Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 18 to 20, 2006

Name: Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 18 to 20, 2006
Start: 2006-02-18T04:30
End: 2006-02-20T10:00
Location: Arkansas

February 18 to 20, 2006 · NWS TSA · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

7 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 18, 3:35 AM CST, 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 18, 3:35 AM CST, 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
335 AM CST SAT FEB 18 2006

.DISCUSSION...
MAIN AREA OF PRECIPITATION CONTINUING TO RACE EASTWARD THIS
MORNING AND WILL BE MOVE OFF TO THE EAST OF THE AREA SHORTLY.
HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL SCATTERED AREAS OF LIGHT PRECIP REMAIN TO
THE WEST THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING. WILL REPLACE
WINTER STORM WARNING WITH AN ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
MORNING. ONLY LESSER AMOUNTS OF ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS
EXPECTED...BUT ROADS WILL REMAIN SLICK AND TRAVEL HAZARDOUS.

NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THE FORECAST BEYOND TODAY AS THE COLD ARCTIC
AIRMASS MAINTAINS ITS GRIP OVER THE AREA. MINOR RIPPLES WILL
CONTINUE TO WARRANT LOW POPS FOR ADDITONAL MIXED PRECIP ON
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND...ALTHOUGH AMOUNTS EXPECTED
TO REMAIN LIGHT.

TEMPS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO MODERATE STARTING ON MONDAY...BUT WILL
REMAIN BELOW SEASONAL NORMS THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TUL   21  11  27  21 /  40  20  20  20
FSM   28  20  28  23 /  50  20  30  30
MLC   24  18  28  24 /  40  30  30  20
BVO   19   8  28  18 /  40  10  10  20
FYV   20  12  26  19 /  50  20  20  20
BYV   16   8  23  18 /  50  20  20  20
MKO   21  13  24  21 /  40  20  20  20
MIO   19   6  27  17 /  40  10  10  20
F10   21  14  25  21 /  40  20  20  20
HHW   33  25  33  28 /  50  30  30  30

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON SATURDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ053-
     OKZ054-OKZ055-OKZ056-OKZ057-OKZ058-OKZ059-OKZ060-OKZ061-
     OKZ062-OKZ063-OKZ064-OKZ065-OKZ066-OKZ067-OKZ068-OKZ069-
     OKZ070-OKZ071-OKZ072-OKZ073-OKZ074-OKZ075-OKZ076.

AR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON SATURDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-
     ARZ010-ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

&&

SHORT TERM FORECASTER ID= 21
LONG TERM FORECASTER ID= 4

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 17, 8:35 PM CST, 7 hours 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
835 PM CST FRI FEB 17 2006

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-181100-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
820 PM CST FRI FEB 17 2006

...WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

WINTER WEATHER.
	SNOW ACCUMULATION.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...AFTER 10 PM.

	ICE ACCUMULATION.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

	WIND CHILL.
	RISK...ELEVATED.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

DISCUSSION...
AREAS OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO DEVELOP
ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...MAINLY NORTH
OF INTERSTATE 40 AS WARM AIR ALOFT OVERRUNS THE COLDER AIR AT
THE SURFACE. THIS FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE
OVER TO SNOW LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE AIRMASS
COOLS BELOW FREEZING ALOFT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES
WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED
TO END SATURDAY MORNING. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER
STATEMENT /OKCWSWTSA/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION NOT EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
SATURDAY...WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL POTENTIAL.
SUNDAY...WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL POTENTIAL.
MONDAY...WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL.
TUESDAY...NO HAZARDS.
WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDS.
THURSDAY...HIGH FIRE WEATHER POTENTIAL.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
COLD AIR WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH
WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE ZERO TO 10 DEGREE RANGE AT TIMES.
WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL BE LIMITED
BY A RELATIVELY LOW PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Benton

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Benton forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.339, -94.256 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Arctic air spread into the region on the 16th setting the stage for a period of wintry precipitation as several upper level disturbances moved through the area from the 17th through the 20th. Precipitation began during the late evening on the 17th as the first disturbance approached. Four to five inches of snow had fallen across Benton, Carroll, and Washington Counties by daybreak on the 18th. A mixture of snow and sleet resulted in a significant impact across Madison County while a mixture of freezing rain and at least one inch of sleet significantly impacted Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties. The first round of wintry precipitation ended around midday on the 18th but another began during the evening hours of the 19th, which continued through the early morning hours of the 20th.

Winter Storm, Carroll

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.341, -93.538 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Crawford

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Franklin

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Madison

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.011, -93.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sebastian

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Sebastian forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Washington

When: February 18, 4:30 AM CST to February 20, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.979, -94.216 (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 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, February 2006

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: 5489615, 5489616, 5489617, 5489618, 5489619, 5489620, 5489621.