Winter Storm in Arkansas, December 23 to 24, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Arkansas, December 23 to 24, 2002
Start: 2002-12-23T21:00
End: 2002-12-24T04:00
Location: Arkansas

December 23 to 24, 2002 · NWS LZK · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Snow starting falling over parts of north-central Arkansas during the afternoon hours on the 23rd. The snow gradually overspread the rest of the area by the early evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LZK wrote it up.

Snow starting falling over parts of north-central Arkansas during the afternoon hours on the 23rd. The snow gradually overspread the rest of the area by the early evening hours. Snow accumulations from 3 to 6 inches were common in the counties along the Arkansas/Missouri border. Lesser amounts were reported farther south, with 1 to 3 inches of snow common. Some sleet and freezing rain mixed with the snow before the precipitation ended by early afternoon on the 24th. Roads were snow covered and hazardous with numerous traffic accidents reported. One accident occurred in Baxter County along Highway 101. A car flipped over with two people injured. Sporadic power outages were also reported due to the weight of snow and ice on tree limbs and power lines.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Dec 23, 6:30 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 6:30 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
630 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002

QUICK UPDATED ISSUED TO CORRECT THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE. MESSAGE
REWORDED TO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AS OPPOSED TO SNOW ADVISORY TO
BETTER REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS.

.LZK...
AR...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ003>006...
ARZ012>013.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ056>057...ARZ062>069.

SNOW ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ007...ARZ014>016...ARZ023>024.

56

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 12:15 PM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes before

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-241100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1215 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD ARKANSAS TODAY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. ALONG THE
NORTHERN EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION...A BAND OF SLEET IS EXPECTED. IN
NORTHERN ARKANSAS...PRECIPITATION WILL START OFF AS SNOW BEFORE
CHANGING BACK TO RAIN. IN SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE...ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NOTED.

LATER TONIGHT...COLDER AIR WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE STATE FROM
THE NORTH. RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS...WITH
SEVERAL INCHES OF ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. FARTHER SOUTH INTO CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED BY THE TIME THE COLD AIR
ARRIVES...SO ONLY A FEW SNOW FLURRIES ARE IN THE FORECAST. IN THE
SOUTH...RAIN MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT...WITH FLASH FLOODING
POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

A CHANCE OF SNOW WILL LINGER INTO TUESDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS...WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
ANOTHER DISTURBANCE WILL BRING A CHANCE OF FLURRIES ON THURSDAY.
OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IN
SOUTH ARKANSAS FOR FLOODING CONCERNS...AND MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT
IN NORTH ARKANSAS FOR WINTER WEATHER CONCERNS.

54

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Boone

When: December 23, 9:00 PM CST to December 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm, Marion

When: December 23, 9:00 PM CST to December 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.268, -92.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Baxter

When: December 23, 9:00 PM CST to December 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Baxter forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.287, -92.337 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, December 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5324832, 5324833, 5324834.