Severe drought conditions were alleviated in parts of central and western Arkansas during the first part of January, but then worsened in these same areas later in the month. Elsewhere, severe drought continued over much of eastern and southern Arkansas, with extreme drought over part of south central Arkansas.
Every event with a place to put it; 29 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Severe drought conditions were alleviated in parts of central and western Arkansas during the first part of January, but then worsened in these same areas later in the month. Elsewhere, severe drought continued over much of eastern and southern Arkansas, with extreme drought over part of south central Arkansas.
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 Dec 31, 5:59 PM CST, 6 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 559 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 .AVIATION... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION. STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT KLLQ FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. OTHERWISE MVFR CONDITIONS WILL BECOME VFR WITH TIME AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK IN. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 346 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... RECENT SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES AN ACCELERATING TROUGH...EXTENDING FROM NEAR HARDY...TO NEAR HAMPTON. OVERALL FORCING NEAR THIS BOUNDARY HAS DECREASED THIS AFTERNOON. A CONCERN REMAINS FOR THE SEVERE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SFC BASED CAPE VALUES OVER 1000 J/KG INDICATED. SEVERE POTENTIAL FOR THE CWA APPEARS WILL END BY 00Z. MID LEVEL ENERGY MOVING QUICKLY AROUND THE ASE OF A HIGH PLAINS UPPER LOW MAY PROMOTE A FEW SPRINKLES OR FLURRIES OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...DRY AND COOL CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL DURING REST OF THIS PERIOD. LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE WILL START THE PERIOD WITH NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. PRETTY QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THIS TIME FRAME. WEDNESDAY...A SHORTWAVE WILL MAKE ITS WAY TOWARDS THE STATE...BUT WILL LACK MOISTURE. KEPT TREND GOING OF 20 POPS IN THE SOUTH...WHERE THE MOST MOISTURE WILL BE LOCATED. STILL NOT CONFIDENT THAT MOISTURE WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION. TIMING AND MOISTURE WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED IN FUTURE FORECASTS. TEMPERATURES...OTHERWISE WILL BE RIGHT AROUND NORMAL FOR THE PERIOD. DID CHOOSE TO GO WITH THE GFS AND BUMPED TEMPERATURES UP A DEGREE OR TWO WITH THE SOUTHERLY FLOW THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 33 44 24 41 / 30 10 10 10 CAMDEN AR 40 54 28 49 / 30 10 10 10 HARRISON AR 27 39 21 37 / 10 10 10 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 35 51 26 45 / 30 10 10 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 38 51 28 44 / 30 10 10 10 MONTICELLO AR 42 54 30 49 / 30 20 10 10 MOUNT IDA AR 31 50 21 44 / 20 10 10 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 30 42 22 40 / 20 10 10 10 NEWPORT AR 36 45 25 41 / 30 10 10 10 PINE BLUFF AR 43 53 29 45 / 30 10 10 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 31 45 21 44 / 20 10 10 10 SEARCY AR 33 46 23 41 / 30 10 10 10 STUTTGART AR 39 48 28 42 / 30 10 10 10 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR BAXTER-BOONE- FULTON-INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-MARION-NEWTON-SEARCY-SHARP- STONE. && SHORT TERM...58 / LONG TERM...56 AVIATION...56
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 615 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-011015- 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- 615 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO CROSS THE STATE WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF IT. WHILE SOME OF THE STORMS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COULD BECOME STRONG EARLY THIS EVENING...THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES TO DIMINISH. THE FRONT WILL EXIT EASTERN ARKANSAS LATE THIS EVENING. DRIER AND COOLER AIR WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT THIS WEEKEND. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION COULD BE REQUIRED...ESPECIALLY FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 64/56
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
647 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1048 AM TSTM WND GST 3 NNE MOUNTAIN HOME 36.38N 92.36W
12/31/2010 M61 MPH BAXTER AR TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
56The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
33 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought encompassed all but extreme western Sharp County early in January. Soon after the middle of the month, severe drought covered virtually the entire county.
Severe drought encompassed all but northwestern Independence County early in January. Early in the month, drought conditions lessened somewhat in the western part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought spread westward, encompassing the entire county.
Severe drought conditions occurred over Jackson County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions encompassed White County at the beginning of the month. Conditions improved during the early part of January, but then worsened again later in the month. By the end of January, severe drought again covered all of the county.
Severe drought conditions covered southeastern Cleburne County at the beginning of January. Conditions improved early in the month. However, worsening conditions soon after the middle of the month spread severe drought across the entire county.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Woodruff County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Prairie County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved in the northwest part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought once again encompassed the entire county.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Lonoke County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved in the northern part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought once again encompassed the entire county.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Pulaski County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved in the northern part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought once again encompassed the entire county.
Severe drought conditions covered all but northwestern Faulkner County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved across the entire county. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought spread across all of the county.
Severe drought conditions covered all but northwestern corner of Perry County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved across the northern part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought spread across all of the county.
Severe drought conditions existed in extreme southern Conway County early in January. Conditions improved early in the month. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought spread to all but the northwestern part of the county.
Severe drought conditions existed in southern Yell County early in January. Soon after the middle of the month, severe drought covered the eastern part of the county, and these conditions continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Saline County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Arkansas County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Jefferson County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Grant County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Desha County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Lincoln County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Cleveland County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Dallas County throughout January.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Drew County throughout January.
Throughout January, severe drought covered most of Bradley County, except for extreme drought over the southwestern part of the county.
Throughout January, severe drought covered the northern part of Calhoun County, with extreme drought over the southern part of the county.
Severe drought covered all of Garland County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved over the southwestern part of the county, only to worsen again soon after the middle of the month.
Severe drought covered all of Montgomery County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved over all but the northeastern part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, the drought expanded again, with severe drought covering all of the county except for the northwestern portion.
Severe drought covered all but the northwestern part of Polk County at the beginning of January. Early in the month, conditions improved, with none of the county in severe drought. However, soon after the middle of the month, severe drought conditions returned to the southeastern part of the county.
At the beginning of January, extreme drought conditions covered eastern and southern sections of Pike County, with severe drought elsewhere. Soon after the beginning of the month, conditions improved with extreme drought only over extreme southern parts of the county and severe drought elsewhere over the southern half of the county. Soon after the middle of the month, severe drought once again encompassed almost all the county, except for extreme drought in the extreme south.
At the beginning of January, extreme drought conditions existed over extreme western Clark County, with severe drought over the remainder of the county. Early in the month, conditions improved somewhat, with severe drought over all but the northern part of the county and extreme drought only in the extreme southwestern part of the county. Soon after the middle of the month, conditions worsened again, with severe drought over all of the county, except for extreme drought in the extreme southwestern part of the county.
At the beginning of January, extreme drought conditions existed in southeastern Scott County. Early in the month, conditions improved, with none of the county experiencing severe drought.
Throughout January, extreme drought covered southern and western portions of Ouachita County, with severe drought over the remainder of the county.
At the beginning of January, severe drought covered all of Hot Spring County. Early in the month, conditions improved over the western part of the county. However, soon after the middle of the month, conditions worsened again, leaving all of the county in severe drought.
Severe drought conditions covered all of Monroe County throughout January.
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, January 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: 276684, 276685, 276686, 276687, 276688, 276689, 276690, 276691, 276692, 276693, 276694, 276695, 276697, 276698, 276699, 276700, 276701, 276702, 276703, 276704, 276925, 276926, 276927, 276928, 276929, 276930, 276931, 276932, 276933, 276934, 276939, 276940, 276941.