Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 15 to 16, 2008

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 15 to 16, 2008
Start: 2008-12-15T01:00
End: 2008-12-16T14:00
Location: Arkansas

December 15 to 16, 2008 · NWS LZK · 45 events in 45 counties and zones

A strong Arctic cold front moved across Arkansas on the night of the 14th and the morning of the 15th. Temperatures plunged 25 to 30 degrees in just a few hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 34 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: 45

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 strong Arctic cold front moved across Arkansas on the night of the 14th and the morning of the 15th. Temperatures plunged 25 to 30 degrees in just a few hours. An overrunning pattern soon developed, with warmer, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moving up and over the top of the colder air. The result was freezing rain and sleet over the entire county warning area, with some light snow mixed in over the northern part of the state. The wintry mix began on the morning of the 15th in the northwest part of the warning area, and then spread across the remainder of the area later on the 15th and during the wee hours of the 16th. Precipitation diminished to freezing drizzle on the morning of the 16th and then continued into the afternoon hours. The wintry precipitation brought hazardous driving conditions throughout the area.

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 14, 11:58 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 11:58 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1158 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008

.AVIATION...
ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THIS
BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT...WITH WINDS
TURNING TO THE NORTHWEST AND RAIN ALONG AND AHEAD OF IT. MVFR
CONDITIONS WILL BE NOTED AHEAD OF THE FROPA...WITH PERIODS OF IFR
ALONG THE FRONT AS THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES DECREASE. THERE
WILL BE ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIP...POST FRONTAL. THIS PRECIP WILL
LIKELY BE FROZEN AS TEMPS TAKE A PLUNGE BEHIND THE
FRONT...ESPECIALLY CENTRAL AND NORTH. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE
SOUTHERN TERMINALS COULD SEE SOME SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN...WITH A
CHANCE AT THE END OF THE PERIOD.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 934 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008/

UPDATE...
LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS ARCTIC FRONT BETWEEN HARRISON AND
MOUNTAIN HOME...EXTENDING TO THE SOUTHWEST TO NEAR FORT SMITH.
DIFFERENCE IN AIR MASS QUITE EVIDENT ON SURFACE OBSERVATIONS WITH
HRO DROPPING 18 DEGREES IN ONE HOUR. TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS OVER EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI.

RAIN STILL BEING REPORTED ON SURFACE OBSERVATIONS OVER THE
NORTHWEST BUT MIXED PRECIPITATION NOT TOO FAR TO THE NORTHWEST.
CURRENT TIMING OF THE FRONT LOOKS RIGHT TON TRACK AND SO DO THE
CURRENT PLACEMENT OF WATCHES AND ADVISORIES AND WILL NOT MAKE ANY
WHOLESALE CHANGES AT THIS POINT. WILL UPDATE ALL PRODUCTS FOR
CURRENT TRENDS AND WAIT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NEW MODELS TO
COME IN AND GO FROM THERE.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 535 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008/

AVIATION...
FOR THE MOST PART WINDS HAVE DECREASED...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
NORTH ARKANSAS. HERE THEY WILL REMAIN GUSTY UNTIL THE FRONT MOVES
THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS WILL THEN SWITCH TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND
THE FRONT...WITH A PERIOD OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION AS TEMPS DROP
OFF AFTER PASSAGE. FROZEN PRECIP WILL MAINLY OCCUR IN THE NORTH
HALF OF THE STATE...WITH CHANCES LATER IN THE PERIOD ACROSS KLIT
AND KHOT. SOUTHERN TERMINALS WILL LIKELY ONLY HAVE LIQUID
PRECIPITATION. MVFR CONDITIONS WILL DOMINATE THE PERIOD...WITH
TEMPERARY PERIODS OF IFR.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 424 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008/

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT
AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WAS JUST TO THE NORTHWEST OF ARKANSAS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE STATE
OVERNIGHT...AND WILL TRIGGER SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. MUCH
COLDER AIR WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT...WITH LINGERING MOISTURE.

THERE WILL LIKELY BE A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN/SLEET NORTH AND
WEST OF WALDRON...CLINTON AND HARDY...WITH SOME MINOR ICING OF
BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. POSTED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY OVERNIGHT
IN THESE AREAS.

DRYING WILL OCCUR IN THE NORTHWEST AS THE FRONT SURGES TOWARD THE
GULF COAST ON MONDAY AND STALLS. AREAS OF RAIN WILL BUILD INTO
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...WITH POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN FROM MENA TO
MORRILTON...MOUNTAIN VIEW AND NEWPORT. HAVE A WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY IN THESE AREAS ON MONDAY. AGAIN...ICING IS NOT EXPECTED
TO BE SIGNIFICANT...BUT IT WILL CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS.

MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...A SOUTHWEST WIND FLOW ALOFT
WILL BRING A WEAK STORM SYSTEM TOWARD ARKANSAS FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. THE SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH THE STALLED FRONT...AND
PRECIPITATION WILL BUILD OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE
STATE.

FROM ROUGHLY LITTLE ROCK TO SEARCY AND NEWPORT...AND ON INTO
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...ICE ACCUMULATIONS COULD EXCEED ONE QUARTER
INCH. GIVEN THIS...HAVE POSTED A WINTER STORM WATCH MONDAY NIGHT
INTO TUESDAY MORNING FROM CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE
STATE.

LIGHT FREEZING RAIN COULD CONTINUE TUESDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT ACROSS
THE NORTHERN COUNTIES...WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN FARTHER SOUTH. ANY
ADDITIONAL ICING SHOULD BE MINOR.

TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN MODIFYING FROM THE SOUTH AS THE SHORT TERM
ENDS. OTHERWISE...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED.

LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
THE PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH THE FRONT ALONG THE GULF COAST LIFTING
TO THE NORTH...AND TEMPERATURES ON THE WAY UP. SOME LIGHT FREEZING
RAIN MAY LINGER IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH A
CHANCE OF RAIN ELSEWHERE. BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...ABOVE TO WELL
ABOVE FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED STATEWIDE.

IT WILL BECOME MILD ON THURSDAY AHEAD OF A NEW COLD FRONT TO THE
NORTHWEST. THE FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON/EVENING...WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. THERE MAY BE SOME
THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL...BUT DID NOT ADD TO THE FORECAST AT THIS
TIME.

A SECONDARY SURGE OF COLDER AIR WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT EARLY THIS
WEEKEND...WITH MUCH BELOW TEMPERATURES RETURNING.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BATESVILLE AR     32  39  25  32 /  70  70  60  50
CAMDEN AR         51  52  35  40 /  60  80  50  50
HARRISON AR       23  28  22  31 /  70  40  30  40
HOT SPRINGS AR    39  45  30  35 /  60  70  60  50
LITTLE ROCK   AR  38  45  30  35 /  70  80  70  50
MONTICELLO AR     52  54  36  40 /  60  80  60  50
MOUNT IDA AR      36  42  30  35 /  60  50  40  50
MOUNTAIN HOME AR  25  32  22  30 /  70  40  30  40
NEWPORT AR        34  41  28  33 /  70  80  70  50
PINE BLUFF AR     49  51  33  37 /  60  80  70  50
RUSSELLVILLE AR   33  39  27  33 /  60  50  40  50
SEARCY AR         35  43  29  34 /  70  70  70  50
STUTTGART AR      44  48  32  36 /  60  80  70  50
&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR
CLEBURNE-CONWAY-FAULKNER-INDEPENDENCE-JACKSON-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
POLK-WHITE-YELL.

WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
FOR CLEBURNE-FAULKNER-INDEPENDENCE-JACKSON-LONOKE-PRAIRIE-
PULASKI-SALINE-SHARP-WHITE-WOODRUFF.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR FULTON-IZARD-
POPE-SCOTT-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST MONDAY FOR BAXTER-BOONE-
JOHNSON-LOGAN-MARION-NEWTON-SEARCY.

&&

AVIATION...51

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 14, 8:00 PM CST, 5 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
800 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-151200-
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-
800 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008

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

.DAY ONE...REMAINDER OF TONIGHT

AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT...CURRENTLY OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT.
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SCATTERED
PRECIPITATION ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. READINGS WILL
FALL BELOW FREEZING ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN ARKANSAS BY MORNING
AS THE COLD AIR PLUNGES SOUTH.

WHILE THE TEMPERATURE ON THE GROUND WILL BE BELOW FREEZING...
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL NOT BE. AS A RESULT...THE PRECIPITATION
WHICH WILL START OUT AS LIGHT RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...
WILL TURN INTO A WINTERY MIX ACROSS PARTS OF THE NORTH. A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT NORTH OF A WALDRON TO CLINTON AND
HARDY LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THE FRONT WILL EXIT THE STATE EARLY MONDAY AND WILL REACH THE GULF
COAST BEFORE STALLING OUT MONDAY EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL TEND TO
BUILD INTO INTO SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...WITH DRYING FARTHER NORTHWEST.
PATCHY LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHEAST...BUT THERE COULD BE
SOME POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN TOWARD CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE STATE.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS NORTH OF A
MENA TO PERRYVILLE TO SEARCY TO NEWPORT LINE ON MONDAY.

THE POSSIBILITY OF WINTER WEATHER WILL SHIFT SOUTH AND EAST MONDAY
NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE A SOUTHWEST WIND FLOW ALOFT
DURING THIS TIME...BRINGING A WEAK STORM SYSTEM TOWARD ARKANSAS FROM
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL
INTERACT WITH THE STALLED FRONT...AND PRECIPITATION WILL REDEVELOP
NORTH OF THE FRONT.

FOR MUCH OF MONDAY NIGHT...BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
NORTH OF MURFREESBORO...SHERIDAN AND STUTTGART. AREAS OF FREEZING
RAIN ARE EXPECTED OVER MOST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS...WITH
ICING ON EXPOSED OBJECTS.

AS SUCH...A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS OF CENTRAL
...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WHICH INCLUDES THE LITTLE
ROCK METROPOLITAN AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY.

BY THE TIME THE PRECIPITATION ENDS...ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A TENTH TO
A QUARTER OF AN INCH COULD OCCUR NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE EXTENDING
FROM MOUNTAIN HOME... RUSSELLVILLE ... HOT SPRINGS...AND BRINKLEY.
MORE THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE COULD IMPACT AREAS FROM SEARCY
TO JONESBORO AND INTO NORTHEAST ARKANSAS.

TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO MODERATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...WITH
LITTLE IF ANY ADDITIONAL FREEZING OR FROZEN PRECIPITATION. ANOTHER
COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

&&

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

56

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

31 winter weather, 14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Boone

When: December 15, 1:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Winter Weather, Marion

When: December 15, 1:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.268, -92.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Baxter

When: December 15, 1:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Baxter forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.287, -92.337 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Newton

When: December 15, 3:00 AM CST to December 16, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Newton forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Winter Weather, Johnson

When: December 15, 4:00 AM CST to December 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to less than 1/4 inch at Clarksville.

Winter Storm, Scott

When: December 15, 5:00 AM CST to December 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about an inch at Waldron.

Winter Weather, Logan

When: December 15, 5:00 AM CST to December 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Around 1/4 inch of sleet and freezing rain accumulated at Paris.

Winter Weather, Searcy

When: December 15, 6:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Searcy forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to around 1/4 inch at Marshall.

Winter Weather, Polk

When: December 15, 6:00 AM CST to December 16, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

About 1/2 inch of sleet and freezing rain fell at Bogg Springs.

Winter Storm, Yell

When: December 15, 8:00 AM CST to December 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Yell forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about an inch at Danville. A truck overturned on the Petit Jean River Bridge on Arkansas Highway 7 north of Ola.

Winter Weather, Pope

When: December 15, 8:00 AM CST to December 16, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to approximately 1/2 inch at Russellville. Fifty accidents occurred across the county. Several accidents occurred on South Arkansas Avenue, East Main Street and Interstate 40 near Russellville. A truck carrying chicken overturned on Arkansas Highway 27.

Winter Weather, Montgomery

When: December 15, 8:00 AM CST to December 16, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

About 1/2 inch of sleet and freezing rain fell at Pine Ridge.

Winter Storm, Fulton

When: December 15, 9:00 AM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.382, -91.818 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to a little less than an inch at Salem.

Winter Storm, Van Buren

When: December 15, 9:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Van Buren forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

About 1/2 inch of freezing rain fell, followed by 1/2 inch of sleet, at Clinton. Arkansas Highway 330 south of New Road near Fairfield Bay was completely iced over. Dozens of accidents occurred on U.S. Highway 65, including a pickup that was hauling a gooseneck trailer and jackknifed on Bee Branch Mountain.

Winter Weather, Izard

When: December 15, 9:00 AM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Izard forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.095, -91.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around 1/2 inch of sleet and freezing rain accumulated at Melbourne.

Winter Storm, Cleburne

When: December 15, 10:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Cleburne forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.538, -92.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to 1/2 to 3/4 inch at Heber Springs.

Winter Storm, Stone

When: December 15, 10:00 AM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Stone forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.860, -92.157 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to a little less than an inch at Mountain View.

Winter Storm, Sharp

When: December 15, 10:00 AM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Sharp forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.161, -91.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to between 1/2 and 1 inch at Ash Flat.

Winter Storm, Perry

When: December 15, 12:00 PM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.947, -92.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about an inch at Perryville.

Winter Storm, Conway

When: December 15, 12:00 PM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Conway forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.262, -92.701 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about an inch at several locations in the county.

Winter Storm, Independence

When: December 15, 12:00 PM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Independence forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.742, -91.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, freezing rain, and a little snow accumulated to about 1/2 inch at Batesville and up to 3 inches at South Side.

Winter Weather, Garland

When: December 15, 12:00 PM CST to December 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Garland forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.577, -93.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Forty accidents occurred across the county. The Arkansas Highway 7 South bridge was closed temporarily due to ice. Patches of ice occurred on Arkansas Highway 7 North from Hot Springs Village to the Perry County line, and Arkansas Highway 192 and Arkansas Highway 5 from the Arkansas Highway 7 junction to the Saline County line. An accident occurred at Adcock Road and Douglas Drive. Also, accidents occurred at East and West Glazypeau Roads and Searcy Road.

Winter Storm, Faulkner

When: December 15, 1:00 PM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Faulkner forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.147, -92.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to 1 1/2 inches at Wooster and to 3 inches at Conway. Multiple accidents occurred along U.S. Highway 65. A rollover accident left a woman trapped in her SUV after she spun crossing the Caldron Creek bridge and came to rest upside down in a ditch.

Winter Storm, Jackson

When: December 15, 1:00 PM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.599, -91.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about 3/4 inch at Newport.

Winter Storm, White

When: December 15, 2:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.256, -91.745 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about 2 inches at Searcy. A car slid off an overpass on Arkansas Highway 31 and into a cedar tree. Also, a small truck collided with an empty school bus on Arkansas Highway 31. A car ran off the road on Dewitt Henry Drive.

Winter Storm, Woodruff

When: December 15, 2:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Woodruff forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.186, -91.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to about 1 1/2 inches at Augusta.

Winter Weather, Saline

When: December 15, 2:00 PM CST to December 16, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.647, -92.677 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around 1/2 inch of sleet and freezing rain accumulated at Benton.

Winter Weather, Pulaski

When: December 15, 3:00 PM CST to December 16, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 34.770, -92.312 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet and freezing rain accumulated to 0.3 inch at the National Weather Service in North Little Rock. Little Rock National Airport/Adams Field in Little Rock reported a trace. Multiple accidents occurred on Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 in the Little Rock area.

Winter Weather, Hot Spring

When: December 15, 3:00 PM CST to December 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Hot Spring forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.318, -92.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Bridges and overpasses along Interstate 30 accumulated ice. A multi-vehicle accident occurred at the 98 mile-marker east bound on Interstate 30.

Winter Weather, Lonoke

When: December 15, 5:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Lonoke forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.754, -91.889 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An 18 wheeler slid off U.S. Highway 67/167 in Cabot. Several roads were closed throughout Cabot. Arkansas Highways 89 and 38 saw a number of accidents. Arkansas Highway 321 had icy conditions.

Winter Weather, Prairie

When: December 15, 7:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Prairie forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.830, -91.553 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than 1/4 inch of sleet and freezing rain accumulated at Des Arc.

Winter Weather, Pike

When: December 15, 7:00 PM CST to December 16, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Pike forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.164, -93.656 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Monroe

When: December 15, 8:00 PM CST to December 16, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.678, -91.204 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Clark

When: December 15, 8:00 PM CST to December 16, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 34.051, -93.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple accidents occurred on Interstate 30 in Clark County.

Winter Weather, Drew

When: December 16, 2:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Drew forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 33.589, -91.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dallas

When: December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.970, -92.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cleveland

When: December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Cleveland forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.898, -92.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lincoln

When: December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.958, -91.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Desha

When: December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Desha forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.833, -91.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Calhoun

When: December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.558, -92.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Bradley

When: December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Bradley forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.466, -92.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Grant

When: December 16, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.290, -92.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When: December 16, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.269, -91.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Ouachita

When: December 16, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Ouachita forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 33.593, -92.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Arkansas

When: December 16, 6:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Arkansas forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.291, -91.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
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 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, December 2008

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: 137588, 137589, 137590, 137591, 137593, 137575, 137619, 137592, 137596, 137576, 137594, 137597, 137586, 137595, 137618, 137582, 137585, 137587, 137577, 137578, 137584, 137598, 137579, 137583, 137580, 137581, 137599, 137600, 137605, 137601, 137602, 137604, 137603, 137617, 137616, 137609, 137610, 137611, 137612, 137614, and more.