An upper level disturbance moved into Northeast Arkansas during the evening hours of September 7th, 2012. Showers and thunderstorms developed in response to the disturbance.
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 MEG wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moved into Northeast Arkansas during the evening hours of September 7th, 2012. Showers and thunderstorms developed in response to the disturbance. Some storms became severe producing damaging winds and flash flooding. The storms continued east into West Tennessee during the late evening hours before dying out.
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 Sep 7, 5:32 PM CST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
632 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012
.UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 234 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012/
DISCUSSION...
WATCHING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS OUT
AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY COULD
MAKE IT INTO NORTHEAST ARKANSAS IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. MEANWHILE...THE COLD
FRONT NOW STRETCHES PEORIA ILLINOIS TO NEAR TULSA OKLAHOMA. THE COLD
FRONT WILL BEGIN MOVING INTO THE MIDSOUTH AROUND 00Z(7 PM). EXPECT
A SQUALL LINE ALONG THE FRONT WHICH COULD BE SEVERE. DAMAGING
WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE STORMS. MOST OF THE
PRECIPITATION WILL FALL POST-FRONTAL AND WILL BE IN THE FORM OF
JUST RAIN. COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO FILTER INTO THE AREA
BEHIND THE FRONT.
SOME LINGERING RAIN WILL OCCUR ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE SATURDAY MORNING BUT THE RAIN WILL
QUICKLY CLEAR BY NOON. PLEASANT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR WITH HIGHS
IN THE MID 70S TO AROUND 80 DEGREES.
SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF
THE WEEK. COOL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE AS MODELS SHOW A
REINFORCING DRY COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH ON SUNDAY. HIGHS WILL
RANGE FROM THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S WHILE THE LOWS WILL BE IN THE
50S. BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE
AREA AS THE SFC HIGH SHIFTS EAST. SFC WINDS WILL TURN AROUND TO THE
SOUTH AND TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE MID 80S TO
AROUND 90 DEGREES WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S. DRY
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD.
KRM
.AVIATION...
00Z TAF CYCLE
NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THE THINKING FROM THE 18Z TAF UPDATE...AN
ISOLATED STORM AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE SHOULD APPROACH JBR WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR...BUT OVERALL THINKING IMPACT AT MEM...MKL AND
EVENTUALLY TUP WILL BE SLIGHTLY LATER THAT PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE MIDSOUTH OVERNIGHT. EXPECT
A LINE OF SHRAS AND TSRAS ALONG AND IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. IFR
VSBYS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER TSRAS. AFTER FRONTAL
PASSAGE EXPECT A FEW HOURS OF SHRAS WITH OCNL MVFR VSBYS. CIGS
WILL ALSO DETERIORATE AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE TO MVFR LEVELS. PRECIP
WILL TAPER OFF AND CLOUDS WILL SCT OUT FROM NW TO SE SATURDAY
MORNING. EXPECT NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW AT ALL SITES TOMORROW
AROUND 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 20.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM 67 78 57 82 / 100 20 0 0
MKL 68 76 52 80 / 100 30 0 0
JBR 63 77 54 81 / 100 10 0 0
TUP 71 79 56 81 / 90 60 0 0
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CRAIGHEAD-
CRITTENDEN-CROSS-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-PHILLIPS-POINSETT-ST.
FRANCIS.
MO...NONE.
MS...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CALHOUN-COAHOMA-
DESOTO-LAFAYETTE-MARSHALL-PANOLA-QUITMAN-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-
TUNICA-YALOBUSHA.
TN...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR FAYETTE-LAUDERDALE-
SHELBY-TIPTON.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 539 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 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>092-081100- 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- 539 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER RISK WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...ALTHOUGH THERE WILL ALSO BE SOME POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST TENNESSEE...NEAR THE TENNESSEE RIVER AND NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
518 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012
ARZ008-017-072245-
LAWRENCE AR-RANDOLPH AR-
518 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR...
LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
SOUTH CENTRAL RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS
BETWEEN 40 TO 50 MPH WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF ANNIEVILLE
AT 519 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL
OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR
BLACK ROCK...HOXIE...LAKE CHARLES STATE PARK...POCAHONTAS AND WALNUT
RIDGE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
.A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ADVISORY
AREA.
&&
LAT...LON 3624 9134 3625 9133 3625 9127 3629 9126
3633 9096 3595 9096 3603 9136 3623 9136
TIME...MOT...LOC 2219Z 271DEG 12KT 3618 9129SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 718 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012 TNZ019-048-050-051-080045- CROCKETT TN-DYER TN-HAYWOOD TN-LAUDERDALE TN- 718 PM CDT FRI SEP 7 2012 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR... WESTERN CROCKETT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTH CENTRAL DYER COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... EXTREME NORTHWESTERN HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... NORTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED 7 MILES WEST OF HALLS AT 718 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN CROCKETT...DYER...HAYWOOD AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES... INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR DYERSBURG...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. && LAT...LON 3606 8935 3589 8914 3573 8949 3586 8961 TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 230DEG 22KT 3585 8949
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:23 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked trees and power lines down onto three cars near the intersection of Caraway Road and Highway 63 in Jonesboro.
Showers and thunderstorms moved very slowly over Jonesboro. As a result, some of the streets became flooded with up to a foot of water.
Straight line winds knocked trees and power lines down across Lawrence County.
Straight line winds knocked trees and power lines down across Mississippi County. A road sign for a local store was knocked down in Keiser.
Straight line winds knocked a few trees down in Parkin. One tree fell onto Highway 184.
Straight line winds knocked a few trees down in Marked Tree.
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, September 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: 414089, 414092, 414096, 414108, 414101, 414103.