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| Storm Reports |
| Are you interested in what happened during a recent event? Check out the report below. |
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Very Dry Across Central/Eastern Arkansas in September, 2023 |
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| In the picture: September, 2023 ended with a ridge of high pressure ("HIGH") over Arkansas, dry conditions, and above average temperatures. |
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Heading into September, Little Rock (Pulaski County) was on pace to have a top 15 wet year (45.73 inches of rain through August/12.59 inches above average). That came to a screeching halt, with only four days of measurable precipitation during the month, and amounts less than a quarter inch on all of those days.
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| In the picture: Very dry conditions were noted across the middle of the country on 10/01/2023. In Arkansas, soil moisture was below average in central and eastern sections of the state. |
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In the end, rainfall was below average by more than two inches at Little Rock (Pulaski County) in September. The same was true in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). Downpours were most concentrated in the Ozark Mountains of the northwest and toward the Louisiana border. There was a surplus of rain by over an inch at El Dorado (Union County), Fayetteville (Washington County), and Harrison (Boone County).
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| Precipitation in September, 2023 |
| Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
| Fayetteville (NW AR) |
5.45 |
4.26 |
+1.19 |
128% |
| Harrison (NC AR) |
5.65 |
4.06 |
+1.59 |
139% |
| Jonesboro (NE AR) |
1.94 |
3.30 |
-1.36 |
59% |
| Fort Smith (WC AR) |
3.40 |
4.04 |
-0.64 |
84% |
| Little Rock (C AR) |
0.46 |
3.01 |
-2.55 |
15% |
| West Memphis (EC AR) |
2.53 |
3.05 |
-0.52 |
83% |
| Texarkana (SW AR) |
3.54 |
3.60 |
-0.06 |
98% |
| El Dorado (SC AR) |
4.44 |
3.23 |
+1.21 |
137% |
| Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
0.49 |
3.09 |
-2.60 |
16% |
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Focusing more on the central third of the state, umbrellas were not needed much from July 22nd to the end of September (seventy days). At Little Rock (Pulaski County), North Little Rock (Pulaski County), and Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), rainfall was short by four to six inches (25 to 35 percent of normal).
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| Precipitation From July 22 to September 30, 2023 |
| Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
| Little Rock (C AR) |
2.52 |
7.17 |
-4.65 |
35% |
| North Little Rock (C AR) |
2.36 |
7.87 |
-5.51 |
30% |
| Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
1.92 |
7.66 |
-5.74 |
25% |
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| Drought Conditions (Percent Area) |
| Category |
Coverage |
| None |
38.45% |
| D0-D4 |
61.55% |
| D1-D4 |
25.37% |
| D2-D4 |
3.70% |
| D3-D4 |
0% |
| D4 |
0% |
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| In the picture: There were moderate to severe drought (D1/D2) conditions in central and southern Arkansas on 09/26/2023. |
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As downpours became spotty, moderate to severe drought conditions (D1/D2) developed. Drought affected roughly a quarter of the state (mainly the central and southern counties) as of September 26th.
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| In the picture: The Mississippi River was at record low levels at Memphis, TN in October, 2022, and the same thing happened a year later. The data is courtesy of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). |
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Drought was not only a concern in our area, it encompassed much of the middle of the country. This including a long stretch of the Mississippi River, which experienced record/near record low levels for the second year in a row. Dredging was ongoing to help widen/deepen the river channel and keep barge traffic moving. Meanwhile, low flow was allowing salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to make headway into the river. This was threatening the fresh water supply in portions of Louisiana.
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| In the picture: Flooding rain was in the forecast (from the Weather Prediction Center) on 09/29/2023 in New York, NY and surrounding locations. |
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Drought was not an issue in New York, NY. On the 29th, a whopping 8.05 inches of rain dumped at Kennedy Airport. This was the highest total on record locally in September. Flooding was extensive (affecting homes, businesses, and schools), and a state of emergency was declared. A medical center was evacuated. Highways and numerous roads were closed due to high water. Railway and subway services were suspended and flights were cancelled.
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