Arkansas, 2013

Ice Storm in Arkansas, January 15, 2013

January 15, 2013 · NWS JAN · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong cold front brought a shallow and very chilly air mass southward into the ArkLaMiss the night of January 13th. The cold air undercut relatively mild air aloft, thus setting the stage for freezing rain over northwest portions of the ArkLaMiss on January 14th, with another round developing on January 15th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$35,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.

A strong cold front brought a shallow and very chilly air mass southward into the ArkLaMiss the night of January 13th. The cold air undercut relatively mild air aloft, thus setting the stage for freezing rain over northwest portions of the ArkLaMiss on January 14th, with another round developing on January 15th. A couple periods of moderate freezing rain accompanied by thunder (which is rare) occurred with temperatures hovering near or just below 32 degrees.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 15, 4:27 AM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 15, 4:27 AM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 15, 5:44 AM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 15, 7:59 AM CST, 1 minute before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Chicot

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Chicot forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.267, -91.294 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A quarter inch of ice accumulated on trees and power lines across the county.

Ice Storm, Ashley

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Ashley forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.191, -91.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A quarter inch of ice accumulated on trees and power lines, mainly in the far southeastern part of the county.

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, January 2013

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 424792, 424793.