A high pressure ridge was located to the west of Arkansas on the 24th. Low pressure aloft, traveling around the western edge of the high, entered Arkansas and sparked thunderstorms during the morning hours.
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 high pressure ridge was located to the west of Arkansas on the 24th. Low pressure aloft, traveling around the western edge of the high, entered Arkansas and sparked thunderstorms during the morning hours. Isolated storms were severe.
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 Aug 24, 5:42 AM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 642 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SWING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS THIS MORNING...BRINGING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO KBPK AND KHRO. THE PRECIPITATION WILL END LATER THIS MORNING BUT THIS SYSTEM WILL DROP INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND MAY FIRE UP ADDITIONAL CONVECTION LATER TODAY. NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THROUGH THE PERIOD. MVFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTH THIS MORNING WILL BECOME VFR LATER TODAY. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL ELSEWHERE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 425 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT A DIFFICULT FIRST PERIOD FCST IS IN THE CARDS THIS MORNING...THOUGH THE FRI/SAT PART OF THE FCST BECOMES MUCH EASIER...AND QUITE PLEASANT. BUT BEFORE WE GET TO FRI...WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH TWO MORE DAYS OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY OVER MOST OF THE STATE. A LOOSELY ORGANIZED MULTICELL CLUSTER OF STORMS HAS FORMED AT THE NOSE OF A NOCTURNAL LLJ AHEAD OF A WEAK SHRTWV THAT IS TRAVERSING MO. IT APPEARS THE STRONGEST PART OF THIS SYSTEM WILL JUST CLIP THE NERN CORNER OF THE LZK CWA AS THE COLDEST TOPS ARE MOVING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF AN IMPRESSIVE 5000 PLUS J/KG MUCAPE BULLSEYE CENTERED NEAR THE BOOTHEEL OF MO. THIS SAID...RUC MESOANALYSIS ANALYZED MUCAPES OVER 4000 J/KG IN NRN WILL ALSO LIKELY CONTINUE TO LEAD TO EXPANSION OF SRN MO CONVECTION INTO NRN AR THIS MORNING AND HAVE BUMPED POPS UP TO ACCOUNT. GIVEN THAT THE NOSE OF THE LLJ IS FOCUSED OVER NRN AR...SOME BACKBUILDING COULD OCCUR TO THE WEST OF THE MAIN CLUSTER AND THIS WILL BE WATCHED OVER THE NEXT FEW HRS AS HIGH PWATS AND THE EVER PRESENT DEEP WARM CLOUD LAYER WILL SUPPORT EXCELLENT PRECIPITATION EFFICIENCY. THE MOVEMENT OF THE REMNANTS OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE AFTERNOON FCST ACROSS AR TODAY. THE BEST GUESS AS OF NOW IS THAT TEMP RECOVERY WILL OCCUR IN THE NORTH WITH CLEARING SKIES BEHIND MORNING CLOUD COVER. THE PICTURE IS...PARDON THE PUN...A BIT CLOUDIER OVER THE CEN AND SOUTH AND HAVE ATTEMPTED TO TIME CLOUD COVER THROUGH THE CWA. THIS RESULTS IN LOWERING HIGH TEMPS BY SEVERAL DEGREES IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE TODAY. AREAS THAT SEE MUCH SUNSHINE WILL LIKELY SEE MLCAPES EXCEED 3000-4000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON. THEREFORE...HAVE BOOSTED POPS IN THE CEN AND SOUTH TO 30 PERCENT AS THE AFOREMENTIONED WEAK SHRTWV COULD VERY WELL COMBINE WITH ANY RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BNDRYS TO PROMOTE NEW DVLPMENT. THOUGH HAVE LOWERED TEMPS IN SEVERAL AREAS...WILL LEAVE HEAT ADVISORY AS IS WITH INCREASED MOISTURE MAKING UP SOME OF THE DIFFERENCE WITH VERY MUGGY CONDS EXPECTED TODAY. FOR TONIGHT AND THU...HAVE LEFT JUST SLIGHT CHC POPS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE. THE FRONT SHOULD CLEAR THE STATE BY 00Z FRI...USHERING IN MUCH MORE PLEASANT WX. IN FACT...FRIDAY LOOKS TO BE A GORGEOUS DAY WITH DEEP BLUE SKIES AND PROBABLY NOT EVEN A PUFF OF CU. A FEW MID TO HIGH CLOUDS COULD IMPACT THE NW CWA SAT BUT PRECIP CHCS WILL BE NEAR NIL BOTH FRI AND SAT WITH HIGHS ONLY REACHING FROM THE 80S NORTH TO MID 90S SOUTH. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MODELS ARE ACTUALLY IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH THE MEDIUM RANGE AS PATTERN DOMINATED INITIALLY BY TROPICAL SYSTEM IRENE AND OVERALL BY STRONG UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE TO THE WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. MODELS ALSO IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN MOVING A SIGNIFICANT TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF STATES EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH AN ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. WITH NO SIGNIFICANT MODEL DIFFERENCES THAT WOULD EFFECT OUR SENSIBLE WEATHER...WILL USE A BLEND OF FORECAST SOLUTIONS THIS MORNING. WITH RIDGING REMAINING WEST OF THE AREA...NORTH TO NORTHWEST UPPER FLOW WILL PREDOMINATE THROUGH THE PERIOD. AFTER A DRY SUNDAY...THE AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH WILL PASS WELL TO THE NORTH MONDAY WITH ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING THROUGH LATE MONDAY. FRONT NOT OVERLY DYNAMIC AND WILL BE LACKING MOISTURE AND ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS CAN BE JUSTIFIED AND EVEN THEN...THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER THE NORTH. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS FOR TUESDAY. CONCERNING TEMPERATURES...MAV/MEX NUMBERS INDICATE READINGS WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO NORMAL FOR LATE AUGUST WITH DEW POINTS LOWER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN OF LATE WITH SURFACE FLOW GENERALLY KEEPING SOME TYPE OF NORTHERLY COMPONENT. GUIDANCE FOLLOWED PRETTY CLOSELY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 93 74 93 66 / 100 20 10 10 CAMDEN AR 100 75 101 70 / 40 20 20 10 HARRISON AR 97 72 91 62 / 20 20 10 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 98 75 98 69 / 30 20 20 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 95 77 96 70 / 60 20 20 10 MONTICELLO AR 99 75 100 70 / 40 20 20 10 MOUNT IDA AR 99 74 98 67 / 30 20 20 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 96 71 92 63 / 30 20 10 10 NEWPORT AR 94 74 93 65 / 100 20 20 10 PINE BLUFF AR 96 75 97 70 / 50 20 20 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 99 75 96 66 / 60 20 10 10 SEARCY AR 94 75 92 67 / 100 20 20 10 STUTTGART AR 95 75 94 68 / 60 20 20 10 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ARKANSAS-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-CONWAY- DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-INDEPENDENCE- JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-MONROE-MONTGOMERY- OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-VAN BUREN-WHITE-WOODRUFF-YELL. && SHORT TERM...56 / LONG TERM...63
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 500 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-241000- 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- 500 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A CLUSTER OF STRONG STORMS WILL JUST CLIP THE NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. THE WEAK SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AS IT COMBINES WITH ANY RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS DURING THE PEAK OF DAYTIME HEATING. WHILE SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS THE PRIMARY CONCERN...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS REMAIN ACROSS THE STATE...WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING WELL INTO THE 90S FOR THIS AFTERNOON. AS A RESULT...HEAT INDICES WILL INCREASE TO NEAR AND ABOVE THE CENTURY MARK AT MANY LOCATIONS DURING THE PEAK HEATING OF THE AFTERNOON. AS SUCH...A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE AREA EXCEPT THE FAR NORTH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE ON THURSDAY. WHILE WIDESPREAD AND ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE PEAK HEATING OF THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING A STRONG STORM WILL BE OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH. BY THE WEEKEND...THE FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH OF THE STATE WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIR EXPECTED TO FILTER INTO THE STATE. THIS WILL CAUSE THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION TO BE LOW OVER THE WEEKEND. THE DRIER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR WILL ALSO KEEP AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES COOLER THAN EARLIER IN THE WEEK. ANOTHER WEAK FRONT WILL APPROACH FOR MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
324 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011
ARZ006-007-240910-
FULTON AR-SHARP AR-
324 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN SHARP AND
NORTHEASTERN FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 415 AM CDT...
AT 321 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BRITTON HILL...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
THAYER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SADDLER FALLS... WIRTH... SITKA...
SELLERS STORE... OZARK ACRES... ARMSTRONG...
VAGABOND LAKE... MANY ISLANDS... LAKE SHERWOOD...
KING... HWY 58 AND US 62 JCT...
BRITTON HILL...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
LAT...LON 3646 9135 3643 9134 3642 9130 3640 9130
3637 9126 3634 9127 3632 9125 3625 9125
3623 9133 3640 9160 3651 9152 3651 9141
TIME...MOT...LOC 0825Z 303DEG 18KT 3643 9145
56SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 340 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ARZ004-005-013-015-240925- BAXTER AR-IZARD AR-MARION AR-SEARCY AR- 340 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN SEARCY...EASTERN MARION...EXTREME WESTERN IZARD AND SOUTHERN BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 430 AM CDT... AT 338 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PINE MTN...OR NEAR BULL SHOALS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BULL SHOALS... SHIPP... RUSH... PUSH MTN... PRICE PLACE... OZARK ISLE... NORFORK... LOWER BUFFALO WILDERNESS AREA... LION HILL... LAKEVIEW... HERRON... GASSVILLE... FLIPPIN... COLFAX... CARTNEY... BULL SHOALS SP... ADVANCE... SUMMIT... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3614 9218 3598 9250 3641 9280 3651 9261 TIME...MOT...LOC 0840Z 329DEG 22KT 3638 9265 /56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
428 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011
ARZ007-241015-
SHARP AR-
428 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN SHARP COUNTY UNTIL 515 AM
CDT...
AT 424 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR HWY 58 AND US
62 JCT TO SHELBYVILLE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WILLIFORD... SITKA... SELLERS STORE...
OZARK ACRES... NELSONVILLE... GRANGE...
AETNA... VAGABOND LAKE... STREET LAKE...
SHELBYVILLE... HWY 58 AND US 62 JCT...
CEDAR LAKE...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
LAT...LON 3630 9125 3625 9125 3624 9132 3622 9134
3589 9135 3589 9145 3589 9146 3593 9146
3594 9147 3637 9140
TIME...MOT...LOC 0928Z 299DEG 24KT 3624 9131 3594 9136
/56SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 451 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ARZ004-005-015-241020- BAXTER AR-IZARD AR-MARION AR- 451 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN MARION...EXTREME NORTHWESTERN IZARD AND SOUTHERN BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 515 AM CDT... AT 449 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HERITAGE ESTATES...OR 6 MILES SOUTH OF MOUNTAIN HOME...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MOUNTAIN HOME... SHIPP... SALESVILLE... RODNEY... PUSH MTN... NORFORK DAM... NORFORK... HERRON... GASSVILLE... COLFAX... CARTNEY... BRIARCLIFF... ADVANCE... LONE ROCK... JORDAN... BUFORD... BUFFALO CITY... WILD HOG MTN... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3624 9213 3604 9233 3624 9253 3638 9241 TIME...MOT...LOC 0952Z 308DEG 16KT 3625 9238 64
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 518 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ARZ005-006-014-015-241105- BAXTER AR-FULTON AR-IZARD AR-STONE AR- 518 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN STONE...NORTHWESTERN IZARD...EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN FULTON AND SOUTHERN BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 600 AM CDT... AT 515 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BIRDSONG MTN...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOUNTAIN HOME...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WIDEMAN... SHIPP... SALESVILLE... RODNEY... PINEVILLE... NORFORK DAM... NORFORK... HERRON... GORBY... DIAMOND BAY... CULP... CARTNEY... CALICO ROCK... BRIARCLIFF... OPTIMUS... LONE ROCK... JORDAN... DOLPH... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3612 9191 3594 9212 3624 9245 3637 9230 TIME...MOT...LOC 1018Z 313DEG 15KT 3625 9230 /56
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
752 AM CDT WED AUG 24 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0743 AM TSTM WND GST 2 S SEARCY 35.21N 91.74W
08/24/2011 M47 MPH WHITE AR ASOS
&&
57The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:54 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down, causing power outages in Cabot.
A tree was blown down on U.S. 70.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2011
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: 325880, 331618.