Hail in Arkansas, April 21, 2004

Name: Hail in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
Start: 2004-04-21T17:20
End: 2004-04-21T17:20
Location: Arkansas

April 21, 2004 · NWS LZK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Golfball size hail covered the ground and damaged some trailers and cabins about 3 miles north of Des Arc.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Golfball size hail covered the ground and damaged some trailers and cabins about 3 miles north of Des Arc.

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 Apr 21, 1:30 PM CST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 1:30 PM CST, 3 hours 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
230 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

.DISCUSSION...
A WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT. THIS WILL SEND A SERIES
OF SHORT WAVES TOWARDS ARKANSAS. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS MANY AREAS OF
ARKANSAS TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. THERE IS A MODERATE
RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN SECTIONS TONIGHT
THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY...THEN THE AREA OF MODERATE RISK GROWS TO
COVER MOST OF ARKANSAS THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THERE IS
ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE SURROUNDING THE MODERATE RISK AREA
WHICH COVERS ALL OF ARKANSAS FOR DAY 1 AND MOST OF THE STATE ON DAY
2. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BY DAY 3.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
LITTLE ROCK AR    60  77  63  75 /  60  40  40  40
HARRISON AR       55  69  56  68 /  80  50  60  60
HOT SPRINGS AR    61  76  63  75 /  60  30  40  40
PINE BLUFF AR     62  78  64  79 /  50  30  30  40
MOUNTAIN HOME AR  57  70  57  70 /  70  50  60  60
MONTICELLO AR     63  79  65  81 /  50  30  20  30
SEARCY AR         60  77  61  75 /  70  40  40  40
MOUNT IDA AR      60  75  63  74 /  60  40  40  50
RUSSELLVILLE AR   60  74  60  74 /  70  40  40  50
&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&

38

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 10:08 AM CST, 7 hours 12 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1108 AM CDT WED APR 21 2004

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-221000-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
1108 AM CDT WED APR 21 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN
ARKANSAS TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REMAINDER OF
ARKANSAS TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH
CENTRAL ARKANSAS THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS...AND WILL WEAKEN
AS THEY PUSH INTO THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES. THERE WILL BE A LULL LATER
THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOP TONIGHT.

A SYSTEM ALOFT WILL HEAD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON.
THE SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH A DRY LINE IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...OR A
BOUNDARY SEPARATING MOIST AIR TO ITS EAST FROM MUCH DRIER AIR TO ITS
WEST. THE INTERACTION WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH SEVERE STORMS LIKELY.

STORMS THAT DEVELOP IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA WILL TRACK INTO
WESTERN ARKANSAS TONIGHT. STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE WILL PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST...AND WILL ARRIVE IN THE
NORTHERN COUNTIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. WITH A STALLED FRONT NEAR THE
ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI BORDER...THE FRONT WILL ACT AS A FOCUS FOR
HEAVY RAINFALL. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN MAY OCCUR...WITH LOCALLY
HEAVIER AMOUNTS.

THE REGION MOST PRONE TO SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT
INCLUDES AREAS NORTH AND WEST OF MENA...MORRILTON AND HARDY.

ELSEWHERE ACROSS ARKANSAS...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE SCATTERED
WITH LESS OF A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN.
HOWEVER...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS MAY STILL OCCUR...WITH MAINLY LARGE
HAIL POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

STORMS THAT DEVELOP TONIGHT WILL EXIT THE STATE INTO MISSOURI
THURSDAY MORNING. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER LULL THURSDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH MORE STORMS IN THE FORECAST THURSDAY NIGHT.

THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL NOT CHANGE THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY. A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS. GIVEN
THIS...STORMS THAT DEVELOP THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE MOST
LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE.

THE STORMS THAT ARE EXPECTED WILL OCCUR MAINLY AT NIGHT...WITH
STORMS MENTIONED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER
WILL REMAIN A POSSIBILITY...WITH AREAS OF HEAVY TO EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL. FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR IN SOME SPOTS.

THE PATTERN WILL FINALLY CHANGE THIS WEEKEND. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH
THROUGH THE REGION FROM THE WEST SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH
COOLER AND DRIER AIR TO FOLLOW MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT IN NORTHERN AND
WESTERN ARKANSAS.

46

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 21, 12:03 PM CST, 5 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
103 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0715 AM     LIGHTNING        CONWAY                  35.09N 92.45W
04/21/2004                   FAULKNER           AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            *** 1 FATAL *** 17 YEAR-OLD MALE WAITING FOR A BUS WAS
            STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. TIME OF EVENT IS APPROXIMATE.

&&

28

Local storm report, Apr 21, 3:28 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
428 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0312 PM     HAIL             CAULKSVILLE             35.30N 93.87W
04/21/2004  1.00 INCH        LOGAN              AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0400 PM     HAIL             NEW SPADRA              35.43N 93.52W
04/21/2004  1.00 INCH        JOHNSON            AR   EMERGENCY MNGR

0403 PM     HAIL             NEW BLAINE              35.28N 93.42W
04/21/2004  2.75 INCH        LOGAN              AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

28

Local storm report, Apr 21, 3:47 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
447 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0431 PM     HAIL             FLAT ROCK RECREATION AR 35.35N 93.33W
04/21/2004  0.75 INCH        JOHNSON            AR   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

28

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:31 PM CST, 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
531 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0445 PM     HAIL             LAKE DARDANELLE STATE P 35.25N 93.21W
04/21/2004  0.75 INCH        YELL               AR   PARK/FOREST SRVC

0521 PM     HAIL             8 W ADA                 35.11N 93.02W
04/21/2004  1.00 INCH        CONWAY             AR   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

28

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:40 PM CST, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
540 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0417 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEW BLAINE              35.28N 93.42W
04/21/2004                   LOGAN              AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.

&&

28

Local storm report, Apr 21, 5:03 PM CST, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
603 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0550 PM     HAIL             PETIT JEAN STATE PARK   35.13N 92.90W
04/21/2004  2.00 INCH        CONWAY             AR   TRAINED SPOTTER

0558 PM     HAIL             PARIS                   35.29N 93.72W
04/21/2004  1.00 INCH        LOGAN              AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

28

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:18 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Prairie

When: April 21, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Prairie County, 3 mi N of Des Arc
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.017, -91.500

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, April 2004

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: 5393234.