A strong cold front pushed into Northeast Arkansas during the early morning hours of December 15th, 2008. Very shallow arctic air filtered into the region behind the front.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.
A strong cold front pushed into Northeast Arkansas during the early morning hours of December 15th, 2008. Very shallow arctic air filtered into the region behind the front. Rain changed over to freezing rain and sleet. Ice and sleet accumulations occurred with amounts ranging from an quarter of an inch to up to an inch. The ice accumulations made roads hazardous to travel and many accidents occurred as a result.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 11:50 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1150 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008
.UPDATE...
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 06Z TAFS.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
/ISSUED 925 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008/
..WINTER WEATHER GRADUALLY APPROACHING THE MID SOUTH...
DISCUSSION...02Z SURFACE ANALYSIS THIS EVENING PLACES A 999 MB
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. A COLD
FRONT EXTENDS FROM THIS LOW INTO WISCONSIN...ILLINOIS...MISSOURI...WESTERN
ARKANSAS AND INTO NORTHERN TEXAS. AHEAD OF THIS COLD FRONT
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE MID SOUTH AS OF 8 PM ARE IN THE LOWER 60S
WITH MID 60S AS CLOSE AS LITTLE ROCK. WINTER WEATHER PRECIPITATION
TYPE AND AMOUNTS ARE THE MAIN CONCERN IN THIS EVENING UPDATE.
REGIONAL WSR-88D RADAR TRENDS/REGIONAL METAR OBSERVATIONS INDICATE
A LINE OF RAIN SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS FROM
JUST EAST OF SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI TO FORT SMITH ARKANSAS. FURTHER
UPSTREAM VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR WITH TEMPERATURES ALREADY IN THE
SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE ZERO PRESENT ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND WEST
CENTRAL MISSOURI. FREEZING PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF FREEZING
RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW IS MAINLY ALONG THE I-44 CORRIDOR AS OF 9
PM.
LATEST 00Z NAM AND NGM MODEL RUNS INDICATE COLD FRONT WILL
BEGIN TO MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS BETWEEN 06-09Z
AND REACH THE I-40 CORRIDOR AROUND 12Z...AND ACROSS PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AROUND 18Z. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO
OCCUR PRIMARILY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES
LAGGING A BIT BEHIND THE FRONT.
ANALYSIS OF 00Z NAM MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGESTS RAIN WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE TO
FREEZING RAIN AROUND 12Z ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM
KENNETT TO WALNUT RIDGE...AND THEN AROUND 18Z ALONG A LINE
FROM PARIS TO MARIANNA ARKANSAS. (INCLUDING THE MEMPHIS METRO
AREA). WILL WAIT TO UPDATE GRIDS AND FORECAST UNTIL 00Z GFS MODEL
DATA COMES IN TO ADJUST FOR LATEST TRENDS AND WILL KEEP HEADLINES
AS IS FOR NOW.
CJC
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
/ISSUED 323 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008/
..FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH...
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH CONTINUE TO BRING AN
INCREASE IN MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE COMBINATION OF
MOISTURE AND WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...A LINE OF
SHOWERS WITH POSSIBLY A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO
PUSH INTO EXTREME NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL WELL
AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS LINE WILL BE LOCATED ALONG A STRONG COLD FRONT.
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP DRAMATICALLY BEHIND THE FRONT. THERE COULD BE
A 20 TO POSSIBLY EVEN 30 DEGREE DROP BEHIND THE FRONT. THE ARCTIC
AIR BEHIND THE FRONT IS VERY SHALLOW WHICH WILL ALLOW PRECIPITATION
TO TURN OVER TO FREEZING RAIN QUICKLY. THE TRICKY PART OF THE
REMAINS THE ICE ACCUMULATION. FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE
MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...ONCE THE PRECIPITATION TURNS OVER TO FREEZING
RAIN...IT WILL LIKELY STAY FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE UNTIL
AT LEAST TUESDAY POSSIBLY EVEN INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY
WEDNESDAY. THE FREEZING RAIN COULD CHANGEOVER TO SLEET MONDAY NIGHT
BUT OTHERWISE THE THREAT FOR A LONG DURATION FREEZING RAIN EVENT IS
HIGH. THIS COULD MEAN SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ESPECIALLY OVER
PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL. WILL
ISSUE A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR RANDOLPH...LAWRENCE...CLAY...
GREENE AND DUNKLIN COUNTIES BEGINNING AT 9Z TONIGHT. LOWS WILL BE
AROUND 30 DEGREES ACROSS EXTREME NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA
TO THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA.
THE CHANGEOVER TO FREEZING RAIN WILL ALSO OCCUR IN OTHER LOCATIONS
SOUTH OF THE WARNING AREA AS THE COLD FRONT SLIDES THROUGH THE
MIDSOUTH ON MONDAY. THE FREEZING LINE WILL LIKELY SLIDE AS FAR
SOUTH OF A LINE STRETCHING FROM FORREST CITY ARKANSAS TO HUNTINGDON
TENNESSEE BY 00Z TUESDAY. WILL ISSUE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES FOR
THIS AREA BEGINNING AT STAGGERED TIMES AFTER 12Z. CHANGEOVER IN
MEMPHIS IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL 21Z. HIGHS WILL LIKELY OCCUR SHORTLY
AFTER 12Z FOR THE I-40 CORRIDOR. EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO PLUMMET
INTO THE LOWER 30S BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. NORTH MISSISSIPPI
WILL SEE TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S AND
WILL SEE ONLY RAIN BEHIND THE FRONT.
MONDAY NIGHT...THE NAM SOUNDINGS BEGIN TO SHOW THE UPPER CLOUD LAYER
DISAPPEARING WHICH COULD TURN THE EVENT INTO A FREEZING DRIZZLE
EPISODE RATHER THAN FREEZING RAIN. THE ECMWF DOZEN/T SEEM TO DO
THIS SO THIS CAUSES A PROBLEM WITH ACCUMULATIONS. IF THE NAM IS
RIGHT...ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS COULD BE LIGHT.
REGARDLESS...THERE IS STILL A THREAT AT LEAST SOME MINOR ICE
ACCUMULATIONS. DO NOT EXPECT THE FREEZING LINE TO DROP ANY FURTHER
SOUTH MONDAY NIGHT AS TEMPERATURES WILL PROBABLY REMAIN PRETTY STEADY
DURING THE NIGHT. THUS LOCATIONS SOUTH OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR WILL
CONTINUE TO SEE ONLY RAIN OR DRIZZLE.
BY TUESDAY...THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO LIFT BACK NORTHWARD. MODELS
HAVE SLOWED THE PROGRESSION OF THE FRONT NORTHWARD. THUS
TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY STAY AT OR BELOW FREEZING FOR NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE CWA THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY TUESDAY. HOWEVER...BY
LATE AFTERNOON...FREEZING RAIN SHOULD CHANGE BACK TO RAIN AS
TEMPERATURES GO ABOVE FREEZING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL. FREEZING RAIN
ADVISORIES AND THE WINTER STORM WARNING MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED
INTO TUESDAY BUT SINCE ITS STILL TOO FAR OUT...HAVE NOT TAKEN THE
ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS OUT THIS FAR.
TUESDAY NIGHT...FRONT MAY HANG UP NEAR NORTHERN BORDER OF CWA. THIS
COULD KEEP LOCATIONS SUCH AS NORTHERN DUNKLIN COUNTY AND RANDOLPH
COUNTY IN FREEZING RAIN THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. STILL EARLY TO
PINPOINT. MOST OF THE CWA WILL SEE WARMER TEMPERATURES AND CHANCES
FOR RAIN.
BY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...EVERYWHERE SHOULD GO ABOVE
FREEZING AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. THERE
WILL BE CONTINUED CHANCES FOR RAIN BUT ONLY FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS.
THURSDAY... TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARM AS WARM FRONT WILL BE WELL
NORTH OF THE CWA. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING WARM AIR IN FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE 60S POSSIBLY CLOSE TO 70
DEGREES.
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH
MIDSOUTH BRINGING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND MAYBE SOME THUNDERSTORMS
TO THE AREA. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL AGAIN FILTER INTO THE CWA BEHIND
THE FRONT.
NEXT WEEKEND...COLD ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE
MIDSOUTH. EXPECT HIGHS ONLY IN THE 30S IN MOST LOCATIONS. THERE IS
A CHANCE THE FRONT COULD STALL JUST TO THE SOUTH OF CWA THAT WOULD
PUT NORTH MISSISSIPPI IN AN OVERRUNNING SITUATION. WAY TOO EARLY
AT THIS POINT...WILL LEAVE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW.
KRM
&&
.AVIATION...
06Z TAFS
CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE TO MVFR AT ALL LOCATIONS...
KMEM...KJBR...KMKL...AND KTUP BY 09Z...THEN BE MVFR OR BELOW
THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY. CONFIDENCE IS GROWING THAT IFR CONDITIONS
WILL DEVELOP AT KTUP AFTER 12Z.
TIMING OF COLD FRONT HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH...FROM NEAR KJBR AT
0930Z...13/14Z AT KMEM AND KMKL...AND KTUP AROUND 18Z. EXPECT
LIGHT RAIN ALONG THE FRONT. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS
WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KTS WILL SWITCH TO THE NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT.
FREEZING RAIN IS A CONCERN AT KJBR...AND PERHAPS KMEM AND KMKL.
KEPT MENTION OF -FZRA AT KJBR 12-14Z AS BAND OF PRECIP IS
EXPECTED...THEN KEPT VCSH AS THERE SHOULD BE MANY DRY HOURS
UNTIL 00Z. ANY PRECIPITATION AT KJBR AFTER 12Z WILL BE FREEZING
RAIN. WILL MONITOR FOR -FZRA AT KMEM AND KMKL AFTER 16Z...BUT WITH
LOW CONFIDENCE OF ANY PRECIPITATION OCCURRING...LEFT OUT OF TAFS FOR
NOW AND KEPT VCSH WORDING IN TAFS.
MBS
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM 44 47 32 43 / 60 100 100 60
MKL 45 48 29 40 / 60 100 100 60
JBR 33 34 25 32 / 100 100 90 60
TUP 51 52 39 49 / 40 70 90 60
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
CLAY-GREENE-LAWRENCE-RANDOLPH.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 12 PM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
CRITTENDEN-CROSS.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 3 PM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
LEE AR-ST. FRANCIS.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
CRAIGHEAD-MISSISSIPPI-POINSETT.
MO...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
DUNKLIN.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
PEMISCOT.
MS...NONE.
TN...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 12 PM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
CROCKETT-GIBSON-HAYWOOD-HENRY-TIPTON-WEAKLEY.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 9 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
DYER-LAUDERDALE-OBION.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 3 PM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
CARROLL-MADISON-SHELBY.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR
LAKE.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 644 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-151200- ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA- CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER- FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY- ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON- MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT- PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY- ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA- UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 644 PM CST SUN DEC 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL LATE TONIGHT. RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO FREEZING RAIN. ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE MID SOUTH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON MONDAY. PRECIPITATION BEHIND THE FRONT WILL CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN FROM PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS ACROSS THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL INTO NORTHWEST TENNESSEE AND EAST ARKANSAS RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. FREEZING RAIN WILL INCREASE ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY WITH SOME SLEET FROM NORTHEAST ARKANSAS INTO NORTHWEST TENNESSEE. SIGNIFICANT ICING MAY OCCUR IN SOME LOCATIONS. A WINTER STORM WARNING AND FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THE WARNING AND/OR ADVISORIES MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES OR WINTER STORM WATCHES MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. REPORT ANY ICING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MEMPHIS. KRM/CJC
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm, 2 winter weather, 1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Freezing rain changed to sleet. Minor ice accumulations occurred while up to an inch of sleet accumulated on the ground in Clay County.
Freezing rain changed to sleet. Minor ice accumulations occurred while around a half inch of sleet accumulated on the ground in Craighead County.
Freezing rain changed to sleet. Minor ice accumulations occurred while up to an inch of sleet accumulated on the ground in Greene County.
Freezing rain changed to sleet. Minor ice accumulations occurred while around an eighth of an inch of sleet accumulated on the ground in Randolph County.
Freezing rain changed to sleet. Minor ice accumulations occurred while around a quarter of an inch of sleet accumulated on the ground in Lawrence County.
Arctic air moved into the Midsouth during the day on December 15th, 2008. Temperatures dropped into lower 20s by the evening hours. Highs on the 16th did not reach above the upper 20s. One person died after he fell on the way to his vehicle during the late evening hours. He went undiscovered during the overnight hours. He died of hypothermia as a result.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, Craighead | 2008-12-15 | 65 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, December 2008
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: 145227, 145228, 145230, 145231, 145232, 146142.