Showers and thunderstorms built into the northwest half of Arkansas through the early morning hours of the 3rd. One to three inches of rain fell across the northern and western counties with locally over four inches.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms built into the northwest half of Arkansas through the early morning hours of the 3rd. One to three inches of rain fell across the northern and western counties with locally over four inches.
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 Mar 3, 11:49 AM CST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1149 AM CST MON MAR 3 2008 .AVIATION... A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH ARKANSAS TODAY WITH A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED AT TIMES WITH LIFR CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES ARE FALLING IN THE NORTH WITH COLDER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT. RAIN WILL MIX WITH SLEET AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON IN THE NORTH BEFORE CHANGING TO SNOW BY EVENING. THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE THROUGH TEXAS AND THEN THROUGH CENTRAL ARKANSAS TONIGHT. BY 18Z THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN KENTUCKY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE NEAR AND BEHIND THE UPPER LOW...MAINLY IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1055 AM CST MON MAR 3 2008/ UPDATE... MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES TO OCCUR ACROSS NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF OVER ONE INCH PER HOUR NOTED PER RADAR ESTIMATES...AND CONFIRMED BY GAGES. OBJECTIVELY ANALYZED DERIVED FIELDS INDICATE THAT SURFACE BASED CAPE WILL BE LIMITED TO EXTREME SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. 55 PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 530 AM CST MON MAR 3 2008/ AVIATION... MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AND AT TIMES WILL LOWER TO LIFR TODAY AND POSSIBLY EXTEND INTO TONIGHT. (GUTIERREZ) PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 316 AM CST MON MAR 3 2008/ DISCUSSION... CONCERNS TODAY WITH MAJOR SYSTEM ARE SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL... STRONG WINDS...FLOODING POTENTIAL...THEN WINTER WEATHER TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. CURRENT TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 AM WITH ONLY STRONG TO ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS OVER EASTERN OK TO NW AR. SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTINUES TO INCREASE AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM AND WILL NEED LAKE WIND ADVISORY TODAY. SURFACE COLD FRONT OVER EASTERN OK MAKING SLOW PROGRESS EAST...WITH PLENTY OF CONVECTION AHEAD OF IT AS UPPER DYNAMICS PUSH OVER THE AREA. HAVE ONLY SEEN WIND GUSTS AND SMALL HAIL WITH STORMS...WITH OVERALL LINEAR LINE OF STORMS. SOME MINOR BOWING SEEN...BUT SO FAR MAINLY A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT EVENT. STILL EXPECT SOME WARNINGS...BUT MORE LIKELY LATER TODAY. 00Z KLZK SOUNDING HAD A VEERING PATTERN...BUT MORE IMPRESSIVE IS LOW LEVEL WINDS OF 30-50 KNOTS GRADIENT LEVEL THROUGH 6K FT. PRECIP WATER VALUE WAS UP TO NEAR ONE INCH. THE UPPER LOW WAS OVER NM AND PIVOTING TOWARD EAST TEXAS WITH FIRST SURGE OF DYNAMICS. MORE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS AR LATER TODAY. DAY ONE SPC OUTLOOK HAS MODERATE RISK OVER SE AR...AND SLIGHT OVER MUCH OF THE STATE. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE EXPANDING FLOOD WATCH TO COVER THE ENTIRE STATE WITH EXPECTED RAINS. A GOOD 1-3+ INCH WIDE BAND WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE. WILL ISSUE LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ALL OF AR WITH PRESSURE GRADIENT AND EXPECTED STRONG SOUTH FLOW. WILL UPGRADE WINTER STORM WATCH OVER FAR NORTH AR TO A WINTER STORM WARNING...WITH EXPECTED 3-5 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH TUESDAY. SOUTH OF THE WARNING...WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR POSSIBLE 1-3 INCHES OF POSSIBLE SNOW...AND POTENTIAL FOR SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. MODELS ARE NOW TAKING THE SURFACE LOW ON A BIT FARTHER SOUTHEAST TRACK THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...WHILE KEEP THE UPPER LOW ON A SIMILAR TRACK RIGHT ACROSS AR. OVERALL WEATHER SCENARIO HAS NOT CHANGED. TODAY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS RAIN...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS... WITH SOME ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON TO EVENING. THE WARM SECTOR WITH THE GREATEST INSTABILITY...LOW LEVEL JET AND UPPER DYNAMICS WILL FOCUS OVER E TX...FAR SOUTHERN AR...TO LA. VEERING PROFILE WILL ALLOW FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES...WITH MAIN THREAT STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME TRAINING AND SLOW MOVEMENT OF STORMS...AND WITH ISOLATED FLASHING FLOODING IN SPOTS. LAKE WIND ADVISORY LEVELS WILL BE REACHED ALL DAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THEN AS THE SURFACE LOW DROPS E-SE... AROUND 00Z TO 06Z...AND THE UPPER LOW MOVES ACROSS AR...COLD AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE NW-N PARTS OF AR. RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE...THEN ALL SNOW LATER TONIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY. LIGHT SNOW COULD CONTINUE IN FAR NORTH AR AS THE DEFORMATION ZONE PULLS TO THE NE THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. THE REST OF THE STATE WILL BE MAINLY DRY...WITH GOOD WRAP AROUND STRATUS FILLING IN...BEFORE THINNING LATE DAY. THEN A WARM UP ON WEDNESDAY. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR...SOME CLOUDS...AND A SMALL CHANCE FOR ANY PRECIP THURSDAY WITH A BOUNDARY SAGGING SOUTH ACROSS AR. HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES IN FOR FRIDAY. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY OVERALL A TRANQUIL PERIOD WILL PREVAIL. MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED AND HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THROUGH THE PERIOD. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PREVAIL. A FEW WEAK SHORT WAVES DO MOVE THROUGH THE MEAN FLOW...WITH SOME LIGHT PRECIP POSSIBLE...BUT AT THIS TIME NOT SIGNIFICANT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 64 28 38 30 / 100 90 30 10 CAMDEN AR 69 35 48 32 / 100 70 20 10 HARRISON AR 52 23 36 28 / 100 90 40 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 63 32 47 31 / 100 70 20 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 67 34 46 31 / 100 80 20 10 MONTICELLO AR 74 37 43 33 / 100 80 20 10 MOUNT IDA AR 60 28 48 30 / 100 70 20 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 54 25 35 28 / 100 90 40 10 NEWPORT AR 62 29 37 32 / 100 80 30 10 PINE BLUFF AR 68 37 43 33 / 100 80 20 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 61 31 43 29 / 100 80 20 10 SEARCY AR 67 34 44 31 / 100 80 20 10 STUTTGART AR 69 35 42 33 / 100 80 20 10 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING 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. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR CLEBURNE-CONWAY-INDEPENDENCE-JACKSON-JOHNSON-LOGAN- NEWTON-POPE-SCOTT-SEARCY-STONE-VAN BUREN-YELL. LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CST TUESDAY 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. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR BAXTER-BOONE-FULTON-IZARD-MARION-SHARP. && AVIATION...51
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 948 AM CST MON MAR 3 2008 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-041100- 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- 948 AM CST MON MAR 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COMPLEX WEATHER SYSTEM CONTINUES TO DEVELOP. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. MEANWHILE...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WILL CONTINUE TO DIG INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY WITH A CLOSED LOW DEVELOPING. GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS IN ADVANCE OF THE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO PULL COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF GULF MOISTURE INTO THE DEVELOPING STORM. AS THE FRONT ADVANCES TOWARDS THIS MOISTURE...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA. HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY TODAY...WITH TWO TO THREE INCH AMOUNTS BEING COMMON OVER THE WEST AND NORTH AS NUMEROUS STORMS COULD MOVE OVER THE SAME GENERAL AREA. SOME AREAS COULD EVEN PICK UP MORE THAN FOUR INCHES OF RAIN...WITH FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR MOST OF ARKANSAS. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF ARKANSAS...WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE. THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. LAKE WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF ARKANSAS TODAY. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR BAXTER...BOONE...FULTON...IZARD...MARION AND SHARP. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTH. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS OR JUST SOUTH OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING AREA. THESE AREAS IN THE ADVISORY WILL GET 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND CLOSED OFF LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY...ONCE THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH. COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE FRONT WITH MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND THE SYSTEM. WITH COLD AIR IN PLACE...SOME SNOW IS LIKELY IN NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE...WITH SOME ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE MAINLY NORTH OF CLARKSVILLE AND SEARCY. ONE OR TWO INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN SECTIONS. SOME SNOW IS POSSIBLE AS FAR SOUTH AS LITTLE ROCK...WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN ARKANSAS. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WILL FINALLY CLEAR THE AREA BY MID DAY TUESDAY. KEEP IN MIND THIS FORECAST MAY STILL CHANGE OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO. STAY INFORMED BY MONITORING THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .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. 51
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:57 UTC.
13 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Arkansas Highway 109 was flooded south of Paris. Short Mountain Road and North Carbon City Road were closed due to flooding.
Crystal Hill Road near Interstate 430 was closed and barricaded due to flooding.
Low water bridges were covered.
Roads were closed at Arkansas Highway 89 and Saltillo, Lower Ridge Road and U.S. Highway 64, 200 block of Arkansas Highway 36 and in front of 286 Crooked Creek. Roads closed in Conway were Tyler Street and Polkein Street.
There was minor flooding with low water crossings covered.
The low water bridges were covered and some gates were closed over the roads.
Flooding occurred at all low water bridges. On Arkansas Highway 123, there was one spot that was impassible. There was one person stranded at their home due to the flooding.
There was an auto accident near Casa due to high water on Casa Mountain Road. High water was reported at Smith Crossing Road.
High water was over Kelly Road and Reed Road, Marche Road, Marche Lateral Road, and a railroad crossing at Arkansas Highway 161 and Trammel. Batesville Pike and Frenchmen Mountain Road was covered by four inches of water.
Lake Norrell Road was flooded. South Shady Road in Benton was flooded.
Arkansas Highway 80 was closed just west of Waldron.
Water was over the low water bridges.
South Cook Road was closed and water was over South Fifth and over Old Highway 10. A few low water crossings were covered.
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, March 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: 78523, 78524, 91270, 91272, 91273, 91275, 91276, 91278, 91285, 91326, 91327, 91329, 91336.