Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Four State Region during the afternoon and evening of July 20th. These storms developed ahead of a cold front situated in Northern Arkansas.
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 SHV wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Four State Region during the afternoon and evening of July 20th. These storms developed ahead of a cold front situated in Northern Arkansas. These storms moved south along the eastern fringes of an upper ridge centered over the Central Plains. Isolated Storms produced wind damage in McCurtain County in Southeast Oklahoma and Howard County in Southwest Arkansas. |Hail up to golf ball size hail and wind damage was produced across some parishes in North Louisiana.
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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 1:33 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
233 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012
.DISCUSSION...
LITTLE IN WAY OF CONVECTION THUS FAR...ALONG A DIFFUSE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY DRAPED EAST TO WEST ACROSS CENTRAL AR INTO WESTERN TN.
HOWEVER...MID LVL SHEAR AXIS LOCATED NEAR THE COAST...HAS BEEN A
MAJOR FOCUS FOR STOMRS FOR PAST SEVERAL HOURS. MEANWHILE...ANOTHER
BOUNDARY EAST TO WEST...OVER CENTRAL MS...HAS BEEN TRYING TO
SPUTTER ISOLD CONVECTION NEAR I-20 CORRIDOR...WITH VERY LIMITED
SUCCESS. MODELS CONTINUE TO POINT AT STG TSTM DEVELOPMENT TODAY.
WITH HEAT AND INSTABILITY...STORMS WILL DEVELOP RAPIDLY...AND
CONTAIN HIGH POTENTIAL FOR GUSTY WINDS. BEST CHANCE FOR STG TSTMS
APPEAR TO BE SUNDAY AND REFLECTED THIS BY MENTION OF SCT TSTMS
WITH GUSTY WINDS...AS SFC LOW DEVELOPS ALONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY
CURRENTLY TO NORTH...THAT SAGS INTO REGION. PLENTIFUL MOISTURE
SEEMS TO HANG AROUND FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK...WITH LITTLE IF ANY
BREAK IN THE HEAT. FAIRLY PERSISTENT WTH TEMPS...WHICH MAY MEAN
HEAT ADVISORIES MAY CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK AS THE UPPER
RIDGE CONTINUES TO HANG OUT TO OUR NORTH. WILL GO WITH ISOLD
DIURNAL CONVECTION FOR MOST OF THE WEEK...BEGINNING MONDAY./VII/.
&&
.AVIATION...
CONVECTION HAS BEGUN TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP NORTH OF THE I-30 CORRIDOR
IN SE OK/SW AR JUST AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. A VERY
UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE FAST DEVELOPING AND TALL
TSTMS. THIS WILL LEAD TO A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR DOWNBURSTS AND
DAMAGING WINDS AS THE STORMS COLLAPSE. KLFK SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH
SOUTH TO NOT BE IMPACTED BY THE FIRST ROUND OF ACTIVITY THIS
EVENING. BEST CHANCES WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF I-20 TONIGHT. TSTMS
WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND THE THREAT WILL
GRADUALLY SHIFT FARTHER SOUTH TO INCLUDE AREAS SOUTH OF I-20
SATURDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO ADVANCE.
DETERIORATING CONDITIONS SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED IN THE VICINITY OF
ANY CONVECTION. HOWEVER...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD GENERALLY PREVAIL
EXCEPT FOR SOME PATCHY AND SHORT LIVED MVFR CIGS/VSBYS AROUND
21/12Z. WEST OR SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD BE 5-10
KTS THIS EVENING BEFORE INCREASING TO BETWEEN 10-15 KTS BY 21/15Z.
WINDS WILL VEER AND BECOME NELY AFTER THE FRONT PASSES. /09/
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV 78 99 76 98 78 / 30 30 20 20 20
MLU 77 95 77 96 76 / 40 40 20 30 30
DEQ 71 101 76 101 75 / 20 20 10 10 10
TXK 79 101 78 100 76 / 20 20 10 10 10
ELD 75 99 76 99 75 / 30 30 10 20 20
TYR 77 100 76 99 78 / 20 30 20 20 20
GGG 77 100 76 98 77 / 20 30 20 20 20
LFK 76 98 76 97 76 / 20 30 30 20 20
&&
.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 9 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073.
LA...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 9 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: LAZ001>006-010>012.
OK...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 9 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: OKZ077.
TX...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 9 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165-166.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1159 AM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>072-LAZ001>004-010>012-017-018-OKZ077- TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-211700- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-DE SOTO-RED RIVER- BIENVILLE-SABINE LA-NATCHITOCHES-MCCURTAIN-BOWIE-FRANKLIN-TITUS- CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG-HARRISON-CHEROKEE- RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX- 1159 AM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY POSSIBLY DEVELOP. HOT TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO OCCUR WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONCE AGAIN POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION INCLUDING PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE VERY ISOLATED NATURE OF ANY POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER...ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...AND STORM SPOTTERS IS NOT ANTICIPATED. ARZ073-LAZ005-006-013-014-019>022-211700- UNION AR-LINCOLN-UNION LA-JACKSON-OUACHITA-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL- LA SALLE- 1159 AM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. HOT TEMPERATURES AND DEEP MOISTURE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO POSSIBLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH ANY STORMS THAT MAY DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONCE AGAIN POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION INCLUDING PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WHILE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...AND STORM SPOTTERS IS NOT ANTICIPATED. VII
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
201 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012
ARZ050-059-OKZ077-201945-
LITTLE RIVER-MCCURTAIN-SEVIER-
201 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 245 PM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...
LITTLE RIVER AND SEVIER...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...
MCCURTAIN...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
CERROGORDO...WEST LINE...WEST OTIS...EAGLETOWN...GOODWATER...
HAWORTH AND SHINEWELL...
AT 157 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES WEST OF DE QUEEN...MOVING
SOUTH AT 10 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
09SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
256 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012
ARZ050-051-202045-
HOWARD-SEVIER-
256 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 345 PM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...
HOWARD AND SEVIER...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
BEN LOMOND...CENTER POINT...CORINTH...DIERKS...LOCKESBURG...
MINERAL SPRINGS...NASHVILLE...SARATOGA AND TOLLETTE...
AT 250 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CENTER POINT...OR 7 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF DIERKS...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40-50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
04The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 159 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:46 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were downed just west of Mineral Springs, Arkansas.
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, July 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: 386996.