Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 6 to 7, 2011

Name: Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 6 to 7, 2011
Start: 2011-02-06T20:00
End: 2011-02-07T11:00
Location: Arkansas

February 6 to 7, 2011 · NWS LZK · 28 events in 28 counties and zones

Rain fell over Arkansas on the 6th. During the night of the 6th and the morning of the 7th, colder air spread across the state, changing the precipitation to snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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: 28

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 LZK wrote it up.

Rain fell over Arkansas on the 6th. During the night of the 6th and the morning of the 7th, colder air spread across the state, changing the precipitation to snow. The snow exited the area around midday on the 7th. Most snowfall amounts were in the range of 1 to 2 inches, but there were spotty 3 inch amounts, especially from Greers Ferry Lake to Mountain View and Batesville.

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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 6, 5:25 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 6, 5:25 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
525 PM CST SUN FEB 6 2011

.AVIATION...
CLOUDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE STATE FROM THE NW TONIGHT...LOWERING TO
MVFR AND THEN IFR DURING THE NIGHT. AS COLDER AIR SPREADS IN FROM
THE NW OVERNIGHT...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW. THIS SHOULD BE A
FAIRLY QUICK CHANGEOVER...BUT THERE COULD BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF ICE
PELLETS DURING THE CHANGE. SNOW SHOULD END IN NRN TAF SITES AROUND
DAWN...IN CENTRAL AR AROUND MID MORNING MON...AND IN THE E BY
AROUND MIDDAY MON. AFTER SNOW MOVES OUT...CLOUDS WILL GRADUALLY
LIFT TO VFR AROUND MIDDAY OR EARLY AFTERNOON.
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 333 PM CST SUN FEB 6 2011/

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...

ANOTHER TRICKY SNOW FORECAST ON TAP TONIGHT AS TIMING OF TRANSITION
FROM RAIN TO SNOW AND ABILITY TO ACCUMULATE ON THE WARM GROUND WILL
BE THE DIFFERENCE BTW A HALF INCH OF SNOW AND MAYBE 4-5 INCHES IN
THE ERN CWA. BELIEVE THE INITIAL STRUGGLE TO ACCUMULATE TONIGHT WILL
BE THE BIGGEST LIMITING FACTOR GIVEN PRECEDING RAINY CONDS AND THE
WARM GROUND TEMPS. HAVE TAKEN A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD APPROACH WITH 1
TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW FROM THE LR METRO NEWD. PLEASE SEE WSWLZK FOR
FURTHER DETAILS. THE MODEL TRENDS HAVE BEEN TOWARD MORE PRECIP AND
THE LATEST NAM CONTS TO SHOW A BETTER AND BETTER DEFINED TROWAL ON
THE BACK SIDE OF THE SFC LOW MON MORNING OVER ERN AR. ALSO...A
DEFORMATION AXIS HAS SET UP IN NRN OK AND NRN AR AND THIS COULD
PRODUCE 1 TO 2 INCHES IN THESE AREAS AS WELL. OVERALL...A BLANKET
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF THE CWA SHOULD COVER MOST AREAS.
THE NRN TIER THAT HAS BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE ADV WILL NEED TO BE
WATCHED CLOSELY AS IF THE DEFORMATION ZONE WADDLES NORTH...A QUICK
INCH COULD BE SEEN IN THESE PLACES AS WELL. THE SNOW WILL MOVE OUT
OF THE CWA AROUND MIDDAY MON...LEAVING BEHIND DRY WEATHER UNTIL LATE
TUE NIGHT.

HAVE LEFT TEMPS PRETTY WELL ALONE AND SLOWED PRECIP TIMING FOR TUE
NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. WE VERY WELL MAY NOT SEE ANY SNOW
UNTIL AFTER DAYBREAK WED IN MOST AREAS.

LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

A STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK ALONG THE GULF COAST DURING THE
MIDWEEK TIME FRAME...WITH A WINTER STORM UNFOLDING ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN UNITED STATES.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS ON
WEDNESDAY...WITH PERHAPS A RAIN/SNOW MIX INITIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN
COUNTIES. QPF IN SEVERAL MODELS IS ENOUGH TO INDICATE AT LEAST A
CHANCE OF HEAVY SNOW. HOWEVER...MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING DOWN...AND
AMOUNTS MAY NOT BE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT IS CONSIDERED HEAVY.

IT APPEARS THE BEXT CHANCE OF HEAVY SNOW WILL BE OVER THE SOUTHWEST
HALF OF THE STATE...OR CLOSEST TO THE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM. INITIAL
THOUGHTS ARE THAT 4 TO 6 INCH AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE
SOUTH/WEST...WITH LOCALLY OVER 6 INCHES. IN THE NORTH/EAST...2 TO 4
INCH AMOUNTS COULD OCCUR. AGAIN...THIS IS A FIRST GUESS...AND VERY
PRELIMINARY.

SNOW WILL BE FOLLOWED BY STRONG ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE...AND ANOTHER
ROUND OF VERY COLD AIR. WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE
FORECAST THROUGH FRIDAY.

HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND...THERE APPEARS TO BE A PATTERN
CHANGE...WITH LOW PRESSURE ALOFT LIFTING OUT OF NEW ENGLAND...AND
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BREAKING DOWN IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.
THE FLOW OUT OF CANADA WILL BE MORE OUT OF THE PACIFIC...WITH A BIG
WARMUP SATURDAY/SUNDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BATESVILLE AR     29  36  19  32 /  70  50  10  10
CAMDEN AR         35  39  24  46 /  80  30   0  10
HARRISON AR       27  32  16  31 /  60  30  10  20
HOT SPRINGS AR    34  38  22  41 /  80  50  10  10
LITTLE ROCK   AR  32  39  22  38 /  80  60   0  10
MONTICELLO AR     38  41  24  44 /  80  40   0  10
MOUNT IDA AR      31  37  18  40 /  70  30  10  10
MOUNTAIN HOME AR  28  35  17  33 /  70  30  10  20
NEWPORT AR        31  37  20  32 /  70  60   0  10
PINE BLUFF AR     33  38  24  41 /  80  60   0  10
RUSSELLVILLE AR   30  38  19  38 /  70  30  10  10
SEARCY AR         29  36  18  34 /  70  60  10  10
STUTTGART AR      32  37  22  37 /  80  70   0  10
&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST MONDAY FOR BAXTER-BOONE-
CLEBURNE-CONWAY-FAULKNER-FULTON-INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JOHNSON-LOGAN-
MARION-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-PERRY-POLK-POPE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-
STONE-VAN BUREN-YELL.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST MONDAY
FOR ARKANSAS-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEVELAND-DALLAS-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT
SPRING-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LINCOLN-LONOKE-MONROE-OUACHITA-PIKE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-WHITE-WOODRUFF.

&&

AVIATION...28

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 6, 7:26 PM CST, 34 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
726 PM CST SUN FEB 6 2011

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-071100-
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-
726 PM CST SUN FEB 6 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE STATE AS LOW PRESSURE
MOVES EAST OF THE STATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. COLDER AIR WILL
RUSH INTO THE STATE BEHIND THIS FRONT...WITH RAIN...CHANGING OVER TO
SNOW THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS...AND
OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS THE REST
OF THE STATE. EXPECT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. A
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE STATE THROUGH
MONDAY. THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG A LINE FROM
LITTLE ROCK TO NEWPORT BY MONDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...IF THE COLDER
AIR IS SLOWER TO ARRIVE...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS COULD BE LESS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM THE WEST MONDAY MORNING AS THE LOW
PRESSURE MOVES EAST OF ARKANSAS. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS
WILL BE GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH...AND LIMITED TO THE EASTERN
THIRD OF THE STATE.

THE BREAK FROM THE WINTER WEATHER WILL BE BRIEF...AS HIGH PRESSURE
QUICKLY MOVES THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY.

A STRONGER STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING ANOTHER...MORE
SIGNIFICANT ROUND OF WINTRY WEATHER TO MUCH OF ARKANSAS TUESDAY
EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL MOSTLY
FALL AS SNOW...AND IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL
ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL EXIT THE REGION
THURSDAY.

IN THE WAKE OF THIS DEPARTING STORM SYSTEM...MUCH COLDER AIR WILL
MOVE INTO THE STATE AS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS. DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES COULD OCCUR...ESPECIALLY
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY. ON THURSDAY...MUCH OF THE
REGION WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 30 DEGREES DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THE FORECAST COULD CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN
NOW AND THE WEDNESDAY AS UNCERTAINTY EXISTS REGARDING EXACT
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. PEOPLE IN ARKANSAS SHOULD CLOSELY
MONITOR THE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...AND BE PREPARED FOR
MORE WINTER WEATHER AND COLD TEMPERATURES. STAY INFORMED BY
FOLLOWING THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND OUTLOOKS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

.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.

62

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

28 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Boone

When: February 6, 8:00 PM CST to February 7, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Marion

When: February 6, 10:00 PM CST to February 7, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 36.268, -92.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Baxter

When: February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Baxter forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 36.287, -92.337 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Fulton

When: February 7, 12:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 36.382, -91.818 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Newton

When: February 7, 12:00 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where: Newton forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Pope

When: February 7, 1:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Winter Weather, Yell

When: February 7, 1:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Yell forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Montgomery

When: February 7, 1:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Winter Weather, Searcy

When: February 7, 2:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where: Searcy forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Jackson

When: February 7, 3:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.599, -91.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Faulkner

When: February 7, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Faulkner forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.147, -92.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, White

When: February 7, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: AWSS
Coordinates: 35.256, -91.745 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pulaski

When: February 7, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 34.770, -92.312 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Sharp

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Sharp forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 36.161, -91.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Izard

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Izard forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.095, -91.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Stone

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Stone forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.860, -92.157 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Van Buren

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Van Buren forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Independence

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Independence forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.742, -91.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Perry

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 34.947, -92.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Conway

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Conway forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.262, -92.701 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Woodruff

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Woodruff forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.186, -91.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Garland

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Garland forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.577, -93.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Saline

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.647, -92.677 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lonoke

When: February 7, 4:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Lonoke forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.754, -91.889 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cleburne

When: February 7, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Cleburne forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.538, -92.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Prairie

When: February 7, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Prairie forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.830, -91.553 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Monroe

When: February 7, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.678, -91.204 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When: February 7, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.269, -91.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, February 2011

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 271262, 271263, 271264, 271265, 271274, 271297, 271302, 271308, 271273, 271301, 271305, 271306, 271311, 271267, 271269, 271271, 271298, 271300, 271303, 271304, 271307, 271309, 271310, 271312, 271299, 271313, 271314, 271315.