Very cold air just before Christmas was replaced by near record high temperatures in the 60s and 70s on the 26th. This was ahead of a storm system riding a southwest wind flow aloft toward Arkansas.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 LZK wrote it up.
Very cold air just before Christmas was replaced by near record high temperatures in the 60s and 70s on the 26th. This was ahead of a storm system riding a southwest wind flow aloft toward Arkansas. Ahead of the system, the atmosphere became rather unstable. A cold front moving through the Plains tapped into this unstable air, and a line of thunderstorms resulted.
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 27, 11:40 AM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1140 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 .AVIATION... A COLD FRONT WAS STRETCHED FROM CENTRAL MISSOURI TO EASTERN OKLAHOMA TO SOUTHERN TEXAS. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TODAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS FRONT. IFR CONDITIONS COULD BE SEEN IN AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL. DRY AND COOLER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE BEHIND THE SYSTEM FOR SUNDAY. && PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 416 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT A COLD FRONT WAS PUSHING QUICKLY THROUGH THE PLAINS EARLY THIS MORNING. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT...AND WILL ARRIVE IN WESTERN ARKANSAS IN A FEW HOURS. MEANWHILE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE POPPING UP IN ABOUT THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE. THESE HAVE NOT AMOUNTED TO MUCH THUS FAR...BUT MAY INTENSIFY AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. THROUGH NOON...THE FRONT WILL SURGE INTO THE STATE...WITH SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE WEST OF LITTLE ROCK. GIVEN THE FAST FORWARD MOVEMENT OF STORMS ALONG THE FRONT...THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. 0-1KM HELICITY VALUES WILL BE HIGH ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ISOLATED TORNADOES...SO CANNOT RULE THIS OUT. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL SPREAD FARTHER EAST AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES...AND INDICATED THIS IN THE FORECAST. THE FRONT WILL EXIT THE STATE THIS EVENING...WITH COOLER AIR TO FOLLOW. IN ADDITION TO SEVERE WEATHER...AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED IN ABOUT THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE STATE. ONE TO TWO INCHES WILL BE COMMON...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS. IT WILL BE WARM AND WINDY TODAY...WITH WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S/70S. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED...WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY EXCEEDING 40 MPH. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE WEST BEHIND THE FRONT. GIVEN THE WINDS...CONTINUED A LAKE WIND ADVISORY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. AFTER THE FRONT GOES BY...THE SKY WILL CLEAR TONIGHT...WITH CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM. A MILD WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT IS EXPECTED...WITH NO ARCTIC AIR PRESENT. WHILE TEMPERATURES WILL BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO SEASONAL...READINGS WILL REMAIN A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL. LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BE OVER ARKANSAS TO BEGIN THE PERIOD. AN UPPER LOW WILL DROP OUT OF CANADA INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT. THE UPPER FLOW OVER ARKANSAS WILL BECOME SOUTHWEST FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT IN THE NORTHERN U.S. THURSDAY...WILL MOVE THROUGH ARKANSAS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND INCREASE RAIN CHANCES. COLD AIR WILL FILTER IN BEHIND THE FRONT AND WILL PUT IN A SLGHT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE NORTH THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 33 55 32 58 / 20 0 0 0 CAMDEN AR 35 57 32 64 / 20 0 0 0 HARRISON AR 28 53 30 60 / 10 0 0 0 HOT SPRINGS AR 32 58 31 62 / 10 0 0 0 LITTLE ROCK AR 35 56 33 61 / 20 0 0 0 MONTICELLO AR 38 57 35 63 / 40 0 0 0 MOUNT IDA AR 30 57 30 62 / 10 0 0 0 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 29 54 29 59 / 10 0 0 0 NEWPORT AR 35 54 34 58 / 30 0 0 0 PINE BLUFF AR 38 57 35 62 / 30 0 0 0 RUSSELLVILLE AR 30 55 31 60 / 10 0 0 0 SEARCY AR 34 55 33 59 / 30 0 0 0 STUTTGART AR 38 56 36 60 / 40 0 0 0 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON 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...60
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1030 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-281100- 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- 1030 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LAKE WIND ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE FOR THE AREA TODAY WITH A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUING THROUGH 2 PM FOR THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE STATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE STATE DURING THE DAY WITH A BROKEN SQUALL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANYING THE BOUNDARY. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT SHOULD MOVE EAST OF THE STATE BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA IS UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. HOWEVER...AREAS NORTH OF A YELLVILLE TO MOUNTAIN VIEW TO BATESVILLE LINE ARE UNDER A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY HIGH PRESSURE AND MUCH DRIER AIR WILL BE OVER ARKANSAS SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MOISTURE WILL RETURN TO THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON TO BRING A CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE AREA INTO FRIDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE FRONT THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE NORTH. STAY CLOSE TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCERNING THIS POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1217 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ARZ003-012-013-021-030-037-271915- BOONE-JOHNSON-LOGAN-NEWTON-SCOTT-SEARCY- 1217 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BOONE...JOHNSON...LOGAN...NEWTON... SCOTT AND SEARCY COUNTIES UNTIL 115 PM CST... AT 1217 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF MODERATE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...FROM LOGAN TO BOONE COUNTY. THE LINE WAS MOVING NORTHEAST...WHILE THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE OVER THE NEXT 1 TO 3 HOURS. PEOPLE IN BOONE...JOHNSON...LOGAN...NEWTON...SCOTT AND SEARCY COUNTIES...INCLUDING BOONEVILLE...RATCLIFF...HARTMAN...HORSEHEAD LAKE...DEVILS KNOB AND OZONE RECREATION AREA...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. 59
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1256 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ARZ003>005-012-013-021>023-030-031-038-271915- BAXTER-BOONE-CONWAY-JOHNSON-LOGAN-MARION-NEWTON-POPE-SEARCY-VAN BUREN-YELL- 1256 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BAXTER...BOONE...CONWAY...JOHNSON... LOGAN...MARION...NEWTON...POPE...SEARCY...VAN BUREN AND YELL COUNTIES UNTIL 115 PM CST... AT 1256 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES EAST OF WESTERN GROVE TO 8 MILES EAST OF BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. PEOPLE IN BAXTER...BOONE...CONWAY...JOHNSON...LOGAN...MARION... NEWTON...POPE...SEARCY...VAN BUREN AND YELL COUNTIES...INCLUDING LONDON...LAKE DARDANELLE...DOVER...RUSSELLVILLE...MARSHALL...LOWER BUFFALO WILDERNESS AREA...HECTOR AND DARDANELLE...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. 55
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:30 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large trees and power lines were down on the south side of Russellville.
A roof was blown off a mobile home on Waterplant Road in Dardanelle.
Trees were down on roads across the city.
A large tree was down on Sheid Road.
Large limbs were down on Arkansas Highway 9.
Limbs were down on roads across the city.
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: 139488, 139489, 139490, 139494, 139491, 139492, 139493.