A stalled front in Arkansas became active as low pressure moved in on the 16th. The result was the development of severe storms in central and southern sections during the afternoon.
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.
A stalled front in Arkansas became active as low pressure moved in on the 16th. The result was the development of severe storms in central and southern sections during the afternoon. Isolated severe storms redeveloped on the 17th.
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 16, 5:49 AM CST, 7 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 649 AM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 .AVIATION... FLIGHT CONDITIONS RATHER LOW THIS MORNING WITH WIDESPREAD IFR AND LIFR CONDITIONS PRESENT. EXPECT CIGS AND VSBY TO LIFT TO MVFR LEVELS ALL SITES AROUND 16Z. EXPECT -TSRA TO AFFECT ALL SITES TODAY...BETWEEN 17-20Z FOR WESTERN MOST SITES AND 20-23Z FOR SITES SOUTH AND EAST OF KLIT. MVFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR IN THE VICINITY OF CONVECTION. FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHIFTS EAST OF AREA THIS EVENING AND WILL SEE VFR CONDITIONS SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE STATE AFTER 00Z. HOWEVER...WITH FRESH RAINFALL TODAY...MVFR OR EVEN IFR CIGS AND VSBY WILL LIKELY OCCUR OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AS AIR MASS STABILIZES ONCE AGAIN. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 357 AM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010/ DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERNS THIS FORECAST CYCLE ARE FIRST AND SECOND PERIOD RAIN CHANCES...WITH STILL SOME THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING. LOW RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS TODAY. THEN NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN WEDNESDAY WITH SHORTWAVE SYSTEM. CURRENT AREA 88D RADARS HAVE CONVECTION WELL EAST OF CWA...AND WEST OF CWA. PRECIP OVER OK WILL MOVE EAST AND REACH WESTERN PARTS OF CWA THIS MORNING...THEN OVERSPREAD ALL CWA. SURFACE ANALYSIS HAS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY GENERALLY A SW TO NE ALIGNMENT BUT IS A BIT WASHED OUT. SURFACE LOW WAS FORMING OVER SE OK AND IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN MOVE TODAY AS THE UPPER PATTERN CATCHES UP WITH IT. THE UPPER LOW WAS OVER THE WESTERN PLAINS AND ROTATING EAST. MODELS DO DEEPEN IT AS IT MOVES EAST OVER THE NEXT 12 HRS. 00Z KLZK SOUNDING CONTINUED MOIST WITH A PRECIP WATER VALUE AROUND 1.5 INCHES. SOME PATCHY DENSE FOG WAS NOTED AND WILL MONITOR FOR POSSIBLE ADVISORY. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL KEEP POP HIGH TODAY WITH EXPECTED INTERACTION WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE. DUE TO AREAS OF SATURATED GROUND AND PRECIP WATER VALUES AROUND 1.5 INCHES...WILL KEEP FLASH FLOOD WATCH GOING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. OVERALL SEVERE THREAT TODAY IS LOW...AND SPC SLIGHT RISK DOES COVER ABOUT SOUTHERN HALF OF AR. MODELS DO DEEPEN THE SHORTWAVE OVER MO TO AR SUNDAY TO SUNDAY NIGHT AS IT MOVES EAST. POPS WILL BE TAPERED OFF OVERNIGHT SUNDAY AS THIS MOVES EAST AND THE COLD FRONT MOVES OUT OF AR WITH SOME DRIER AND COOLER AIR FILTERING IN OVER THE AREA AS SURFACE RIDGING BUILDS IN. THEN DRY AND COOLER MUCH OF MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ON WEDNESDAY A SHORTWAVE IS DEPICTED BY THE MODELS AND MOVES OUT OF THE SW PLAINS AND SPREADS SOME PRECIP TO WESTERN AREAS. GRADUAL LOW POPS ARE BACK IN THE FORECAST...BUT MOISTURE MAY BE LIMITED FOR MUCH COVERAGE OR RAIN AMOUNTS. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GUIDANCE STILL SHOWS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM SLIDING EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON THURSDAY...THOUGH DETAILS IN IT/S PLACEMENT ARE YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE GFS HAS THE UPPER TROUGH CENTERED OVER SW KANSAS...WHILE THE EURO KEEPS THE UPPER SYSTEM BASED OVER TEXAS. SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE SOLUTIONS AND WENT WITH A BROADBRUSH APPROACH TO POPS...GOING WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR THURSDAY AND THE FIRST PART OF FRIDAY. BY FRIDAY EVENING THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM SHIFTS EAST OF THE AREA FOR DRIER CONDITIONS GOING INTO THE WEEKEND. AN UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BUILD OVER THE AREA FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR HIGHS POTENTIALLY IN THE UPPER 80S. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 78 60 78 54 / 60 50 10 10 CAMDEN AR 82 64 81 59 / 60 40 10 10 HARRISON AR 73 53 72 51 / 60 50 10 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 78 61 80 58 / 60 40 10 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 79 61 80 58 / 60 40 10 10 MONTICELLO AR 82 64 82 61 / 60 40 10 10 MOUNT IDA AR 77 60 79 57 / 60 40 10 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 73 55 73 51 / 70 50 10 10 NEWPORT AR 80 61 79 57 / 60 50 10 10 PINE BLUFF AR 81 63 81 60 / 60 40 10 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 76 58 77 54 / 60 40 10 10 SEARCY AR 79 61 79 57 / 60 50 10 10 STUTTGART AR 81 62 81 60 / 60 40 10 10 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 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. && AVIATION...64
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 459 AM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-171000- 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- 459 AM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND SCATTERED MODERATE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL...ALTHOUGH HAIL AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO OCCUR. DUE TO LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINS OVER THE PAST 36 HOURS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS FROM STORMS THIS AFTERNOON COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD TAPER OFF BOTH IN INTENSITY AND IN COVERAGE IN THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY RELATIVELY BENIGN WEATHER SHOULD OCCUR THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...HOWEVER ANOTHER DISTURBANCE MOVING INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY MORNING COULD SPARK OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1157 AM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 ARZ030-037-161740- LOGAN-SCOTT- 1157 AM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LOGAN AND SCOTT COUNTIES UNTIL 1240 PM CDT... AT 1156 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BOLES...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... WALDRON...PARKS...LONE ELM...ELM PARK...LUCAS...OLIO...GOLDEN CITY... NEEDMORE...HARVEY... 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. BJS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1243 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 ARZ030-161825- LOGAN- 1243 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LOGAN COUNTY UNTIL 125 PM CDT... AT 1239 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BOONEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. SEVERAL SIGHTINGS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THOUGH CONDITIONS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR TORNADOES... BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE BROWNSVILLE..RATCLIFF...PARIS AND SUBIACO...CARBON CITY. TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO EXPECT REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO THE VERY HEAVY RAIN. BJS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
107 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 AM TSTM WND DMG PINE BLUFF 34.21N 92.02W
05/15/2010 JEFFERSON AR PUBLIC
SEVERAL WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF A LOCAL GROCERY STORE.
SOME STREET SIGNS IN THE AREA WERE BENT...WITH A NUMBER
OF LARGE TREE LIMBS ALSO KNOCKED DOWN.
&&
DELAYED REPORT FROM SATURDAY MORNING.
44The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:21 UTC.
11 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The emergency dispatch center received approximately 15 reports of golf ball size hail throughout Perry County.
Many trees were blown down in the Thornburg Mountain area and five homes suffered minor damage at Big Rock Estates.
Hail broke windows on five homes.
Hail up to 2 inches in diameter broke windows, dented and tore siding, damaged roofs, broke windshields, and ruined gardens in the Union Valley community.
Quarter and golf ball size hail covered Arkansas Highway 9. The ground in yards and in the woods was so white from hail that it was described as looking like snow had fallen.
Power lines were blown down onto a shed, causing the shed to catch fire.
Trees were blown down.
Dozens of trees were blown down in the Roland area.
Trees were blown down.
Nickel size hail fell in Sherwood.
In Sherwood, a business had its roof blown off and two porches destroyed, the roofs of two other businesses were damaged, the roof of an apartment building had shingles peeled off, and a few trees were blown down.
Pea size hail increased to half dollar size near Little Rock Air Force Base.
Three cars were stalled in high water on School Drive near U.S. Highway 67/167 in Jacksonville. Street flooding occurred near Little Rock Air Force Base. The area around the railroad underpass on Arkansas Highway 161 was flooded, as was Dupree Park.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Thornton.
Hail ranging from pea to penny size fell in Searcy.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, May 2010
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: 223984, 223995, 224009, 224011, 223985, 223996, 223997, 223999, 224001, 224000, 224235, 223989, 223994, 223991, 223993, 223988, 224231, 223998, 224233.