Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Watches in 2026
Tornado Watch 53
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Mar 15, 2026, 1:53 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 15, 2026, 1:53 PM CDT (18:53 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 15, 2026, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 2 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 65 kt
All 91 counties
Arkansas County, AR, Baxter County, AR, Boone County, AR, Bradley County, AR, Calhoun County, AR, Carroll County, AR, Clark County, AR, Cleburne County, AR, Cleveland County, AR, Columbia County, AR, Conway County, AR, Crawford County, AR, Dallas County, AR, Desha County, AR, Drew County, AR, Faulkner County, AR, Franklin County, AR, Fulton County, AR, Garland County, AR, Grant County, AR, Hempstead County, AR, Hot Spring County, AR, Howard County, AR, Independence County, AR, Izard County, AR, Jackson County, AR, Jefferson County, AR, Johnson County, AR, Lafayette County, AR, Lawrence County, AR, Lincoln County, AR, Little River County, AR, Logan County, AR, Lonoke County, AR, Madison County, AR, Marion County, AR, Miller County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Montgomery County, AR, Nevada County, AR, Newton County, AR, Ouachita County, AR, Perry County, AR, Pike County, AR, Polk County, AR, Pope County, AR, Prairie County, AR, Pulaski County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Saline County, AR, Scott County, AR, Searcy County, AR, Sebastian County, AR, Sevier County, AR, Sharp County, AR, Stone County, AR, Union County, AR, Van Buren County, AR, Washington County, AR, White County, AR, Woodruff County, AR, Yell County, AR, Bienville Parish, LA, Bossier Parish, LA, Caddo Parish, LA, Claiborne Parish, LA, De Soto Parish, LA, Lincoln Parish, LA, Red River Parish, LA, Union Parish, LA, Webster Parish, LA, LeFlore County, OK, McCurtain County, OK, Bowie County, TX, Camp County, TX, Cass County, TX, Cherokee County, TX, Franklin County, TX, Gregg County, TX, Harrison County, TX, Marion County, TX, Morris County, TX, Nacogdoches County, TX, Panola County, TX, Red River County, TX, Rusk County, TX, Shelby County, TX, Smith County, TX, Titus County, TX, Upshur County, TX, Wood County, TX
The radar
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:56 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.
What SPC expected
The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.
- Two or more tornadoes
- 50%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 30%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 60%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 40%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 50%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 30%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 90%
Warnings issued inside it
68 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 3:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Howard, Little River, Sevier | 61 min |
| Mar 15, 3:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Polk | 40 min |
| Mar 15, 3:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Baxter, Boone, Marion, Newton, Searcy | 51 min |
| Mar 15, 3:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Franklin, Red River, Titus | 48 min |
| Mar 15, 3:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Upshur, Wood | 58 min |
| Mar 15, 3:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Little River | 55 min |
| Mar 15, 3:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Smith, Upshur, Wood | 50 min |
| Mar 15, 3:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Montgomery, Pike, Polk | 49 min |
| Mar 15, 3:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Baxter, Fulton, Izard, Marion, Sharp | 33 min |
| Mar 15, 3:57 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Howard, Sevier | 33 min |
| Mar 15, 4:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Conway, Garland, Perry, Pulaski, Saline, Yell | 39 min |
| Mar 15, 4:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Hempstead, Howard, Little River, Nevada, Sevier | 54 min |
| Mar 15, 4:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bowie, Camp, Cass, Morris, Red River, Titus | 65 min |
| Mar 15, 4:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Smith | 43 min |
| Mar 15, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Hempstead, Little River, Miller | 50 min |
| Mar 15, 4:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Fulton, Izard, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp | 49 min |
| Mar 15, 4:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, Pike | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 4:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pulaski, Saline | 51 min |
| Mar 15, 4:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Cass, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris and 4 more | 65 min |
| Mar 15, 4:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Pike | 36 min |
| Mar 15, 4:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Independence, Izard, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 4:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pulaski | 32 min |
| Mar 15, 4:51 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Gregg, Harrison, Upshur | 26 min |
| Mar 15, 4:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Columbia, Hempstead, Lafayette, Miller, Nevada | 61 min |
| Mar 15, 5:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Columbia, Lafayette, Miller | 53 min |
| Mar 15, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Saline | 50 min |
| Mar 15, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp | 50 min |
| Mar 15, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Rusk | 50 min |
| Mar 15, 5:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Dallas | 18 min |
| Mar 15, 5:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Faulkner, Lonoke, Prairie, Pulaski, White | 11 min |
| Mar 15, 5:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bossier, Caddo | 51 min |
| Mar 15, 5:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Grant, Jefferson, Lonoke, Monroe, Prairie and 1 more | 49 min |
| Mar 15, 5:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp | 41 min |
| Mar 15, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Columbia, Lafayette, Nevada, Union | 53 min |
| Mar 15, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Caddo, De Soto | 53 min |
| Mar 15, 5:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley, Cleveland, Drew, Lincoln | 35 min |
| Mar 15, 5:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph | 32 min |
| Mar 15, 5:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Monroe, Prairie, White, Woodruff | 29 min |
| Mar 15, 5:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun, Ouachita | 43 min |
| Mar 15, 5:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Angelina, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Rusk, San Augustine, Shelby | 56 min |
| Mar 15, 5:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bossier, Claiborne, Webster | 46 min |
| Mar 15, 6:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Jefferson, Lonoke, Prairie | 14 min |
| Mar 15, 6:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Bradley, Cleveland, Desha, Drew, Lincoln | 28 min |
| Mar 15, 6:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Cleveland, Jefferson, Lincoln | 38 min |
| Mar 15, 6:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bossier, Caddo, Webster | 61 min |
| Mar 15, 6:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Monroe, Prairie, White, Woodruff | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 6:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Red River | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 6:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Columbia, Union | 58 min |
| Mar 15, 6:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Woodruff | 24 min |
| Mar 15, 6:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Caddo, De Soto | 60 min |
| Mar 15, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley, Calhoun, Ouachita | 50 min |
| Mar 15, 6:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha, Drew, Lincoln | 32 min |
| Mar 15, 6:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Nacogdoches, San Augustine | 36 min |
| Mar 15, 6:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley, Drew | 24 min |
| Mar 15, 6:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | De Soto, Sabine | 53 min |
| Mar 15, 6:39 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Desha, Drew, Lincoln | 36 min |
| Mar 15, 6:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Cleveland, Desha, Jefferson, Lincoln | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 6:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Jefferson, Monroe | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 6:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bienville, Bossier, Claiborne, Jackson, Lincoln, Union and 1 more | 61 min |
| Mar 15, 6:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River and 1 more | 56 min |
| Mar 15, 6:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Desha | 18 min |
| Mar 15, 7:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 26 min |
| Mar 15, 7:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Union | 53 min |
| Mar 15, 7:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Desha, Jefferson, Lincoln, Monroe | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 7:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine | 60 min |
| Mar 15, 7:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bienville, Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, Union | 60 min |
| Mar 15, 8:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Caldwell, Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, Union | 44 min |
| Mar 15, 8:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Grant, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Winn | 54 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 263 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
- 36 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -798 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1297 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 611 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 832 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 12:31 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Baxter, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark and 49 more | 89 min |
| Mar 15, 3:27 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi and 2 more | 93 min |
| Mar 15, 3:39 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun and 49 more | 96 min |
| Mar 15, 3:57 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Ashley, Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross and 6 more | 7 hr |
| Mar 15, 6:43 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clay and 18 more | 2 hr |
| Mar 15, 6:11 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Calcasieu and 25 more | 2 hr |
| Mar 15, 6:37 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Caldwell and 18 more | 5 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2026Tornado Watches in Texas, 2026Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2026Every tornado watch in 2026
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.