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Abnormally Dry Conditions |
At times, below normal precipitation will lead to a lack of ground water and worsening drought conditions in Arkansas. Check out the latest conditions below. |
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Monitoring Drought in Arkansas |
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Drought Status |
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Moderate drought (D1) conditions existed in parts northern Arkansas heading into late June. Next Page Update: July 5, 2024
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Drought Conditions (Percent Area) |
Category |
Coverage |
None |
77.84% |
D0-D4 |
22.16% |
D1-D4 |
2.22% |
D2-D4 |
0% |
D3-D4 |
0% |
D4 |
0% |
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In the picture: There were moderate drought (D1) conditions in parts of northern Arkansas on 06/18/2024. |
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In the picture: Drought conditions as of 06/18/2024. |
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Across the country, the worst drought conditions (at least D2) were in the Rockies and central and southern Plains.
Here at home in June (through the 19th), downpours were few and far between (one to more than two inch rainfall deficits) in northern/eastern Arkansas. The only areas with more than usual rain (by one to more than two inches) were in the southwest.
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Precipitation in June, 2024 (Through the 19th) |
Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
Fayetteville (NW AR) |
1.00 |
2.75 |
-1.75 |
36% |
Harrison (NC AR) |
0.22 |
2.43 |
-2.21 |
9% |
Jonesboro (NE AR) |
1.57 |
2.01 |
-0.44 |
78% |
Fort Smith (WC AR) |
2.90 |
2.92 |
-0.02 |
99% |
Little Rock (C AR) |
1.07 |
2.35 |
-1.28 |
46% |
West Memphis (EC AR) |
1.23 |
2.65 |
-1.42 |
46% |
Texarkana (SW AR) |
3.59 |
2.59 |
+1.00 |
139% |
El Dorado (SC AR) |
3.43 |
2.47 |
+0.96 |
139% |
Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
2.74 |
2.15 |
+0.59 |
127% |
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In the picture: Precipitation across Arkansas in May, 2024. |
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In May, the soil was soggy from southwest into central sections of the state, and also in the far northwest. In these areas, rainfall was more than four inches above average. There was an 8.22 inch surplus of precipitation at Little Rock (Pulaski County)! Elsewhere, there was some dryness (a shortage of rain by one to more than two inches) in portions of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains.
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Precipitation in May, 2024 |
Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
Fayetteville (NW AR) |
4.86 |
5.89 |
-1.03 |
83% |
Harrison (NC AR) |
4.17 |
4.81 |
-0.64 |
87% |
Jonesboro (NE AR) |
5.70 |
5.21 |
+0.49 |
109% |
Fort Smith (WC AR) |
6.20 |
5.63 |
+0.57 |
110% |
Little Rock (C AR) |
13.30 |
5.08 |
+8.22 |
262% |
West Memphis (EC AR) |
5.48 |
5.03 |
+0.45 |
109% |
Texarkana (SW AR) |
4.69 |
5.10 |
-0.41 |
92% |
El Dorado (SC AR) |
4.88 |
4.81 |
+0.07 |
101% |
Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
6.30 |
4.80 |
+1.50 |
131% |
In 2024 (through June 19th), wet to very wet conditions were found across the central and southern counties, and it was somewhat dry in the north/east.
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Precipitation in 2024 (Through June 19th) |
Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
Fayetteville (NW AR) |
18.03 |
22.94 |
-4.91 |
79% |
Harrison (NC AR) |
18.07 |
21.22 |
-3.15 |
85% |
Jonesboro (NE AR) |
23.59 |
24.41 |
-0.82 |
97% |
Fort Smith (WC AR) |
25.29 |
22.92 |
+2.37 |
110% |
Little Rock (C AR) |
37.46 |
25.45 |
+12.01 |
147% |
West Memphis (EC AR) |
21.77 |
25.94 |
-4.17 |
84% |
Texarkana (SW AR) |
31.46 |
24.49 |
+6.97 |
128% |
El Dorado (SC AR) |
41.04 |
26.63 |
+14.41 |
154% |
Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
28.93 |
25.68 |
+3.25 |
113% |
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In the picture: Drought outlook through September, 2024. |
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Looking ahead, El Niño (warmer than normal water temperatures near the equator in the Pacific Ocean) is gone, and there will likely be a transition to La Niña (cooler than normal water) later in the year. While short term data shows enough rain to keep drought from becoming an issue (early summer), longer term trends show otherwise. As La Niña becomes more dominant in the late summer/fall, we may be faced with dryness and drought depending on how much precipitation is provided by the tropics. The forecast calls for a more active than usual hurricane season. We will monitor the situation closely.
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Precipitation Statistics (2019-2023) |
Site |
2023 |
+/- |
2022 |
+/- |
2021 |
+/- |
2020 |
+/- |
2019 |
+/- |
Total +/- |
Fayetteville (NW AR) |
44.89 |
-2.07 |
41.76 |
-5.20 |
42.60 |
-4.36 |
49.86 |
+1.35 |
65.26 |
+16.75 |
+6.47 |
Harrison (NC AR) |
44.59 |
+0.09 |
43.23 |
-1.27 |
46.81 |
+2.31 |
53.60 |
+9.46 |
56.98 |
+12.84 |
+23.43 |
Jonesboro (NE AR) |
48.43 |
-0.08 |
47.27 |
-1.24 |
41.36 |
-7.15 |
56.25 |
+8.15 |
65.89 |
+17.79 |
+17.47 |
Fort Smith (WC AR) |
45.29 |
-2.05 |
56.01 |
+8.67 |
50.60 |
+3.26 |
61.62 |
+16.16 |
67.50 |
+22.04 |
+48.08 |
Little Rock (C AR) |
56.86 |
+6.44 |
48.29 |
-2.13 |
43.71 |
-6.71 |
60.04 |
+10.29 |
60.46 |
+10.71 |
+18.60 |
West Memphis (EC AR) |
46.99 |
-3.41 |
53.17 |
+2.77 |
44.66 |
-5.74 |
53.89 |
+1.66 |
73.86 |
+20.63 |
+15.91 |
Texarkana (SW AR) |
56.66 |
+7.79 |
45.38 |
-3.49 |
47.03 |
-1.84 |
68.81 |
+19.16 |
51.53 |
+1.88 |
+23.50 |
El Dorado (SC AR) |
57.11 |
+4.99 |
50.41 |
-1.71 |
49.27 |
-2.85 |
66.18 |
+13.26 |
60.64 |
+7.72 |
+21.41 |
Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
48.39 |
-2.42 |
46.87 |
-3.94 |
44.94 |
-5.87 |
63.04 |
+11.89 |
63.96 |
+12.81 |
+12.47 |
Looking back at recorded history, drought is no stranger to Arkansas. The good news is that periods of drought are generally short-lived. That was the case in 2011 when a deluge unfolded from mid-November to mid-December.
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Twelve to more than eighteen inches of rain was measured from Mena (Polk County) to Mount Ida (Montgomery County), Russellville (Pope County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), Jonesboro (Craighead County) and West Memphis (Crittenden County). |
In the picture: Thirty day rainfall through 600 am CST on 12/11/2011. |
Hurricane Isaac brought much needed rain to drought stricken areas of the south and east in late August, 2012. Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) had 8.39 inches in the forty eight hour period ending at 700 am CDT on September 1st.
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In the picture: Hurricane Isaac was just off the coast of Louisiana at 425 pm CDT on 08/28/2012. |
In September, 2013, areas from Little Rock (Pulaski County) southward got two to four inches of rain, with locally over six inches on the 19th/20th. Some of these amounts exceeded what would normally be expected during the entire month. This busted a short term extreme (D3) drought that peaked just a few days prior to the rain.
The southern half of Arkansas dealt with a moderate to extreme drought (D2 to D4) in October, 2015. Very dry air and heat in the middle of the month made conditions worse. On the 15th, Little Rock experienced the hottest October day on record when the thermometer showed 98 degrees. Fast forward to the wettest November in recorded state history, and the drought was erased.
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Streamflow and Soil Moisture |
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