Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 23, 2008

Name: Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 23, 2008
Start: 2008-12-23T04:00
End: 2008-12-23T17:00
Location: Arkansas

December 23, 2008 · NWS LZK · 40 events in 40 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 29 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: 40

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.

An Arctic air mass was retreating on the 23rd, but before temperatures could rise above freezing, warmer, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moved over the top of the cold air. The result was freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet over most areas. Although precipitation amounts were small, an icy glaze developed on many bridges and overpasses, as well as other elevated roadways. Hazardous driving conditions developed quickly, in time for the morning rush hour in most areas. Hundreds of vehicle accidents resulted. From late morning into the afternoon hours, temperatures gradually rose above freezing, putting an end to the icy conditions.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

40 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.269, -91.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Police shut down a five mile stretch of Interstate 530 after a tractor-trailer jackknifed and blocked the southbound lanes. Sixteen traffic accidents occurred on Interstate 530 in a 3 hour period.

Winter Weather, Arkansas

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Arkansas forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 34.291, -91.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lincoln

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 33.958, -91.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Desha

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Desha forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 33.833, -91.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Drew

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Drew forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 33.589, -91.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Grant

When: December 23, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 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, Pike

When: December 23, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 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, Clark

When: December 23, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.051, -93.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Seven traffic accidents occurred across the county. One incident involved a vehicle rolling over near the 63 mile marker of the eastbound lane of Interstate 30 on an icy bridge. Another incident closed down both lanes of Interstate 30. Another car lost control and hit a bridge at the 54 mile marker of Interstate 30.

Winter Weather, Johnson

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Pope

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Winter Weather, Logan

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Yell

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Yell forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The emergency manager reported that 15 to 20 vehicle accidents occurred in less than 75 minutes. The icy roads caused several vehicles to slide off into ditches on Yell County roads. An 18-wheeler loaded with chickens overturned on Arkansas Highway 27 near Dardanelle, blocking both lanes of traffic.

Winter Weather, Polk

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Montgomery

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Winter Weather, Garland

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Garland forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.577, -93.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Icy roads caused at least 18 accidents across the county. Ice was noted on the on and off ramps at U. S. Highway 70/270 at McLeod Street, and at the intersection of Malvern Avenue and Westinghouse Drive.

Winter Weather, Saline

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.647, -92.677 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thirty five accidents were reported across the county. Numerous bridges and overpasses had to be closed due to ice.

Winter Weather, Hot Spring

When: December 23, 7:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hot Spring forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.318, -92.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Boone

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Winter Weather, Marion

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 36.268, -92.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Baxter

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 2:30 PM CST
Where: Baxter forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 36.287, -92.337 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

U.S. Highway 62 and Arkansas Highway 5 north of Mountain Home were shut down due to winter weather. Arkansas Highway 178 in Lakeview also had problems with ice. Between 40 and 50 accidents occurred across the county. A truck overturned and a tractor-trailer jackknifed on Arkansas Highway 5 North. Two tractor-trailers had a head-on collision on Arkansas Highway 101 two miles north of Gamaliel.

Winter Weather, Fulton

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 36.382, -91.818 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five accidents occurred in Fulton County. A delivery truck rolled over near the Sharp County line. A highway department vehicle turned over near the Baxter County line. A dump truck overturned due to the conditions. U.S. Highway 62 from Viola to the Fulton-Baxter County line was closed due to ice.

Winter Weather, Sharp

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Sharp forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 36.161, -91.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Newton

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Newton forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Searcy

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Searcy forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Stone

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Stone forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.860, -92.157 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Izard

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Izard forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 36.095, -91.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Van Buren

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Van Buren forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

A tour bus skidded into a power pole and struck dangling electric lines. The contact started a fire that consumed the entire bus.

Winter Weather, Conway

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Conway forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.262, -92.701 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Faulkner

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Faulkner forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.147, -92.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Woodruff

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Woodruff forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.186, -91.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Scott

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Perry

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.947, -92.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pulaski

When: December 23, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.770, -92.312 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

More than 200 vehicle accidents occurred in the county.

Winter Weather, Cleburne

When: December 23, 8:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Cleburne forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.538, -92.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lonoke

When: December 23, 8:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Lonoke forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.754, -91.889 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Prairie

When: December 23, 8:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Prairie forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.830, -91.553 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Monroe

When: December 23, 8:00 AM CST to 1:00 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, White

When: December 23, 8:30 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 35.256, -91.745 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Independence

When: December 23, 9:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Independence forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.742, -91.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jackson

When: December 23, 9:00 AM CST to 1:30 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.599, -91.215 (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.

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 138861, 138862, 138865, 138866, 138867, 138860, 138863, 138864, 138837, 138838, 138843, 138849, 138851, 138852, 138853, 138854, 138859, 138828, 138829, 138830, 138831, 138832, 138833, 138834, 138835, 138836, 138839, 138844, 138845, 138847, 138848, 138850, 138855, 138840, 138856, 138857, 138858, 138846, 138841, 138842.