Below normal rainfall fell during the month of June across Eastern Arkansas. As a result, severe (D2) drought conditions spread across all of Eastern Arkansas by the end of June.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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 MEG wrote it up.
Below normal rainfall fell during the month of June across Eastern Arkansas. As a result, severe (D2) drought conditions spread across all of Eastern Arkansas by the end of June. In addition, drought conditions worsened to extreme (D3) conditions across Northeast Arkansas during the last week of June. Many crops that were planted during the spring struggled to grow due to lack of water. Irreversible damage was done to the corn crop while soybean and sorghum fields yield potential continued to dwindle as a result of the dry conditions. Many pastures were in poor condition forcing farmers to feed cattle baled hay. Lake and river levels dropped to low levels. Burn bans were issued for many counties as a result of the dry conditions.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 12, 5:25 AM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 625 AM CDT TUE JUN 12 2012 .UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 300 AM CDT TUE JUN 12 2012/ A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHES FROM NEAR MOUNT VERNON ILLINOIS TO NEAR LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS. CONVECTION THAT OCCURRED EARLIER THIS EVENING HAS PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE GULF COAST. SOME REDEVELOPMENT IS OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS IN RESPONSE TO A SHORTWAVE. THE MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS ARE TO THE SOUTHEAST WHICH MOVES THEM INTO PHILLIPS COUNTY ARKANSAS AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. MODELS INDICATE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT COULD OCCUR TODAY ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. HOWEVER THERE IS SOME QUESTION ON HOW WORKED OVER THE ATMOSPHERE IS FROM THIS EVENINGS CONVECTION. THE AREA WILL NOT BE AS UNSTABLE TODAY AS YESTERDAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE 00Z NAM INDICATES SOME REDEVELOPMENT COULD OCCUR THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI BUT SHOULD PUSH SOUTH OF THE CWA BY EARLY AFTERNOON. THE LATEST RUC AND HRRR RUN SHOWS SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE NAM. THE 00Z GFS DID NOT INITIALIZE WELL WITH WHAT IS CURRENTLY GOING THUS WILL NOT BE USED IN THE SHORT TERM. THUS WILL LOWER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO 40 PERCENT ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI FOR MAINLY THIS MORNING WITH POSSIBLY LEAVING LIKELY POPS ACROSS PHILLIPS COUNTY AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THROUGH 7 AM. ELSEWHERE...WILL REMOVE MENTION OF PRECIPITATION. DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO FILTER INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA BY THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 80S. TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE OHIO VALLEY. DRIER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE AREA BUT DO NOT EXPECT MUCH CHANGE IN AT LEAST HIGH TEMPERATURES. HIGHS WILL STILL BE IN THE MID 80S TO AROUND 90 THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOWS WILL BE COOLER WITH READINGS IN THE MID 50S TO MID 60S...POSSIBLY A TAD WARMER THURSDAY NIGHT AS WINDS TURN AROUND TO THE SOUTH. FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE MIDSOUTH. 00Z GFS INDICATES DIURNAL HEATING COULD KICK OFF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. 00Z ECMWF SHOWS SOMETHING SIMILAR. FRIDAY SEEMS A LITTLE EARLY FOR MOISTURE RETURN TO BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE DIURNAL CONVECTION THUS WILL REMOVE POPS. OTHERWISE...WILL LEAVE CURRENT FORECAST AS IS. KRM .AVIATION... 12Z TAF SET A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH JBR AND IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING MEM AND MKL. WINDS WILL BE NORTHERLY BEHIND AND FRONT TODAY WITH DRY CONDITIONS. FARTHER SOUTH...A FEW SHOWERS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AROUND TUP. ONGOING CONVECTION LOOKS LIKE IT WILL STAY TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF TUP...SO WITHOUT ANY ONGOING STORM TO BASE TIMING ON...JUST INCLUDED VCSH AFTER 16Z. ALL PRECIP WILL END TONIGHT AND HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH RESULTING IN VFR CONDITIONS AREA WIDE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 88 65 86 66 / 20 10 0 0 MKL 88 59 84 57 / 10 10 0 0 JBR 89 61 86 61 / 10 10 0 0 TUP 87 63 87 62 / 40 10 10 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 433 AM CDT TUE JUN 12 2012 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-131200- ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA- CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER- FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY- ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON- MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT- PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY- ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA- UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 433 AM CDT TUE JUN 12 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING. WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN ANY SLOWER MOVING THUNDERSTORM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KRM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
233 AM CDT TUE JUN 12 2012
ARZ058-MSZ010-120815-
PHILLIPS AR-COAHOMA MS-
233 AM CDT TUE JUN 12 2012
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 315 AM CDT FOR...
SOUTHWESTERN PHILLIPS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
WESTERN COAHOMA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT
LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF ELAINE AT 234 AM CDT...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN COAHOMA AND PHILLIPS COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR
ELAINE AND WHITE RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS
STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES OLD TOWN
LAKE.
&&
LAT...LON 3415 9109 3419 9110 3422 9107 3429 9108
3434 9105 3435 9101 3443 9101 3445 9097
3411 9060 3408 9066 3411 9067 3412 9111
3414 9111
TIME...MOT...LOC 0734Z 322DEG 19KT 3432 9098
30/SIRMONThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across the county.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions began across the county.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions began across the county.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions began across the county.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions began across the county.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions began across the county.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across the county.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across the county.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across the county.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across the county.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across the county.
Extreme (D3) drought conditions began across the county.
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, June 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: 395020, 395021, 395022, 395023, 395024, 395025, 395028, 395029, 395030, 395032, 395033, 395034.