Arkansas, 2010

Heat in Arkansas, July 18 to 22, 2010

July 18 to 22, 2010 · NWS MEG · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong upper ridge of high pressure built over the Mid-South from July 18th through July 22nd, 2010. Meanwhile, a surface boundary sagged south into Northeast Arkansas that allowed higher dewpoints to pool along the boundary.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
7

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 MEG wrote it up.

A strong upper ridge of high pressure built over the Mid-South from July 18th through July 22nd, 2010. Meanwhile, a surface boundary sagged south into Northeast Arkansas that allowed higher dewpoints to pool along the boundary. The combination of the heat from the ridge and the higher dewpoints produced heat index readings between 105-109 degrees during this period.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 18, 9:53 AM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 9:53 AM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 7:14 AM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Randolph

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 21, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.342, -91.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

Heat, Lawrence

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 21, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.041, -91.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

Heat, Clay

When
July 19, 11:00 AM CST to July 21, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.368, -90.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

Heat, Greene

When
July 19, 11:00 AM CST to July 21, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Greene forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.118, -90.559 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

Heat, Mississippi

When
July 19, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Mississippi forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.764, -90.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

Heat, Craighead

When
July 21, 11:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Craighead forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.831, -90.633 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

Heat, Poinsett

When
July 21, 11:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Poinsett forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.574, -90.663 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index readings ranged between 105-109 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, July 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 250021, 250022, 250023, 250024, 250027, 250025, 250026.