In areas where it was unstable, a round of showers and a few thunderstorms arrived ahead of the severe storms and used up available energy. Even so, there was a tremendous amount of wind aloft and a few storms were able to bring some of this wind to the ground.
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.
In areas where it was unstable, a round of showers and a few thunderstorms arrived ahead of the severe storms and used up available energy. Even so, there was a tremendous amount of wind aloft and a few storms were able to bring some of this wind to the ground.
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 May 7, 1:45 PM CST, 6 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 245 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 .LONG TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY COMPLEX WEATHER SCENARIO CONTINUES TO UNFOLD THIS AFTERNOON WITH UNSETTLED CONDITIONS EXPECTED THE MAJORITY OF THE PERIOD. MOISTURE CHANNEL IMAGERY CLEARLY SHOWING A STRONG MID LEVEL TROF OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THAT HAS BEEN MAKING STEADY PROGRESS TO THE NORTHEAST MOST OF THE DAY. SURFACE REFLECTION IS JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE UPPER LOW AND CURRENTLY LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. SYSTEM EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO LIFT TO THE NORTHEAST EARLY IN THE PERIOD WITH UPPER TROF/CLOSED LOW OVER NORTHEAST ARKANSAS/SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BY MORNING. SURFACE REFLECTION EXPECTED TO BE OVER EXTREME NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING AND MOVE INTO NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT. ATTENDANT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO BE OVER WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS EARLY THURSDAY AND SWEEP ACROSS THE STATE DURING THE DAY...REACHING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY EARLY AFTERNOON AS SURFACE LOW MOVES INTO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. CONVECTIVE COMPLEX FROM LAST NIGHT WORKED AIR MASS OVER PRETTY WELL NORTH AND WEST BUT STILL LOOKING FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA AS SYSTEM LIFTS OUT. SOME STORMS COULD REACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY CONCERN BUT SHEAR PROFILES AND FAVORABLE JET DYNAMICS INDICATE ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. SUCCESSIVE MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO SLOW SYSTEM DOWN SLIGHTLY AND NOW EXPECTING A BROKEN LINE OF CONVECTION TO SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. LIMITING FACTOR COULD BE DRIER AIR ATTEMPTING TO ENTRAIN INTO THE SYSTEM ALOFT BUT BREAKS IN THE OVERCAST TODAY HAVE INCREASED INSTABILITY IN THE CENTRAL AND EAST SO IT MAY BE A WASH. WILL TAPER OFF PRECIPITATION FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST THURSDAY AS SYSTEM MOVES OUT TAKING WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WITH IT. ALL POPS WILL GONE BY THE END OF THE DAY. EVEN WITH MODELS CONTINUING TO KEEP HEAVIEST OF THE RAIN ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW... LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN COULD OCCUR WITH THIS SYSTEM ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH. QUASI ZONAL FLOW RETURNS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT FOR FRIDAY AS NEXT UPSTREAM SYSTEM DIGS THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY STALLS OUT ACROSS THE LOUISIANA BORDER. MODELS DO SWING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY ACROSS THE NORTH FOR A CONTAINING CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION HERE. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO RETURN BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON SATURDAY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS POSSIBLE IN THE DEVELOPING WARM AIR ADVECTION PATTERN. AS AFOREMENTIONED NORTHWEST SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND AMPLIFIES SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT...LOW PRESSURE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON THE FRONT ALONG THE RED RIVER. LOW WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ...DRAGGING ANOTHER COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY AND THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. FOLLOWED THE MAV/MEX NUMBERS PRETTY CLOSE AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES ARE CONCERNED. && .LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT MODELS APPEAR TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL BE OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WITH AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN U.S. TO BEGIN THE PERIOD. THIS WILL PROVIDE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER ARKANSAS. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE MOVING INTO ARKANSAS WITH DRIER AIR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS IN THE ROCKIES MONDAY AND MOVES INTO THE PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE TUESDAY FOLLOWED BY THE COLD FRONT TRAILING FROM THE LOW PRESSURE AREA. INCREASED POPS A BIT FOR TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN FOR WEDNESDAY BUT AN UPPER TROUGH CLIPS THE NORTH SECTIONS AND WILL INCLUDE A SMALL CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 60 76 55 77 / 80 50 20 30 CAMDEN AR 63 81 61 85 / 60 20 10 10 HARRISON AR 58 73 53 77 / 80 50 30 30 HOT SPRINGS AR 61 78 58 83 / 70 30 10 20 LITTLE ROCK AR 61 78 58 82 / 70 40 20 20 MONTICELLO AR 64 81 62 85 / 60 30 10 10 MOUNT IDA AR 60 78 57 83 / 70 20 10 20 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 58 74 52 77 / 80 50 30 30 NEWPORT AR 62 76 56 78 / 80 50 20 20 PINE BLUFF AR 63 80 60 84 / 60 30 10 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 59 76 55 80 / 70 40 20 20 SEARCY AR 61 77 57 79 / 70 50 20 20 STUTTGART AR 63 79 59 82 / 70 40 20 20 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...56 / LONG TERM...51
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 355 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-081000- 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- 355 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WAS NOTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AND INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WERE WELL INTO THE 70S...WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S. FARTHER NORTH...COOLING HAD OCCURRED IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS DUE TO CLOUDS AND SOME PRECIPITATION. IN EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE...DRY AIR WAS BUILDING INTO THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES SURROUNDING HIGH PRESSURE. THE COOL AND DRY AIR ACROSS THE NORTH AND EAST WAS STABILIZING CONDITIONS...AND MAY KEEP SEVERE WEATHER TO A MINIMUM HEADING INTO TONIGHT. MEANWHILE...UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD FROM SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS INTO THE WEST CENTRAL...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN COUNTIES...WITH SEVERE STORMS MORE LIKELY. THIS WILL BE AHEAD OF A STORM SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...WITH THE SYSTEM TRACKING THROUGH NORTHERN ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN CONCERN THROUGH TONIGHT WILL BE STRONG TO DAMAGING WINDS. A SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP...AND WILL MOVE QUICKLY. THIS USUALLY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD FOR WIND DAMAGE. THERE WILL BE COLD AIR ALOFT SURROUNDING THE INCOMING SYSTEM...MAKING IT EASIER FOR ICE TO FORM. GIVEN THIS...LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE. ALSO...WINDS WILL TURN WITH HEIGHT...WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS AND WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ALOFT. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME STORMS TO ROTATE...SO TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING THROUGH THE EASTERN HALF OF ARKANSAS THURSDAY MORNING...PUSHING ANY REMAINING PRECIPITATION OUT OF THE STATE. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT...THEN MOVE BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON SATURDAY. DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE TO THE WEST OF THE AREA WILL BRING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR WITH THESE TWO SYSTEMS...AND THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY SUNDAY. DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR THE EARLY PART OF THE WORK WEEK....AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE REGION. THE FRONT WHICH WILL AFFECT THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT NEAR THE GULF COAST. BY EARLY TUESDAY...THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT...WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WITH SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY IN WEST CENTRAL...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 57/46
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 812 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 ARZ043-044-055-080155- GRANT-PULASKI-SALINE- 812 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR GRANT...PULASKI AND SALINE COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM CDT... AT 811 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF HURRICANE LAKE TO BENTON TO TULL TO POYEN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE FERNDALE...BRYANT...SHINALL MOUNTAIN...MAUMELLE...LITTLE ROCK...NORTH LITTLE ROCK...SHERIDAN AND PINNACLE. FREQUENT...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 855 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 ARZ045-046-080225- LONOKE-PRAIRIE- 855 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR LONOKE AND PRAIRIE COUNTIES UNTIL 930 PM CDT... AT 853 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SOUTH BEND TO TOLTEC MOUNDS STATE PARK TO KEO TO 7 MILES WEST OF ENGLAND...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE PETTUS...FURLOW...CLEAR LAKE... LONOKE AND FAIRVIEW. TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREA. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO EXPECTED REDUCED VISIBILTY DUE TO THE VERY HEAVY RAIN. 44
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:23 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A shop was destroyed. A mobile home was overturned and the roof was blown off of another mobile home. A couple of trees and some limbs were down.
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, May 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: 99141.