High temperatures on 04/08/2020. Readings were in the 80s to lower 90s.
In the picture: High temperatures on 04/08/2020. Readings were in the 80s to lower 90s.
 

The first week of April was tame across the region, with some rain at times but no severe weather. Things were about to change on the 8th as a cold front headed this way from Canada.

It was a very warm afternoon, with high temperatures in the 80s to lower 90s. It was 93 degrees at Fort Smith (Sebastian County), 92 degrees at Harrison (Boone County) and Russellville (Pope County), and 91 degrees at Fayetteville (Washington County), Mena (Polk County), and Mountain Home (Baxter County). Normal highs are in the upper 60s to mid 70s.

 

A hail shaft was spotted well to the southeast of Calico Rock (Izard County) during the late afternoon of 04/08/2020. The photo is courtesy of Sam Riley.
In the picture: A hail shaft was spotted well to the southeast of Calico Rock (Izard County) during the late afternoon of 04/08/2020. The photo is courtesy of Sam Riley.
 

After a mostly quiet day, isolated storms went haywire in the northeast by 500 pm CDT. One storm in particular peaked the interest of radar operators and kept them busy for several hours. The storm unleashed baseball size hail at Strawberry (Lawrence County), and golf balls at Horseshoe Bend (Izard County), Lynn (Lawrence County), and Ravenden (Lawrence County).

 

Homes were damaged or destroyed at Harrisburg (Poinsett County), and a mobile home was removed from its cinder block foundation about four miles east-northeast of Weiner (Poinsett County). Two people were injured at the latter location. A tornado (rated EF2) was responsible for the destruction on 04/08/2020. The photos are courtesy of John Robinson.
House Destroyed at Harrisburg (Poinsett County)
Heavily Damaged Home at Harrisburg (Poinsett County)
Mobile Home Removed From Cinder Blocks Near Weiner (Poinsett County)
In the pictures: Homes were damaged or destroyed at Harrisburg (Poinsett County), and a mobile home was removed from its cinder block foundation about four miles east-northeast of Weiner (Poinsett County). Two people were injured at the latter location. A tornado (rated EF2) was responsible for the destruction on 04/08/2020. The photos are courtesy of John Robinson.
 

Farther south and east, rotation picked up in the storm and tornadoes were spawned. Five to six miles southwest of Cash (Craighead County), a brief tornado (rated EF0) damaged a farm shed around 750 pm CDT. Fifteen minutes later, another tornado (rated EF2) formed roughly nine miles northwest of Harrisburg (Poinsett County). The tornado removed a mobile home from its cinder block foundation, and tossed it into a field. Two people were injured. Eventually (at 825 pm CDT), the tornado made it into the north side of town and damaged or destroyed at least thirty homes.

 

Severe weather reports in the twenty four hour period ending at 700 am CDT on 04/13/2020. There were more than 1,000 instances of wind damage and at least 130 tornadoes. The graphic is courtesy of the Storm Prediction Center.
In the picture: Severe weather reports in the twenty four hour period ending at 700 am CDT on 04/13/2020. There were more than 1,000 instances of wind damage and at least 130 tornadoes. The graphic is courtesy of the Storm Prediction Center.
 

The biggest event of month happened on the 12th (Easter) and 13th. We had to deal with a line of nasty thunderstorms. The line had bowing segments, indicating that powerful winds were driving the storms forward and causing them to bulge outward.

 

The WSR-88D (Doppler Weather Radar) showed severe thunderstorms surging from western into central Arkansas, with more severe weather in portions of Alabama and Mississippi at 758 pm CDT on 04/12/2020.
In the picture: The WSR-88D (Doppler Weather Radar) showed severe thunderstorms surging from western into central Arkansas, with more severe weather in portions of Alabama and Mississippi at 758 pm CDT on 04/12/2020.
 

 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were first issued between 530 pm and 600 pm CDT, and continued for five hours until the storms moved east of the Mississippi River. The storms produced damaging wind gusts from 60 to more than 80 mph, and knocked out power to at least 150,000 utility customers.

 

Link of Interest
Radar Loop Showing Bowing Line of Storms in Southern Arkansas

 

View From the Ground
In the pictures: A very large tree landed on a home at White Hall (Jefferson County), killing a resident. Behind the home, a large section of trees was mowed down. The photos are courtesy of Brian Emfinger via Twitter (from aloft) and John Robinson (from the ground).
 

There were numerous reports of trees and power lines downed, with trees blocking roads in some cases. Trees fell on residences, resulting in a death at White Hall (Jefferson County) and an injury at Glen Rose (Hot Spring County). Outbuildings and sheds were damaged or destroyed. A roof was blown off of a poultry farm on Highway 154 north of Danville (Yell County). A 68 mph gust was measured at Petit Jean State Park (Conway County).

 

So Many Power Outages/Federal Disaster Declaration

The roughly 150,000 power outages counted in Arkansas was more than any other state affected by the severe weather outbreak of April 12th and 13th. The majority of the outages were south of Interstate 40. Twelve (12) counties across the south were eventually declared federal disaster areas. This included Arkansas, Bradley, Cleveland, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Monroe, Ouachita, and Phillips Counties. According to the Entergy Arkansas President and CEO (via Twitter): "This was a significant storm event. Early assessments for some areas reveal damage comparable to the back-to-back ice storms in December of 2000." These colossal ice episodes were separated by a couple of weeks, and are widely regarded as the most destructive and costliest natural disasters known in the state.

 

There was a freeze on 04/15/2020, especially in parts of northern and central Arkansas.
In the picture: There was a freeze on 04/15/2020, especially in parts of northern and central Arkansas.
 

It turned much colder after the storms were gone. On the morning of the 15th, there were areas of frost, and a freeze in portions of northern and central Arkansas. It was 26 degrees at Marshall (Searcy County), 27 degrees at Flippin (Marion County) and Jessieville (Garland County), 28 degrees at Clinton (Van Buren County), Evening Shade (Sharp County), and Mena (Polk County), and 29 degrees at Calico Rock (Izard County), Fayetteville (Washington County), Lead Hill (Boone County), Marche (Pulaski County), Silver Hill (Searcy County), and Waldron (Scott County).

 

In the picture: There was a half inch of snow in Harrison (Boone County) early on 04/14/2020, which was tied for the third latest measurable snow on record.
 

In addition to the cold, there was a little light snow in the northwest on the 14th, including a dusting of flakes at Harrison (Boone County). It was the third latest (tied with the same day in 1980) measurable snow at the site since records began in 1891.

 

In the video: Roads were covered with hail in Mammoth Spring (Fulton County) when a severe storm rolled through town around 500 pm CDT on 04/20/2020. The video is courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT).
 

On the 20th, there was accumulating hail near the Arkansas and Missouri border. A severe storm deposited up to quarter size hail at Mammoth Spring (Fulton County), and there was a lot of it. Roads were blanketed with hail as if it had snowed. Temperatures quickly dropped from the lower 70s into the upper 40s. Farther southeast, the same storm brought up to half dollar size hail and a 62 mph wind gust to College City (Lawrence County). A 54 mph wind gust was measured at Walnut Ridge (Lawrence County). Hail (up to quarter size) also accumulated on roads at Rogers (Benton County).