A strong cold front moved through the Midsouth during the afternoon and evening hours of December 27th, 2008. Showers and thunderstorms developed out ahead of the front.
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 MEG wrote it up.
A strong cold front moved through the Midsouth during the afternoon and evening hours of December 27th, 2008. Showers and thunderstorms developed out ahead of the front. Some of the thunderstorms became severe and produced damaging winds and flash flooding.
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 27, 1:26 PM CST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
126 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008
.DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS WESTERN ARKANSAS THIS
AFTERNOON. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM NORTH-CENTRAL
ILLINOIS TO EAST TEXAS. HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE SUSTAINED WINDS
ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH AS WELL AS MAX TEMPS AND HIGH DEW POINTS GIVEN
THE END OF DECEMBER.
ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO ONGOING FORECAST THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. THE
LINE OF STORMS TO OUR WEST WILL BEGIN TO ENTER THE FORECAST AREA
SHORTLY AFTER 3 PM...AND CONTINUE ITS EASTWARD PROGRESSION. WIND
DAMAGE REPORTS OCCURRING OVER WESTERN ARKANSAS AND SOUTHWEST
MISSOURI AS WELL AS OVER AREAS SURROUNDING ST. LOUIS. THREATS FOR
DAMAGING WINDS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH.
THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA OVERNIGHT. A FEW
LINGERING SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY TOMORROW OVER
SOUTHEASTERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA BEFORE CLEARING. EXPECT
TEMPERATURES TO BECOME NEAR NORMAL AFTER THE FRONT PASSES.
TRANQUIL WEATHER WILL PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. ANOTHER
FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL OCCUR TUESDAY NIGHT BUT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
WILL BE LACKING. THUS NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED WITH THIS
FRONT.
RAIN CHANCES WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY
AHEAD OF YET ANOTHER COLD FRONT TO START OFF NEXT WEEKEND.
AC
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE STRONG AND GUSTY THIS AFTERNOON.
FROPA...MEM 02-04JBR 23-01MKL 03-05TUP 04-06. SCT CELLS TO
DEVELOP AHEAD OF FRONT INTO +TSRA...SOME SEVERE. FRONT TO
PRODUCE WIND STORMS...POSSIBLE TORS. HOUR OR TWO OF RAIN AFTER
FRONTAL PASSAGE...THEN SKIES CLEAR OUT. LEFT WITH NORTHWEST
WINDS AND COOLER TEMPS. AVN INTERESTS WILL HAVE TO WATCH AND
PLAN CAREFULLY.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM 43 55 36 61 / 100 10 0 0
MKL 41 52 30 56 / 100 10 0 0
JBR 35 49 32 55 / 70 10 0 0
TUP 45 56 34 58 / 100 10 0 0
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR CLAY-CRAIGHEAD-
CRITTENDEN-CROSS-GREENE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-
PHILLIPS-POINSETT-RANDOLPH-ST. FRANCIS.
MO...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT.
MS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR ALCORN-BENTON MS-
CALHOUN-CHICKASAW-COAHOMA-DESOTO-ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LEE MS-
MARSHALL-MONROE-PANOLA-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-
TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-YALOBUSHA.
TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR CARROLL-CHESTER-
CROCKETT-DECATUR-DYER-FAYETTE-GIBSON-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-
HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-MADISON-MCNAIRY-
OBION-SHELBY-TIPTON-WEAKLEY.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1014 AM CST SAT DEC 27 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>092-281815- 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- 1014 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL. THE MODERATE RISK IS ROUGHLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A HAYTI TO BLYTHEVILLE TO JONESBORO LINE. A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS FOR MUCH OF WEST TENNESSEE...NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND THE REMAINDER OF EAST ARKANSAS. THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS ALONG AND WEST OF A LEXINGTON TO SELMER TO PONTOTOC TO PITTSBORO LINE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT AREAS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY 5 PM. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL THEN SPREAD INTO NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND WEST TENNESSEE. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD AS A SQUALL LINE DEVELOPS ALONG A SURFACE COLD FRONT. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH UNTIL MIDNIGHT. SOUTH WINDS WILL PERSIST AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE MIDSOUTH AND BY MIDDAY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
139 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0135 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG OLIVE BRANCH 34.95N 89.83W
12/27/2008 DESOTO MS EMERGENCY MNGR
WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH HAVE CAUSED POWER OUTAGES
ACROSS DE SOTO COUNTY.
&&
JABSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 319 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ARZ008-017-272200- RANDOLPH AR-LAWRENCE AR- 319 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 24 MILES NORTH OF DALTON TO 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF STRAWBERRY AT 319 PM CST...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE AND NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED. PEOPLE IN LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BLACK ROCK...HOXIE...LAKE CHARLES STATE PARK...POCAHONTAS AND WALNUT RIDGE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CST. .A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALERT AREA.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 151 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked down trees in Maynard.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines in Piggott.
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: 145258, 145260, 145261, 145262, 145263.