A slow moving cold front pushed across Northeast Arkansas during the afternoon of March 8, 2012. Showers and a few thunderstorms developed along and behind the front dumping a couple inches of rain across the area.
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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.
A slow moving cold front pushed across Northeast Arkansas during the afternoon of March 8, 2012. Showers and a few thunderstorms developed along and behind the front dumping a couple inches of rain across the area. Isolated flash flooding occurred as a result of the heavy rain.
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 Mar 8, 11:42 AM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1142 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012 .UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1100 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012/ DISCUSSION...16Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A COLD FRONT FROM WESTERN KENTUCKY SOUTHWEST ACROSS EAST/NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THEN FURTHER BACK ACROSS THE RED RIVER VALLEY. AS OF 10 AM CST...TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S AT MOST LOCATIONS. LATEST SHORT TERM MODEL TRENDS INDICATE THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE MID SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. RADAR TRENDS SHOW A MAJORITY IF NOT ALL OF THE ELEVATED SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THUS FAR BEING LOCATED ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE COLD FRONT. MOST UNSTABLE CAPE VALUES BETWEEN 500-1000 J/KG...LI/S BETWEEN -2 TO -3 AND 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES BETWEEN 25-35 KTS...AND 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES APPROACHING 6.5 C/KM SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR QUASI- ORGANIZED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A POTENTIAL FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OR TWO IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. BASED ON LATEST MESOANALYSIS TRENDS...THINK OVERALL THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN LOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO GRIDS AS NEEDED TO ACCOUNT FOR LATEST TRENDS. UPDATED GRIDS WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY. CJC PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 554 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012/ UPDATE... UPDATED FOR 12Z TAF CYCLE PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 306 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012/ DISCUSSION... SKIES ARE CLOUDY OVER MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES REMAIN RATHER MILD WITH READINGS REMAINING IN THE 60S. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS. THIS ACTIVITY IS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI AND INTO WEST TEXAS. THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO DROP SOUTH INTO THE FORECAST AREA LATER TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE DAY. SPC HAS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE MAIN THREAT WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS WITH POSSIBLY SOME LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE BOTH TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH AND OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING SO MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH AND REACH THE GULF COAST BY FRIDAY EVENING. AS THE FRONT CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA...THE THREAT OF RAIN WILL DIMINISH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...DRIER AND SOMEWHAT COOLER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES SOME 5 TO 10 DEGREES COOLER THAN TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY BUILD INTO THE REGION MAKING FOR A DRY FRIDAY NIGHT. BY SATURDAY...SOUTH WINDS WILL RETURN TO THE REGION BRINGING WARMER AIR AND MORE MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH THE REGION DURING THE DAY WHICH WILL TRIGGER SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY NIGHT...THE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE. THE THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FOR BOTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS A COUPLE OF UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. DRIER AIR WILL FINALLY MOVE INTO THE REGION ON TUESDAY AND REMAIN OVER THE FORECAST AREA INTO WEDNESDAY. IN ADDITION TO THE DRY CONDITIONS...TEMPERATURES WILL BECOME QUITE WARM FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S. ARS .AVIATION... A COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. IT HAS ALREADY PASSED THROUGH JBR AND SHOULD MOVE THROUGH MEM AND MKL AROUND 19-20Z. WINDS WILL SHIFT ABRUPTLY WITH ITS PASSAGE...FROM THE NORTH AROUND 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25-30. HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...LIKELY PRECEDING IT BY AN HOUR OR SO. STEADY RAIN AND POSSIBLY THUNDER WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER ITS PASSAGE. VISIBILITY WILL LIKELY BE REDUCED AS LOW AS 1SM AT TIMES IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE HEAVIEST STORMS. CIGS WILL FALL BELOW 1000 FEET AS THE FRONT PASSES...THEN GRADUALLY RISE STARTING 2-3 HOURS AFTER PASSAGE. FROPA NEAR TUP AROUND 01Z. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW. CIGS WILL IMPROVE AFTER MIDNIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 68 41 56 40 / 90 90 40 10 MKL 65 39 59 34 / 100 90 30 10 JBR 65 39 57 37 / 100 80 30 10 TUP 70 47 56 40 / 80 90 60 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1145 AM CST THU MAR 8 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>092-091145- 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- 1145 AM CST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OR TWO PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES. MINOR RIVER FLOODING...PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND WATER FILLED DITCHES WILL BE THE MAIN IMPACTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH SATURDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY NIGHT WITH SEVERAL MORE INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE. WITH THE GROUND SATURATED FROM THE RAIN TODAY AND TONIGHT...THIS SECOND HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT COULD RESULT IN MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH FLASH FLOODING AND FLOODING POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:00 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding near Bono. County Road 328 was impassable.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding near Lake City. A road near the intersection of County Roads 815 and 816 was washed away.
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, March 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: 370015, 370016.