1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Nov 17, 3:45 PM CST, 11 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 345 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003 INTERESTING NIGHT SETTING UP WITH MANY FACTORS COMING TOGETHER FOR A POTENTIAL HEAVY RAINFALL/DAMAGING WIND EVENT. HAVE DECIDED TO ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE FAR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES...AS SOME AREAS HAVE RECEIVED OVER 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN THE PAST 72 HOURS. WITH ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL...FLOODING WILL BE QUICK TO OCCUR. WARM FRONT IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS...AND HAS NOT MOVED MUCH TO THE NORTH. MUCH OF THE AREA STAYED IN THE LOW CLOUDS...WITH ONLY AROUND A 10 DEGREE TEMPERATURE RISE. DEW POINTS HAVE RISEN CONSIDERABLY TO READINGS IN THE MID 60S. COLD FRONT PRESENTLY IN THE PANHANDLES OF TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA...AND WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD TONIGHT. UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT AND DYNAMICS IMPRESSIVE WITH THIS SYSTEM...BUT INSTABILITY WILL BE A LIMITING FACTOR. WITH OVERCAST SKIES OVER MUCH OF THE STATE...A LARGE WARM UP DID NOT OCCUR. MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS SYSTEM IS HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH A SQUALL LINE DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE DURING THE MORNING HOURS TUESDAY...WITH UPPER TROUGH MOVING THROUGH LATER IN THE DAY. WENT WITH CHANCE POPS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...AS COLD AIR ALOFT WILL LEAD TO INSTABILITY SHOWERS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FOR THE END OF THE WORK WEEK...WITH MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES. NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. EXTENDED MODELS HAVE NOT BEEN VERY CONSISTENT...SO DID NOT WANT TO BUY IN TOO HEAVILY. HRO 53 59 40 60 / 100 50 40 0 LIT 61 66 43 63 / 100 60 30 0 HOT 61 66 43 64 / 100 50 30 0 PBF 63 67 42 64 / 100 70 30 0 .LZK... AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ056>057...ARZ063>065 ...ARZ067>069. 58
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-181100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 155 AM CST TUE NOV 18 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MOVED FROM WESTERN INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS DURING MONDAY EVENING...AND WILL CONTINUE HEADING INTO EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE THROUGH DAWN TUESDAY. FOR THE MOST PART...IT HAS BEEN A HEAVY RAIN EVENT...WITH THREE TO FOUR INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IN SOME AREAS WEST OF LITTLE ROCK. THE RAINFALL IN ARKANSAS WAS AHEAD OF A STORM SYSTEM TO THE WEST. INSTABILITY SURROUNDING THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN RATHER LOW...WITH THUNDERSTORMS HAVING DIFFICULTY DEVELOPING. HOWEVER...THERE IS A LOT OF WIND ENERGY ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM. SOME OF THIS ENERGY IS CREATING AREAS OF ROTATION IN DEVELOPING STORMS. FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT...THESE AREAS OF ROTATION WILL BE NOTED IN ABOUT THE EASTERN HALF OF ARKANSAS. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY FORM. GIVEN THIS...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR EASTERN ARKANSAS UNTIL 8 AM. OTHERWISE...THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN WILL SHIFT INTO EASTERN ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT BEFORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ENDS TUESDAY MORNING. PEOPLE ACROSS ARKANSAS ARE ADVISED TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE WEATHER OVERNIGHT. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE SYSTEM TO THE WEST WILL MOVE OVER ARKANSAS ON TUESDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL BRING PROGRESSIVELY COLDER AIR ALOFT. THIS WILL MOVE OVER WARMER CONDITIONS NEAR THE GROUND...WITH THE ATMOSPHERE DESTABILIZING. AFTER WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION EXITS TO THE EAST TUESDAY MORNING...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COULD REDEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THE STORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON COULD BECOME SEVERE. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL. THE ENTIRE WEATHER SYSTEM WILL PUSH EAST OF ARKANSAS BY WEDNESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE FORECAST TO PREVAIL THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN BY THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION DOES NOT APPEAR NECESSARY OVERNIGHT...BUT MAY BE REQUIRED TUESDAY AFTERNOON. 46
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-180500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 910 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003 ...HEAVY RAIN WITH ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT... PRECIPITATION WAS BECOMING WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF ARKANSAS AS OF MONDAY EVENING. AT 9 PM...PRECIPITATION WAS MOSTLY WEST OF SALEM...CONWAY AND CAMDEN...AND WAS BUILDING TO THE EAST. PARTS OF NEWTON COUNTY HAD RECEIVED 1 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. AS FAR AS SEVERE WEATHER...THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY AS OF 9 PM. WHILE THE ATMOSPHERE DESTABILIZED SOMEWHAT ON MONDAY AS WARM AND MOIST AIR SURGED NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF COAST...THE DESTABILIZATION WAS LIMITED BECAUSE OF LOTS OF CLOUDS AND LACK OF SUNSHINE. DUE TO A LACK OF INSTABILITY...THUNDER HAS HAD DIFFICULTY DEVELOPING. OVERNIGHT...A STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST. A LOT OF WIND ENERGY ALOFT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM...AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THIS ENERGY MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO THE GROUND IN A FEW DEVELOPING STORMS. EVEN SO...ANY WIND DAMAGE WILL BE LIMITED WITH ONLY ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED. IN BRIEF...A HEAVY RAIN EVENT IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SEVERE WEATHER. IN FACT...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT IN SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...WITH A NEARLY SATURATED GROUND THERE DUE TO RECENT RAIN. PEOPLE ACROSS ARKANSAS ARE ADVISED TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE WEATHER OVERNIGHT. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 46
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-180800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1135 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003 ...HEAVY RAIN WITH ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT... HEAVY RAIN WAS OCCURRING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF ARKANSAS AS OF 11 PM MONDAY EVENING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WAS NOTED FROM SALEM TO CLINTON...MORRILTON...HOT SPRINGS AND MURFREESBORO. THIS AXIS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION WAS SLIDING SLOWLY TO THE EAST. SINCE 6 PM...1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN AND LOCALLY MORE WAS COMMON IN WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE. A FEW TOTALS INCLUDED 1.86 INCHES AT RUSSELLVILLE...1.74 INCHES AT MOUNT IDA AND 1.21 INCHES AT MOUNTAIN HOME. AS FAR AS SEVERE WEATHER...THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY AS OF 11 PM. IN FACT...THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE IN THE WAY OF THUNDER OVERALL. HOWEVER...THERE IS A LOT OF WIND ENERGY ALOFT. AT LITTLE ROCK... WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SOUTH AT 60 TO 70 MPH JUST A FEW THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THIS ENERGY MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO THE GROUND IN A FEW DEVELOPING STORMS. EVEN SO...ANY WIND DAMAGE WILL BE LIMITED WITH ONLY ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED. IN BRIEF...A HEAVY RAIN EVENT IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SEVERE WEATHER. PEOPLE ACROSS ARKANSAS ARE ADVISED TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE WEATHER OVERNIGHT. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 46
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-181100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 225 AM CST TUE NOV 18 2003 ...HEAVY RAIN WITH ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT... HEAVY RAIN SHIFTED FROM WESTERN INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS MONDAY EVENING...AND WILL CONTINUE SLIDING INTO EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE EARLY THIS MORNING. AS OF 2 AM THIS MORNING...THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WAS NOTED FROM MELBOURNE...TO CONWAY AND LITTLE ROCK...TO PINE BLUFF AND MONTICELLO. SINCE 6 PM MONDAY EVENING...PARTS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN ARKANSAS RECEIVED 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN. FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS WERE IN ABOUT HALF A DOZEN COUNTIES IN THE NORTH AND WEST THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING. A FEW TOTALS INCLUDED 3.23 INCHES AT RUSSELLVILLE...2.49 INCHES AT MOUNT IDA...2.09 INCHES AT HOT SPRINGS AND 1.56 INCHES AT MOUNTAIN HOME. AS FAR AS SEVERE WEATHER...THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY AS OF 2 AM. IN FACT...THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE IN THE WAY OF THUNDER OVERALL. HOWEVER...THERE IS A LOT OF WIND ENERGY ALOFT. AT LITTLE ROCK... WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SOUTH AT 50 TO 60 MPH JUST A FEW THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THIS ENERGY MAY CAUSE ROTATION IN A FEW DEVELOPING STORMS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR ABOUT THE EASTERN HALF OF ARKANSAS THROUGH 8 AM THIS MORNING. THIS INCLUDES AREAS EAST OF SALEM...MOUNTAIN VIEW...LONOKE...AND HAMPTON. PEOPLE ACROSS ARKANSAS ARE ADVISED TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE WEATHER OVERNIGHT. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 46
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:59 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall produced localized flooding over parts of Izard County. A number of county roads were covered by high water and impassible for a few hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, November 2003
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: 5330616.