Arkansas, 2007

High Wind and Strong Wind in Arkansas, April 11, 2007

April 11, 2007 · NWS LZK · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A deep low pressure system to the north of Arkansas produced strong winds over Arkansas. During the afternoon, scattered showers developed over the northern half of the state.

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
1
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

A deep low pressure system to the north of Arkansas produced strong winds over Arkansas. During the afternoon, scattered showers developed over the northern half of the state. Downdrafts associated with these showers caused winds to become even stronger in areas near the showers.

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 11, 11:32 AM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 11:32 AM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1232 PM CDT WED APR 11 2007

.AVIATION...
DRY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL KEEP MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA IN
THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH LAST NIGHT. LOW
CLOUDS WILL LINGER SOMEWHAT ACROSS OUR NORTHERN BORDER BECAUSE OF
CIRCULATION AROUND THE STRONG SURFACE LOW OVER MISSOURI. SINCE
THIS LOW IS MOVING AWAY FROM THE AREA...DO NOT EXPECT ANY
SIGNIFICANT ADVANCE TOWARD THE SOUTH. AS THE LOW MOVES AWAY...THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RELAX AND WINDS WILL DIMINISH AFTER DARK.
STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL RETURN DURING THE DAYTIME ON
THURSDAY...BUT GUSTS WILL NO BE PREVALENT NOR AS STRONG AS TODAY.
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1050 AM CDT WED APR 11 2007/

UPDATE...
CDFNT CURRENTLY LOCATED ALONG THE MS RVR AND SLOLY HEADING EWD.
GUSTY WLY WINDS BEHIND THE FNT WL CONT TO USHER DRIER AIR INTO THE
FA THIS AFTN. HAVE SEEN GUSTS ABV 30 MPH OVR PARTS OF NRN AR LATE
THIS MRNG...WITH LAKE WIND ADVY ALREADY IN EFFECT INTO THIS EVENING.
UPDATED FCST TO ACCOUNT FOR CURRENT TEMP AND CLOUD TRENDS. EXPECT
LOW CLOUDS TO ROTATE ACRS NRN AR THIS AFTN...ASSOCD WITH FLOW ARND
DEPARTING STORM SYS. PLACED A SLGT CHC OF SPRINKLES IN THE NRN ZNS
FOR THIS AFTN AS WELL. REST OF FCST IN GOOD SHAPE...WITH UPDATES
ALREADY SENT. /44/

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 658 AM CDT WED APR 11 2007/

AVIATION...
A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS.
SHOWERS WILL END IN THE SOUTH AND EAST THIS MORNING. VFR
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH SCT-BKN050 OVER THE AREA BEFORE
CLEARING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN THROUGH THE DAY WITH GUSTY
WEST WINDS. GUSTS TO 25 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL DIMINISH
THIS EVENING AND DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 439 AM CDT WED APR 11 2007/

SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT
MCS DEVELOPED IN CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT...AND TRACKED
ALONG AND NORTH OF A WARM FRONT IN LOUISIANA. LOTS OF REPORTS OF
HAIL WITH THE STORMS.

BY 430 AM...STORMS WERE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...AND HAD
WEAKENED. A FEW SHOWERS LINGERED FARTHER TO THE WEST.

KEPT SMALL POPS IN SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS THIS MORNING...WITH RAPID
CLEARING FROM THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE LOW IN SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI WILL TRACK TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY...AND WILL DRAG A COLD
FRONT THROUGH THE STATE. STRONG/GUSTY WEST WINDS EXPECTED BEHIND
THE FRONT...WITH A LAKE WIND ADVISORY POSTED TODAY.

OTHERWISE...DRY WEATHER AND A WARMING TREND IN THE FORECAST
THROUGH THURSDAY. NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE REGION BY
FRIDAY...WITH INCREASING CLOUDS AND CHANCES FOR MORE PRECIPITATION.

LATEST GUIDANCE SHOWING SYSTEM TRACKING FARTHER SOUTH...SO WILL
NOT GET QUITE AS WARM/UNSTABLE AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. STILL A
SEVERE WEATHER CONCERN...BUT MAINLY OVER SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE
STATE.

BY SATURDAY MORNING...STORMS GONE WITH WRAP AROUND MOISTURE AND
LEFTOVER RAIN. WILL BE COOLER AS WELL TO END THE PERIOD. (46)

LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
HIGH PRESSURE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL BEGIN THE PERIOD OVER ARKANSAS.
THIS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST OF ARKANSAS ON MONDAY AND
RETURN FLOW WILL DEVELOP. THIS WILL IN TURN BRING MORE MOISTURE TO
THE AREA. WILL INCLUDE SMALL POPS IN THE WEST BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT
AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. DECIDED ON CHANCE POPS FOR ALL OF TUESDAY AS
THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES SLOWLY AND MAY EVEN STALL ACROSS ARKANSAS.
TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW NORMAL ON SUNDAY BUT WARMING TO NEAR
NORMAL ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. (51)

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BATESVILLE AR     40  66  46  64 /  10  10  10  80
CAMDEN AR         42  73  52  72 /  10  10  10  80
HARRISON AR       35  64  42  59 /  10  10  20  80
HOT SPRINGS AR    41  71  48  69 /  10  10  10  80
LITTLE ROCK   AR  42  70  50  70 /  10  10  10  80
MONTICELLO AR     41  72  50  74 /  10  10  10  80
MOUNT IDA AR      39  71  45  66 /  10  10  20  80
MOUNTAIN HOME AR  37  64  43  58 /  10  10  20  80
NEWPORT AR        41  66  48  67 /  10  10  10  80
PINE BLUFF AR     42  71  52  72 /  10  10  10  80
RUSSELLVILLE AR   39  68  45  64 /  10  10  20  80
SEARCY AR         42  68  49  69 /  10  10  10  80
STUTTGART AR      43  70  52  71 /  10  10  10  80
&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR 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.

&&

AVIATION...32
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 11, 4:00 AM CST, 9 hours 15 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
500 AM CDT WED APR 11 2007

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-121000-
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-
500 AM CDT WED APR 11 2007

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

HIGH PRESSURE AND DRY WEATHER WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA THURSDAY...AS
A NEW SYSTEM DEVELOPS IN THE ROCKIES. THE NEW SYSTEM WILL APPROACH
FROM THE WEST ON FRIDAY AND CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE.
A WARM AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE IN PLACE...WITH A LOT OF
ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM. IT APPEARS THAT SOME
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTIONS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER INTO EARLY SATURDAY...WITH
COOLER WEATHER TO RETURN FOR NEXT WEEKEND. WARMING TEMPERATURES ARE
THEN EXPECTED FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL APPROACH ON
TUESDAY AND BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON
CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

51

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind, 1 strong wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Baxter

When
April 11, 1:15 PM CST
Where
Baxter forecast zone
Measured
30 kt (35 mph) estimated gust
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.287, -92.337 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A couple went fishing on Lake Norfork (near Jordan) in a flat-bottom johnboat-type vessel. During the day, they fished in a cove. During the afternoon, while attempting to return to their launching point, they got out into the main channel of the lake where winds were producing swells estimated up to four feet high. Waves began going over the front of the boat and eventually swamped the boat. A woman in the boat drowned and her husband was taken by helicopter to the hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and water ingestion.

High Wind, Johnson

When
April 11, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Johnson forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager

A few trees were blown down and a window was blown out at a business.

High Wind, Garland

When
April 11, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Garland forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.577, -93.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were blown down. One tree fell on a house, trapping two people inside. There were no injuries.

Funnel Cloud, Independence

When
April 11, 3:55 PM CST
Where
Independence County, 0.56 mi E of Oil Trough
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
35.630, -91.460

A small funnel cloud was observed to the southeast of Oil Trough. The funnel cloud was far above the ground and was not extending very far down from the base of the cumulus cloud from which it developed.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Strong Wind, Baxter2007-04-1157FemaleBoatingDirect

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, April 2007

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: 14863, 24571, 24573, 24471.