Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 92, NWS Little Rock, AR
NWS Little Rock, AR issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 8, 2020, 5:48 PM CDT for Fulton County, Izard County, Sharp County, Arkansas. It was in force for 42 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 8, 2020, 5:48 PM CDT (22:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 8, 2020, 6:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Little Rock, AR
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.5 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Fulton County, AR, Izard County, AR, Sharp County, AR
The radar
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 160 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:48 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 4:24 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 199 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 696 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -172 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1530 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 34 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 58 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 68 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.1
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 8, 2:48 PM CDT, 3 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 2:48 PM CDT, 3 hours before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 248 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 .Short Term...Tonight thru Friday... We are facing a high CAPE / weak shear type of thunderstorm environment this evening. Strong H5 low is off the southern CA coast, and has been ejecting some weak shortwaves to the east. Subtropical jet is streaming across Baja Ca, over TX, and across AR, while the polar jet is digging south out of Canada, dropping a trof over the Great Lakes region. Both jets are essentially converging on the midsection of the country, creating a somewhat unfavorable upper level environment for thunderstorm development. At the surface, a cold front is diving southward across the Plains, and will be pushing into Arkansas tonight. The front will be pushing it's way into a very warm, humid and unstable airmass. Model soundings have been indicating maximum MLCAPE values between 2500-5000 j/kg across the eastern half of the state this afternoon into this evening. While some of this may a bit overdone, an 18Z sounding here at LZK has indicated a MLCAPE value of 3300 j/kg, so values upward of 4000 j/kg to the east do not seem unrealistic. There is not an excessive amount of CIN to overcome, so with the front pushing into the area, there would appear to be little to hold back thunderstorm development. The limiting factor, of course, will be the weakly sheared environment, in addition to the lack of upper level support - which may even contribute negatively to the environment. Midlevel lapse rates are very steep, and if any large storms are able to develop, there will be a risk for substantially large hail. My confidence in this scenario is only moderate at the moment, but the potential for large hail - larger than 2" probably - is certainly there. If a QLCS does develop, the inflow environment will also support the development of shorter-lived tornadoes along the line. It's possible this may not happen in the LZK CWA, but again, the potential is certainly there. The NAM Nest and WRF NMM models have been more forthright in developing a QLCS after 00Z and bringing it down into the eastern half of the CWA, with the line moving down into SE Arkansas well after 06Z. The HRRR has been much more conservative, generally keeping most of the activity well to the east. However, the ESRL HRRR and more recent runs of the HRRR are trending more toward the NAM/WRF solution. They are certainly not in agreement, but this does add confidence to the forecast of strong thunderstorms tonight. Putting it all together, we are probably not looking at a high- impact widespread severe weather event. Most of the event will probably occur east of the LZK forecast area. However, there could certainly be areas of wind damage, large hail, and even a few tornadoes depending upon what sets up across the area tonight. The most likely scenario brings a QLCS thru the eastern CWA, which may not even be a continuous line. We also have to watch for any cells that develop ahead of the line, especially in this high-CAPE environment. With all that said, the cold front should sweep thru the area tonight and bring dry weather to the area for the remainder of the short term. && .Extended Term...Friday Night thru Wednesday... The extended period will remain unsettled through the extended period. Rain chances will begin to increase across the area on Saturday as an upper level low across the Four Corner's Region and attendant cold front move eastward. Chances for rain will linger through the weekend and into early portions of next week as the low strengthens over the Natural State. Thunderstorms will be possible, some of which could become severe, especially across the southern portions of the state where the instability is more favorable for convection. Slight rain chances will linger through early portions of next week as mean troughing overcomes much of the CONUS, and small perturbations in the flow intermittently swing through the state. Temperatures will be much cooler through the extended, especially after the aforementioned cold front moves through on Sunday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Batesville AR 52 68 39 60 / 40 0 10 0 Camden AR 62 73 50 67 / 20 0 10 0 Harrison AR 48 64 35 59 / 20 10 0 10 Hot Springs AR 59 71 47 64 / 30 0 10 0 Little Rock AR 57 71 46 62 / 50 0 10 0 Monticello AR 61 71 48 63 / 30 0 10 0 Mount Ida AR 57 71 45 64 / 20 0 10 0 Mountain Home AR 48 65 35 60 / 30 10 10 0 Newport AR 52 67 41 56 / 40 0 10 0 Pine Bluff AR 59 70 47 61 / 40 0 10 0 Russellville AR 54 71 42 63 / 20 0 0 0 Searcy AR 54 69 42 60 / 60 0 0 0 Stuttgart AR 57 69 45 60 / 50 0 10 0 && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...NONE. && Short Term...53 / Extended Term...69
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 11:03 AM CDT, 6 hours 45 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1103 AM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 ARZ003>008-012>017-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-091000- Boone-Marion-Baxter-Fulton-Sharp-Randolph-Newton-Searcy-Stone- Izard-Independence-Lawrence-Johnson-Pope-Van Buren-Cleburne- Jackson-Logan-Conway-Faulkner-White-Woodruff-Scott-Yell-Perry- Polk-Montgomery-Garland-Saline-Pulaski-Lonoke-Prairie-Monroe-Pike- Clark-Hot Spring-Grant-Jefferson-Arkansas-Dallas-Cleveland- Lincoln-Desha-Ouachita-Calhoun-Bradley-Drew- 1103 AM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across the state today and tonight. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats, however a tornado or two can not be ruled out across the northeastern portions of the state. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday Through Tuesday Storms will shift southeast of Arkansas on Thursday morning. Showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread by Saturday and Saturday Night, as a stronger storm system affects the state. There could be a few strong storms on Saturday Night and Sunday, with large hail and damaging winds the primary concern. The system will exit the state on Sunday Night or early Monday, with colder air moving in behind it. By Tuesday morning, some locations over northwest Arkansas could see temperatures close to freezing. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidance. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 4:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
437 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
ARZ004-005-082215-
Baxter AR-Marion AR-
437 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL MARION AND NORTHERN
BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM CDT...
At 436 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Arkawana, or near Bull Shoals, moving northeast at 25 mph.
Nickel size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Mountain Home... Bull Shoals...
Lakeview in Baxter County... Arkawana...
Ozark Regional Airport... Gamaliel Landing...
Fawn Park... Bull Shoals State Park...
Midway in Baxter County... Clarkridge...
Gamaliel... Three Brothers...
Robinson Point Landing... Henderson...
Norfork Lake...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for north
central Arkansas.
LAT...LON 3649 9221 3633 9222 3632 9255 3635 9260
3642 9260 3650 9240 3650 9229
TIME...MOT...LOC 2136Z 245DEG 21KT 3639 9249
CooperSpecial weather statement, Apr 8, 5:10 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 5:10 AM CDT | Dense Fog Advisory | LZK | Arkansas, Baxter, Calhoun, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland and 22 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 8, 9:27 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LZK | Ouachita | 33 min |
| Apr 8, 9:57 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LZK | Calhoun | 33 min |
| Apr 8, 10:35 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LZK | Bradley, Calhoun, Drew | 40 min |
| Apr 8, 10:48 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley, Drew | 27 min |
| Apr 8, 4:37 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LZK | Baxter | 38 min |
| Apr 8, 4:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Baxter | 17 min |
| Apr 8, 4:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Baxter, Fulton | 27 min |
| Apr 8, 5:10 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LZK | Baxter | 50 min |
| Apr 8, 5:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Baxter, Fulton, Izard | 47 min |
| Apr 8, 6:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Fulton, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp | 45 min |
| Apr 8, 6:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Sharp | 40 min |
| Apr 8, 6:55 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LZK | Randolph | 20 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.