logan 3.2 SE Paris to 3.3 SE Paris
27. Jun. 23 EF0 0.1 miles Logan 4.5 SE Paris to 4.6 SE Paris
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28. Aug. 9 EF0 0.2 miles Clay 1.6 ENE Brookings to 1.7 ENE Brookings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29. Oct. 21 EF1 9.1 miles Benton 5.7 NW Watts, OK to 2.5 SE Siloam Springs, AR
30. Oct. 21 EF2 31.4 miles Benton 0.8 SE Siloam Springs to 3.7 SE Avoca
31. Oct. 21 EF1 5.4 miles Lafayette, Columbia 10.2 SE Bradley to 4.9 SE Taylor
32. Oct. 21 EF1 1.2 miles Poinsett 1.0 SW Tyronza to 1.0 NE Tyronza
33. Oct. 21 EF0 2.9 miles Mississippi 3.2 W Randolph, TN to 4.4 miles SSE Butler, AR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State of Arkansas - 2019 Extremes and Significant Weather Events
.January...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................75 at Crossett 2 SSE (9th)
Booneville RAWS (7th)
Lowest......................... 8 at Kingston 2 S (8th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................3.45 inches at Rison (23rd)
Highest Monthly..............8.17 inches at Portland
Lowest Monthly...............1.72 inches at Jasper
Snowfall...
Highest Daily...................4.8 inches at Charleston 1.7 E (20th)
Greatest Snow Depth.............5 inches at Charleston 1.7 E (20th)
Highest Monthly.................4.8 inches at Charleston 1.7 E
Highest Depth Average...........0.4 inches at Pocahontas
Significant Weather Events:
11th - Patchy light freezing rain occurred in portions of the higher elevations
of the Ozarks, with minor accumulations causing spotty power outages.
19th - Showers and thunderstorms developed as a strong cold front moved into the
state. Golfball sized hail fell at Foreman. Lightning struck a home near Butlerville
in Lonoke County and caused minor damage. Much colder air moved in during the late
morning and afternoon, with rain ending in the south, and rain changing to snow in the
west and north. Snowfall amounts of one to three inches were common from around Mena,
to Clinton, to Pocahontas. There were localized amounts of four to six inches in places,
with the highest accumulation reported at Big Flat (7.0 inches) in Baxter County.
22nd-23rd - Heavy rain fell in portions of southern Arkansas, with amounts of one to
three inches common from El Dorado to Pine Bluff. Minor flooding developed along portions
of the Black, Cache, Ouachita and lower White Rivers.
.February...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................82 at Crossett 2 SSE (7th)
Silver Hill RAWS (4th)
Lowest......................... 7 at Kingston 2 S (9th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................5.51 inches at Kelso (23rd)
Highest Monthly..............15.76 inches at Portland
Lowest Monthly...............1.72 inches at Jordan 3 NNW
Snowfall...
Highest Daily.................0.4 inches at Pea Ridge 0.2 WSW (8th)
Greatest Snow Depth................Trace at Several Stations
Highest Monthly.................0.4 inches at Pea Ridge 0.2 WSW
Significant Weather Events:
4th-5th - Warm weather prevailed, with near-record highs in the 70s to lower 80s in much
of the state.
7th-8th - A severe thunderstorm produced a weak tornado south of Yellville. Numerous trees
and power lines were blown down, with a few trees on houses and temporarily blocking Highway
14. Several mobile homes were destroyed. One person was injured. Temperatures fell 30-50
degrees in much of central and southern Arkansas in the wake of a strong cold front.
9th-12th - Several rounds of heavy rain occurred near and to the north of a stalled frontal
boundary. Three to six inch amounts were common from western Arkansas near the De Queen and
Mena areas to Jonesboro. At Jonesboro, the weight of the rain caused the roof of a manufacturing
company to cave in. Major flooding occurred along portions of the Cache River, with moderate to
major flooding along portions of the Black and lower White Rivers. Moderate flooding occurred along
the Little Red River at Judsonia, which crested five feet above flood stage on the morning of the
12th. Swollen rivers caused flooding of area highways, and there were numerous reports of flash
flooding.
19th - Freezing rain occurred in northern Arkansas, in particular around the Harrison and Mountain
Home areas. Amounts were as high as one quarter to one half inch on exposed objects. This lead to
power outages in places.
21st-23rd - Three to six inches of rain fell in much of southeast Arkansas, which kept area rivers
high.
23rd-24th - Winds gusted as high as 40 to near 50 MPH in much of the state as several cold fronts
passed through Arkansas.
.March...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................81 at Ashdown 4 SSE (9th)
Lowest......................... 2 at Kingston 2 S (5th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................3.56 inches at De Queen (11th)
Highest Monthly..............8.01 inches at De Witt 0.2 N
Lowest Monthly...............1.38 inches at Murfreesboro 4.5 E
Snowfall...
Highest Daily.................1.2 inches at Gravette (3rd)
Greatest Snow Depth.............1 inch at Holiday Island 1.3 SSW (4th)
Lead Hill, Omaha 2 S,
Dennard 10 WSW (3rd)
Highest Monthly.................1.2 inches at Gravette
Significant Weather Events:
3rd-5th - Light snow fell across far northwest Arkansas. Amounts of half an inch to an inch were
common in the Ozarks and up toward the Missouri border. The highest total was 1.2 inches at
Gravette. Cold weather followed, with single digit temperatures, primarily in the north and
northwest. Kingston fell to 2 above zero, with 4 at Fayetteville Experiment Station and Winslow.
In many areas, temperatures stayed below freezing for highs on the 3rd and 4th.
9th - Severe thunderstorms hit the state during the morning hours, with wind damage reported
primarily over the northwest half of Arkansas. Three weak tornadoes hit (rated EF1) in Lonoke and
Prairie Counties. The most significant damage occurred near Toltec Mounds State Park. During the
afternoon, a utility pole was blown down by gusty winds at Clarksville. This occurred during a high
school soccer game. The pole fell onto the field injuring a referee and a student.
13th-14th - Heavy rain fell, with two to four inch amounts from northeast into southern Arkansas.
The heavy rains kept area rivers high, particularly the Ouachita, Cache, White and Black Rivers.
Wind damage occurred at Jonesboro, where a gust of 64 MPH was recorded. Trees were blown down at
Bradley (Lafayette County) and Magnolia (Columbia County).
24th - Severe thunderstorms affected western and portions of central Arkansas. Quarter to golfball
sized hail fell at Pencil Bluff (Montgomery County). Golfball sized hail also fell at West Fork,
Combs, Crosses, and Pettigrew, and near Hartford. Half dollar sized hail fell at Waldron, with
quarter sized hail near Mena, Oden, and near Bee Branch.
.April...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................90 at Fort Smith (10th) and Subiaco (11th)
Lowest.........................22 at Kingston 2 S (2nd)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................6.17 inches at Magnolia (8th)
Highest Monthly..............13.78 inches at Dermott 3 NE
Lowest Monthly...............2.71 inches at Kingston 5 NW
Snowfall...
Highest Daily.................0.5 inches at Compton (14th)
Greatest Snow Depth...........Trace at Compton (14th)
Pea Ridge 0.2 WSW (14th)
Highest Monthly...............0.5 inches at Compton
Significant Weather Events:
5th-9th - Heavy rain fell over central and southern Arkansas, with four to six inch amounts common.
However, over six and a half inches fell at El Dorado, and a little over eight inches fell at Magnolia.
7th - Severe thunderstorms produced hail in portions of central and southern Arkansas. Hail as large as
golfballs fell at Monticello. Quarter to ping pong ball sized hail fell near Benton, Bryant, Alexander
and Mayflower. Flash flooding also occurred at Monticello and Camden.
12th-14th - Deepening low pressure passed through the southeast portion of Arkansas. This created gusty
winds in much of the state, with 53 MPH at Little Rock, and 47 MPH at Hot Springs. Numerous trees were
blown down. Some trees were on homes and blocking roads. At least 30,000 power outages were reported.
Three to four inches of rain fell in portions of southern and eastern Arkansas causing flash flooding in
places.
14th-15th - Light snow fell in portions of northwest Arkansas. Most areas only saw a trace, but Compton
in Newton County picked up half an inch.
25th - An EF2 tornado moved into Ashley County from Northern Louisiana, affecting areas primarily south
of Crossett.
30th - An EF1 tornado hit in Boone County, with the heaviest damage in areas near Bergman. A dozen
homes were damaged, with a couple of mobile homes destroyed.
30th - May 4th - Repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms over a five-day period resulted in flash
flooding and river flooding, especially in western and central Arkansas. Rainfall totals ranged from four
to six inches. The heaviest rain was focused on northwest Arkansas on the 1st, southwest and central on
the 2nd, and central to northeast on the 3rd.
.May...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................98 at Jonesboro 2 NE (26th)
Lowest.........................40 at Kingston 2 S (10th), Gravette (10th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................6.12 inches at Portland (9th)
Highest Monthly..............16.63 inches at Ashdown 4 SSE
Lowest Monthly...............3.87 inches at Bull Shoals 1 S
Significant Weather Events:
1st - In the early morning hours, a bow echo moved across western and central Arkansas,
producing wind damage at Knoxville, in and near Russellville, Hattieville, and Cleveland.
2nd - Severe storms in western Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas generated a mesoscale convective
vortex...which is a feature that has been known to trigger new storms downstream from storms
which have dissipated. This feature moved through central Arkansas and triggered several weak
tornadoes in and around the Little Rock metropolitan area and to the east and northeast of
Little Rock.
4th - Rainfall over the previous five days resulted in continued high river stages in much of the
state.
8th-9th - Heavy rain fell primarily in central and southern Arkansas. The highest totals extended
from around the Texarkana area to around Dumas and McGehee. Flash flooding occurred over central and
southern Arkansas. A brief tornado hit in Pine Bluff, heavily damaging apartment buildings. Nine
people were injured. Severe thunderstorms produced wind damage from around El Dorado to near Pine
Bluff. Portions of the Ouachita and lower White Rivers ended up going from minor to moderate flood stage.
15th - 2.00 inch diameter hail fell in portions of Independence County. Large hail also fell in portions
of Jackson and Randolph County.
18th - Severe thunderstorms moved across western and central Arkansas producing wind damage and five
weak tornadoes.
21st-26th - Very heavy rain in the Arkansas River Basin in Oklahoma began to cause significant rises
downstream all the way to the Mississippi River, and this would lead to record flooding on the main
stream and its tributaries.
21st - Severe thunderstorms downed trees in Logan, Yell, Montgomery, Pope, Newton and Baxter County.
One person was injured northeast of Atkins (Pope County). A gustnado moved over lake Dardanelle west
of Russellville, causing minor damage to structures along the lake shore.
22nd - Heavy rain caused flash flooding at White Hall in Jefferson County, and at Tollville in Prairie
County.
22nd-30th - More heavy rain fell, with four to six-inch totals over the Arkansas River Valley,
extending into northeast Arkansas. This helped to raise river stages even higher, with flooding
persisting well into June.
29th - Severe thunderstorms produced golf ball sized hail near Concord in Cleburne County, half dollar
sized hail at Clinton, and quarter sized hail at Oak Grove in Carroll County. Trees were blown down in
Benton, Faulkner, Saline, and Randolph County. A weak tornado hit south of Ravenden Springs. At Clinton,
over five inches of rain fell in two hours.
.June...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................99 at Eudora (30th)
Lowest.........................47 at Ravenden (14th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................8.40 inches at Waldron 9.2 W (23rd)
Highest Monthly..............15.94 inches at Hopper
Lowest Monthly...............1.71 inches at Calamine
Significant Weather Events:
2nd-10th - After heavy rainfall in April and May, especially in northeast Oklahoma and Southeast
Kansas, and massive releases from area lakes, the Arkansas River rose to record and near-record
flood levels. The flood of record occurred at Van Buren (Crawford County), Toad Suck (Perry County),
and Pendleton (Desha County). At Ozark, Little Rock, and Pine Bluff, stages were the highest since
the opening of the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System in late 1970.
-At Little Rock, the river crested at 29.71 feet on June 5th. This was the highest stage there since
April 21, 1945, and the 7th highest stage recorded in nearly 200 years of observations.
-At Pine Bluff, the river crested at 50.83 feet on June 6th, which was not only the highest stage since
May 28, 1943, but the 2nd highest stage since river stage records began at Pine Bluff in 1906.
-The high river stages stressed area levees. There was a breach on the Arkansas River levee near Dardanelle,
which impacted farms and farmland, and did major damage to Highway 155.
-Water backed up Palarm Creek and over the Lake Conway spillway, flooding the lake. Along the river, the
Lollie Levee eroded and concern was growing that it could fail and flood portions of Conway, but in the
end, the levee held.
-Severe flooding occurred in Jefferson County, especially around the Pine Bluff area. Many structures were
under water, even before the river crested on the 6th.
4th - Severe thunderstorms downed trees and utility poles at Hector (Pope County), east of Hazen
(Prairie County) and near Hoxie (Lawrence County).
5th - Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding at Knoxville (Johnson County) and near Paris (Logan County),
and near Chickalah (Yell County).
7th-8th - Heavy rains resulted in rapid rises along the Buffalo River between Hasty (Newton County)
and Grinder`s Ferry (Searcy County), with rises of at least eight to ten feet. 60 people camping in the
area had to be rescued.
11th - A cold front passing through on the 10th brought cooler and drier weather to the state. Lows were
in the 50s in much of the state, with a few locations in the central and south in the 60s.
19th - Severe thunderstorms produced wind damage from western into central and eastern Arkansas. At
least 100,000 homes lost power. Winds were estimated around 70 MPH in portions of Saline and Ouachita
County, and clocked at 67 MPH at Little Rock Air Force Base and 64 MPH at Little Rock Adams Field and
Stuttgart Municipal Airport.
-Massive hail fell in far western Arkansas, with stones as big as three to four inches in diameter around
and near Vandervoort in Polk County. Widespread damage to vehicles occurred. The largest hail stone measured
4.6 inches in diameter, which made it one of the largest hail stones on record in the state, but it fell a
little less than half an inch short of the all-time record for Arkansas.
-Lightning struck a house in North Little Rock, causing a fire.
23rd - Severe storms caused damage to the baseball field at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, with
wind gusts estimated near 90 MPH. Flash flooding occurred in portions of Pulaski County and in Scott County
near Waldron. Other areas affected included southwest of Danville (Yell County), and in Johnson County near
Ozone, and Newton County at Parthenon. In less than 24 hours, very heavy rains fell about nine miles Northwest
of Waldron (8.40 inches), at Abbott (8.10 inches) and northeast of Winslow (6.15 inches).
25th-29th - Heavy rains caused flash flooding over eastern Arkansas, with three to four inch amounts common
in areas from Pocahontas to Helena. The heaviest rainfall was on the 28th. In an area 8-9 miles southwest
of Pocahontas, 3.75 inches of rain fell in just two to three hours. Numerous streets were under water in
Randolph County and in Jackson County. Severe thunderstorms produced quarter sized hail at White Hall on the
25th, in Sharp County on the 26th, and in Ouachita County on the 28th.
.July...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................100 at Crossett 2 SSE (12th)
Lowest.........................54 at Jessieville RAWS (26th)
Calico Rock 2 WSW, Harrison,
Marshall (24th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................16.17 inches at Dierks (16th)
Highest Monthly..............18.41 inches at Dierks
Lowest Monthly...............0.77 inches at Yellville 1.6 WNW
Significant Weather Events:
5th - Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms occurred in northern Arkansas. Trees and
power lines were blown down at Ash Flat and near Pocahontas. Lightning caused two
house fires in Maynard (Randolph County). Flash flooding occurred north of Pocahontas.
8th - During the evening, very heavy rain fell at Pine Bluff, causing flooding of many
roads and a municipal building. Three to five inches of rain fell, most of it within
less than an hour. At the airport, 2.05 inches of rain fell in 32 minutes, and 0.98
inches fell in 48 minutes.
-At the water plant inside the city, 3.29 inches of rain fell in one hour between 6
and 7 PM CDT. Of that, 1.01 inches was in 15 minutes, 1.85 in 30 minutes, and 2.53
in 45 minutes.
10th - Severe thunderstorms blew down trees at Waldron, Vandervoort and Mount Ida. A
roof was blown off of a house at Waldron. Flash flooding occurred at North Little Rock.
13th-17th - The remnants of Hurricane Barry slowly moved through Arkansas, with very
heavy rain falling from southwest into northeast Arkansas. The heaviest rains were
between Arkadelphia and De Queen. Amounts of six to 12 inches were common over portions
of Howard, Pike, Clark, Nevada, and Hempstead County. Dierks saw the most rain, however,
with 16.17 inches of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 1 PM July 16th.
-The 16.17 inches of rain at Dierks set the all-time 24-hour rainfall record for the state
of Arkansas, breaking the previous record of 14.06 inches at Big Fork 1 SSE on December 3,
1982. Also, it broke the state 24-hour rainfall record for the month of July. The previous
July record was 11.75 at Parks on July 26, 1969. Also, the rain which fell at Dierks
broke the previous state record for tropical cyclone rainfall. The new record is 16.59
inches July 14-16, 2019 at Dierks, and the previous record was 13.91 inches at Portland
June 28-July 2, 1989 during the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison.
-During this rainfall event at Dierks, hourly rainfall was impressive, with 3.32 inches
falling 5-6 AM, 2.86 inches falling 4-5 AM, and 2.36 inches falling 6-7 AM.
-Serious flooding occurred in the affected counties. Dozens of water rescues were necessary
from flooded homes, trees, and vehicles driven into water. Numerous roads were closed.
Amazingly, there were no fatalities.
24th-26th - Low temperatures across the state were rather chilly for late July, with
readings bottoming out in the mid 50s to mid 60s. At Little Rock, daily record low
temperatures were set or tied three mornings in a row. High temperatures were mostly in
the 70s and 80s.
.August...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................103 at Crossett 2 SSE (14th)
Lowest.........................56 at Calico Rock 2 WSW (29th),
Mammoth Spring (29th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................5.80 inches at Mountainburg 2 NE (9th)
Highest Monthly..............14.50 inches at UAPB Lonoke Farm
Lowest Monthly...............0.01 inches at Lewisville 7.8 NNW
Significant Weather Events:
7th - Isolated severe thunderstorms developed in western and northern Arkansas, with
trees down and hail near Paris (Logan County), and power lines down in Portia (Lawrence
County).
10th - Localized areas of heavy rain fell from the Fort Smith area to around Little Rock,
with totals of six inches or more in some places. Heavy rain caused flash flooding in
Conway, Perryville, and various points across the city of Little Rock. 3.87 inches of
rain fell at Little Rock, marking the wettest August day since 1978, and one of the wettest
ever recorded in the city during the month.
13th - Isolated strong storms developed during the heating of the day as temperatures were
approaching 100 in places. Dime to nickel sized hail fell at Grubbs in Jackson County.
18th - Severe thunderstorms downed trees in Scott County and at Pocahontas in Randolph
County. Quarter sized hail fell near Sellars Store in Sharp County.
23rd-24th - Four to eight inches of rain fell over a two-day period in northwest and
portions of northern Arkansas. Amounts of five to eight inches were common from Harrison
to Fort Smith. Flash flooding occurred at Fort Smith where one person was killed when
water swept her vehicle away.
26th - Severe thunderstorms downed trees at Huntsville, in portions of Fulton County, and
at Bella Vista, Bentonville, and Centerton. Wind damage to structures also occurred at
Gravette and near Fort Smith. Car windows were blown out near Perryville.
.September...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................106 at Crossett 2 SSE (9th)
Lowest.........................51 at Mammoth Spring (24th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................4.57 inches at Fayetteville Drake Field (24th)
Highest Monthly..............8.12 inches at West Fork 0.1 SSW
Lowest Monthly...............0.01 inches at Saint Charles
Significant Weather Events:
6th - Highs in most areas were in the 90s, but a few places in the central and south
reached 100 or higher. Crossett topped out at 103.
9th - Isolated severe thunderstorms caused roof damage in Pine Bluff and blew some trees
and power lines down near McGehee.
18th - Wildfire danger had increased as drought began to slowly return to the state
(particularly in areas south of the Arkansas River).
19th-20th - Cooler weather returned, along with rainfall thanks to the remnants of
Tropical Storm Imelda.
24th - Heavy rain caused street flooding in Clarksville.
25th - Isolated severe storms produced hail near Jonesboro and wind damage in portions
of Independence County and Poinsett County.
.October...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................103 at Crossett 2 SSE (4th)
Lowest.........................24 at Winslow 7 NE (31st)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................8.42 inches at Gravette (6th)
Highest Monthly..............19.19 inches at Decatur 2.6 ESE
Lowest Monthly...............2.81 inches at Cushman 4 W
Snowfall...
Highest Daily.................0.3 inches at Harrison 10.6 SW (31st)
Greatest Snow Depth...........Trace at Pea Ridge 0.2 WSW (31st)
Decatur 2.2 ESE (31st)
Saint Joe 2.7 WNW (31st)
Highest Monthly...............0.3 inches at Harrison 10.6 SW
Significant Weather Events:
3rd-4th - Localized heavy rain fell from Hot Springs to Prescott, with amounts of
one to three inches or more in less than 24 hours. This caused flash flooding in
portions of Clark County, with street flooding in Arkadelphia and high water near the
Amtrak Depot in Gurdon.
6th - Severe thunderstorms produced hail at Russellville at Atkins, and in portions
of Prairie and Pulaski County. A large tree was blown down across part of the east
bound lanes of I-40 east of Atkins.
14th-16th - Rainfall of two to four inches was common over far southern Arkansas.
Nearly five inches fell at Calion and El Dorado.
20th-21st - Severe thunderstorms produced wind damage in much of northwest, central,
southwest and northeast Arkansas. One person was killed east of Rogers due to a tree
falling through a house. A weak tornado occurred southeast of Bradley (Lafayette
County) to near Taylor (Columbia County). Another weak tornado hit Tyronza (Poinsett
County), damaging an elementary school and causing a gas station to collapse. Five people
were injured. One other weak tornado affected areas near the Mississippi River east of
Wilson (Mississippi County). Two tornadoes hit in Benton County, with the strongest one
rated EF2. This one was on the ground for just over 31 miles. Hangers were damaged at an
airport close to Siloam Springs. Numerous homes and businesses were hit, and outbuildings
were destroyed. This particular tornado had a width of 1.5 miles, which was the 2nd widest
tornado documented since official tornado records began in 1950.
24th-25th - Heavy rain fell, primarily over the eastern third of the state, where three to five-
inch amounts were common.
30th-31st - After showers and thunderstorms and one to three inch rainfall in much of Arkansas,
temperatures turned much colder, and light snow and sleet occurred during the morning hours.
In a few places in the higher elevations of the north and west, a light dusting to half an inch
fell, but disappeared fairly quickly.
.November...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................79 at De Queen Airport (19th),
Crossett (11th)
Lowest......................... 8 at Ravenden (13th),
Fayetteville Exp Station (12th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................4.95 inches at Bella Vista 2.0 E (7th)
Highest Monthly..............8.90 inches at Marvell 4.1 W
Lowest Monthly...............1.00 inches at Lewisville
Snowfall...
Highest Daily.................1.2 inches at Harrison 10.6 SW (12th)
Greatest Snow Depth...........1 inch at Harrison (12th)
Highest Monthly...............1.2 inches at Harrison 10.6 SW
Significant Weather Events:
1st - Most areas saw a widespread/hard freeze, which was a week or two earlier than average at
least over central and southern Arkansas.
6th-7th - Heavy rain fell near the Missouri Border, with four to five inch amounts from around
Bella Vista to Bull Shoals.
10th-12th - Much colder air moved into Arkansas, with temperatures falling from the 60s and 70s
to the teens and 20s. Most areas saw a 30-50 degree drop in 48 hours or less. Rain changed to snow
over portions of northern Arkansas. Two inches fell at Deer (Newton County), with an inch at Salem
(Fulton County), Pocahontas, and Hardy. Further south, only trace amounts were recorded (including
the Little Rock metro area). By the morning of the 12th, temperatures were in the single digits at
Fayetteville, and lower teens in the remainder of northwest Arkansas.
30th - An isolated severe storm produced quarter-sized hail at Mount Nebo.
.December...
Extremes:
Temperatures...
Highest........................80 at El Dorado (9th)
Lowest.........................16 at Marshall (18th)
Rainfall...
Highest Daily................2.90 inches at Crossett 2.5 NNE (17th)
Highest Monthly..............6.10 inches at Portland
Lowest Monthly...............0.12 inches at Elkins 10.6 SSE
Snowfall...
Highest Daily.................1.0 inches at Monticello (10th)
Greatest Snow Depth...........Trace at several locations (17th, 16th)
Highest Monthly...............1.0 inches at Monticello
Significant Weather Events:
10th - Very light snow fell over southeast Arkansas, with half inch to an inch from around Warren to
McGehee (including Monticello). Much of the remainder of central and southern Arkansas saw only trace
amounts.
16th - Freezing rain fell primarily in the higher elevations of northern Arkansas, with the highest
accumulations around 1/10th of an inch around Dennard (Van Buren County) and Harrison.
28th-29th - Strong storms affected portions of central and northeast Arkansas. Wind damage occurred in
portions of Conway, Faulkner, Pulaski and Saline Counties. One person was injured when a tree was blown
down onto a mobile home.
$$
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