A prolonged dry spell during the latter part of the summer produced severe (D2) drought conditions across portions of East-Central Arkansas by the beginning of September. However, drought conditions improved by the latter part of the month as several periods of rain occurred from passing cold fronts.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A prolonged dry spell during the latter part of the summer produced severe (D2) drought conditions across portions of East-Central Arkansas by the beginning of September. However, drought conditions improved by the latter part of the month as several periods of rain occurred from passing cold fronts. Little damage occurred to crops as crops were being harvested at the time. Cattle possibly had a hard time finding adequate water sources as rivers and lakes were at low levels.
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 17, 3:02 AM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 402 AM CDT TUE SEP 17 2013 .DISCUSSION... SKIES ARE PARTLY CLOUDY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE LOWER 60S TO AROUND 70 DEGREES. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MISSOURI AHEAD OF A DEVELOPING WARM FRONT. SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY MAY SNEAK INTO EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA LATER TODAY WHILE DRY WEATHER SHOULD CONTINUE ELSEWHERE. SOME CLOUDS SHOULD REMAIN AROUND THE REGION TODAY SO TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE A LITTLE COOLER MONDAY WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 80S TO AROUND 90 DEGREES. BY TONIGHT THE WARM FRONT SHOULD BE NORTH OF THE REGION SO IT SHOULD BE DRY OVER THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. WINDS WILL START TO BECOME MORE SOUTHERLY AND TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN A LITTLE WARMER THAN THIS MORNING WITH LOWS WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S. BY WEDNESDAY...SOUTH WINDS WILL START TO BRING MORE MOISTURE TO THE REGION WHICH MAY TRIGGER SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A LITTLE WARMER THAN TODAY WITH HIGHS AROUND 90. WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE MAINLY DRY WITH ONLY A ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE OVER EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. BY THURSDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY COULD MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BOTH THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. BY FRIDAY THE COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SO THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL START TO INCREASE. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY WHICH WILL MEAN THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THIS PERIOD. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE COLD FRONT WILL START TO SLOW DOWN ON SUNDAY SO THERE WILL STILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WILL BE SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR SO TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO SEASONAL LEVELS. DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE REGION FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING UP A FEW DEGREES. ARS && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF SET NOT MUCH CHANGE FROM 00Z THINKING...WITH MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE/VFR CIGS DOMINATING THIS CYCLE. STILL FEEL THE THREAT FOR MVFR VSBY AT JBR AND MKL NEAR SUNRISE...THOUGH MVFR CIGS WILL BE PATCHY IN NATURE NEAR MKL. WINDS WILL BE NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 3-7 KTS...BUT A BIT STRONGER AT MEM IN THE FIRST FEW HOURS. JAB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 88 71 91 73 / 10 10 20 10 MKL 85 64 88 68 / 10 10 20 10 JBR 84 66 90 69 / 10 10 20 10 TUP 90 69 89 68 / 10 10 20 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 334 AM CDT TUE SEP 17 2013 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-181045- 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- 334 AM CDT TUE SEP 17 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought conditions occurred across Lee County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, September 2013
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: 474784.