The arrival of a cold front sparked a round of thunderstorms on the afternoon of the 9th. A few storms became severe with large hail and damaging winds.
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.
The arrival of a cold front sparked a round of thunderstorms on the afternoon of the 9th. A few storms became severe with large hail and damaging winds.
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 9, 12:06 PM CST, 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1206 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012 .AVIATION...0918Z TAF CYCLE WL CONT TO SEE MAINLY MVFR CONDS ACRS THE FA THIS AFTN. A FEW SHRA/ISOLD TSRA WL CONT ACRS NRN AR AS WELL...GENERALLY ALONG AND N OF A WARM FNT. MEANWHILE...FOCUS WL PRIMARILY BE ON THE SLOW MOVG CDFNT LOCATED OVR NWRN AR ATTM. THE BNDRY WL CONT TO SHIFT SEWD LATER TODAY AND TNGT...WITH ADDITIONAL CONVECTION FORMING AHEAD OF IT. INCRSG SLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FNT WL PRODUCE A COMBO OF MVFR/ VFR CONDS. SOME STRONG/SVR STORMS WL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTN/EARLY EVENING...WITH LOCALIZED WINDS GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH VCNTY STORMS. WINDS WL SHIFT TO THE NW BEHIND THE FROPA WITH SPEEDS OF 5 TO 15 MPH COMMON...WITH GUSTS OF 20 TO 25 MPH POSSIBLE INTO TNGT AND MON. /44/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 401 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FRONT LIFTING NORTH ACROSS THE CWA THIS MORNING...WITH SHRA AND TSRA ONGOING ALONG THIS BOUNDARY AS IT LIFTS NORTH. SOME STORMS HAVE PULSED UP TO SVR LEVELS...WITH MAINLY LARGE HAIL REPORTED WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. RECENTLY...THE OVERALL TREND SHOWS NO SVR STORMS...BUT A FEW STRONG CELLS STILL CONTINUING EAST OF LITTLE ROCK. TEMPS ACROSS THE CWA HAVE BASICALLY REMAINED STEADY OVERNIGHT...IF NOT ACTUALLY WARMING A FEW DEG SOUTH OF THE FRONT SINCE SAT EVENING. DURING THE MORNING HRS...BEST POPS SHIFT NORTH ACROSS NRN SECTIONS OF THE STATE REMAINING HIGHEST IN PROXIMITY TO THE WARM FRONT. WARMER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE SIGNIFICANT SRLY FLOW INCREASING ACROSS THE STATE. EXPECT GENERALLY UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S ACROSS THE CWA...WITH EVEN SOME MID 70S POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. TEMPS ACROSS THE FAR NW MAY STAY IN THE 50S AS THE MAIN COLD FRONT BEGINS MOVING BACK SOUTH. THE CAVEAT TO HOW WARM THE TEMPS GET THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE DEPENDENT ON CLOUD COVER...WHICH WILL TEND TO KEEP TEMPS A COUPLE DEGREES COOLER. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT HRS. WIDESPREAD SHRA/TSRA ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. DO THINK THAT SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE. HOWEVER...INSTABILITY WILL BE THE DETERMINING FACTOR REGARDING HOW WIDESPREAD THE SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL BE. AS MENTIONED EARLIER...THIS WILL BE DEPENDENT HOW HOW WARM AREAS GET AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...WHICH MAY BE HINDERED BY CLOUD COVER. THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY STORM THAT DOES BECOME SEVERE WILL BE LARGE HAIL...WITH SOME DAMAGING WINDS ALSO POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES DOES LOOK LIMITED AT THIS TIME GIVEN THE LOWEST HALF TO 1 KM SHR NOT EXPECTED TO BE IDEAL. EVEN SO...IF A DISCRETE STORM WERE TO MAINTAIN ITSELF AHEAD OF THE FRONT...CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY COMPLETELY. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THIS WOULD BE ACROSS THE FAR SERN COUNTIES JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. ONCE THE FRONT PASSES...MUCH COLDER AIR WILL BE SURGING INTO THE STATE AS THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. MOST OF THE MOISTURE WILL BE TO THE EAST BY THE TIME THE COLDEST AIR ARRIVES. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING UPPER TROUGH COULD GENERATE ENOUGH FORCING WITH WEAK MOISTURE TRANSPORT THAT ADDITIONAL PRECIP COULD REDEVELOP BEHIND THE MAIN LINE OF CONVECTION. THIS REDEVELOPMENT WILL BE IN THE COLD AIR WELL BEHIND THE FRONT. EVEN AS TIME GETS CLOSER...THERE CONTINUES TO BE UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH MOISTURE WILL BE AVAILABLE THIS FAR INTO THE COLD AIR. THE NAM HAS BY FAR BEEN THE MOST CONSISTENT SHOWING ENOUGH MOISTURE AVAILABLE FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF PRECIP. FOR THIS REASON...WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION SLIGHT CHANCE TO LOW END CHANCE POPS REMAINING FURTHER WEST ON MON MORNING...WITH A MIX OF RAIN/SLEET INITIALLY...THEN RAIN/SNOW...EVEN ALL SNOW POSSIBLE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD BEFORE THE DRIER AIR MOVES IN. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEEING ANY WINTRY PRECIP WILL BE GENERALLY ALONG AN AXIS FROM SAY MURFREESBORO...TO LITTLE ROCK...TO AUGUSTA. SHOULD NOTE THAT ANY FROZEN PRECIP THAT DOES FALL WILL LIKELY BE LIGHT...AND BE DIFFICULT TO STICK TO ROADWAYS DUE TO THE VERY WARM GROUND TEMPS...AND ABOVE FREEZING NEAR SFC TEMPS. DRY AIR AND SYNOPTIC SCALE DESCENT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL ERODE MOST OF THE PRECIPITAL MOISTURE BY MON AFTERNOON. TEMPS WILL ALSO BE IN THE MID 30S TO MID 40S DURING THE AFTERNOON HRS...SO ANY WINTRY PRECIP THAT DOES FALL WILL HAVE MELTED FAIRLY RAPIDLY. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OVER THE STATE BY TUE MORNING...WITH WINDS BECOMING LIGHT...WITH A VERY DRY AIRMASS IN PLACE. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO COOL OFF RAPIDLY...WITH LOWS BOTTOMING OUT MAINLY IN THE 20S AREA WIDE. WOULDNT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME UPPER TEENS IN THE VALLEYS OF THE OZARKS AND OUACHITAS. BELOW NORMAL TEMPS WILL THEN PERSIST THROUGH THU AS FLOW ALOFT REMAINS NW...AND SFC HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS ACROSS THE REGION. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A RATHER PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IN THE MEDIUM RANGE WITH ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH LATE IN THE PERIOD. WHILE THE MODELS ARE IN DECENT ENOUGH AGREEMENT INITIALLY...THEY BEGIN TO DIVERGE WITH THEIR SOLUTIONS AS THE PERIOD PROGRESSES. I AM REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME DECIDING ON WHICH WAY TO LEAN THIS MORNING AND A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD APPROACH WILL BE PREFERRED. PERIOD STARTS OFF WITH BROAD RIDGING OVER THE SOUTHEAST CONUS AS UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE ROTATES INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE WITH TIME AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES AWAY AND SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT INCREASES IN ADVANCE OF THE WEST COAST SYSTEM. OVERALL MAV/MEX NUMBERS LOOK GOOD BUT WILL TWEAK UPWARDS IN A FEW LOCATIONS. WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY FOR NOW BUT IF FASTER SOLUTION IS INDEED THE ONE THAT VERIFIES...POPS WILL NEED TO BE INTRODUCED A LITTLE EARLIER THAN CURRENT THINKING. SURFACE CYCLONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPING SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY SATURDAY MORNING. SYSTEM WILL MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST AND DRAG A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL START FRIDAY NIGHT. WITH DIFFERENCES BEING WHAT THEY ARE BETWEEN THE MODELS...WILL ONLY KEEP POPS IN THE SCATTERED CATEGORY FOR NOW. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT AS SYSTEM EVOLVES. && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 440 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-101045- 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- 440 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING AS A WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY CONCERN. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. ATTENTION WILL THEN TURN TO A COLD FRONT THAT WILL SURGE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE STATE TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AND A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY CONCERN. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEEING THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY EVENING WHERE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ARE A LITTLE MORE FAVORABLE. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL SURGE INTO THE STATE BEHIND THIS FRONT LATE TONIGHT AND INTO MONDAY. MOST OF THE MOISTURE WILL BE TO THE EAST BY THE TIME THE COLDEST AIR ARRIVES. HOWEVER...AREAS ACROSS THE NORTH COULD SEE A BRIEF MIX WITH OR CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT. EVEN SO...THE THREAT FOR ANY WINTER WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN LOW AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SEVERAL HOURS OF A LIGHT WINTRY MIX WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY AS COLDER AIR SURGES IN. WHILE THE COLDEST OF THE AIR WILL ARRIVE AFTER THE BEST MOISTURE EXITS THE STATE...AREAS ALONG A LINE FROM MURFREESBORO TO LITTLE ROCK TO AUGUSTA MAY SEE A BRIEF CHANGE OVER TO WINTRY PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...GROUND TEMPERATURES SIMPLY REMAIN TOO WARM FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE IN THE WEEK AND DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE SATURDAY. THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THIS SYSTEM COULD RESULT IN STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE. WITH THE SYSTEM CLOSE TO A WEEK OUT...IT WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY. .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
752 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012
ARZ004>006-091435-
BAXTER AR-FULTON AR-MARION AR-
752 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN MARION...NORTHWESTERN
FULTON AND NORTHERN BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 830 AM CST...
AT 749 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAKEVIEW...OR NEAR BULL
SHOALS...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BULL SHOALS... OZARK ISLE... OTT...
LAKEVIEW... GAMALIEL LANDING... FAWN PARK...
BULL SHOALS SP... ARKAWANA... VIDETTE...
THREE BROTHERS... OAKLAND... GAMALIEL...
CLARKRIDGE... WALLACE KNOB... TURKEY KNOB...
TALBERT LANDING... SPRING LAKE ESTATES...
SEWARD POINT...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!
LAT...LON 3647 9189 3629 9260 3646 9267 3651 9253
3650 9190
TIME...MOT...LOC 1352Z 251DEG 34KT 3641 9252
/44SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
801 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012
ARZ007-015-091430-
IZARD AR-SHARP AR-
801 AM CST SUN DEC 9 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL SHARP AND EASTERN IZARD
COUNTIES UNTIL 830 AM CST...
AT 757 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SIDNEY...OR 10 MILES EAST OF
MELBOURNE...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SIDNEY... ZION... WILLIFORD...
SITKA... POUGHKEEPSIE... NELSONVILLE...
EVENING SHADE... CENTER... VAGABOND LAKE...
HWY 58 AND US 62 JCT... HWY 354 AND 58...
GILLIHAN LAKE... CATFISH LAKE...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!
LAT...LON 3625 9125 3624 9126 3624 9132 3622 9134
3607 9134 3597 9172 3613 9180 3633 9126
3632 9125
TIME...MOT...LOC 1401Z 248DEG 43KT 3608 9166
/44SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1248 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012
ARZ005-006-091935-
BAXTER AR-FULTON AR-
1248 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN FULTON AND
NORTHEASTERN BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM CST...
AT 1245 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF ROBINSON PT LNDG...OR 12 MILES
EAST OF MOUNTAIN HOME...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
VIOLA... STURKIE... ROBINSON PT LNDG...
OTT... GAMALIEL LANDING... FLINT SPRINGS...
DIAMOND BAY... VIDETTE... MOKO...
HENDERSON... GEPP... GAMALIEL...
ELIZABETH... CAMP... WOOD PT PARK...
WOLF KNOB... WILDCAT KNOB... WALLACE KNOB...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!
LAT...LON 3644 9165 3626 9220 3642 9230 3651 9211
3650 9169
TIME...MOT...LOC 1848Z 243DEG 21KT 3638 9215
/44The Springfield radar (KSGF), 151 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:56 UTC.
12 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One duplex lost its entire roof, several mobile homes were damaged, several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed, and highway signs were blown down. The area affected was so small that only about 100 electric customers lost service.
Several trees were blown down.
Quarter size hail fell at the Arkansas State Police Troop K headquarters.
Nickel size hail fell at Carpenter Dam.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, December 2012
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: 416552, 416553, 416554, 416555, 416556, 416557, 416558, 416559, 416560, 416561, 416562, 416563, 416564, 416565.