During the morning of the 17th, a large area of showers and thunderstorms moved into northern Arkansas from Missouri. During the afternoon and farther to the west, new storms developed close to a stalled front in an air mass that was much more unstable.
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 LZK wrote it up.
During the morning of the 17th, a large area of showers and thunderstorms moved into northern Arkansas from Missouri. During the afternoon and farther to the west, new storms developed close to a stalled front in an air mass that was much more unstable. Several severe storms, including one weak tornado, and flash flooding occurred in western Arkansas during the afternoon, and some of the storms continued into the evening.
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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 17, 11:16 AM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1216 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2014 .UPDATE... UPDATED TO INCLUDE 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .AVIATION... LARGE TS COMPLEX MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN MISSOURI EARLIER TODAY HAS PROVIDED WIDESPREAD HIGH CLOUDS OVER NE ARKANSAS. EXPECT ADDITIONAL TS ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS ANOTHER LINE DIVES SOUTH OUT OF MISSOURI. THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE NEAR KNRO/KBPK THIS AFTERNOON...THEN CENTRAL AR TAF SITES AOA 22Z. OTHER THAN THE TS ACTIVITY...MAINLY MVFR FLIGHT CATEGORIES WILL PERSIST...WITH MOST SITES SEEING IFR AND LOWER AFTER MIDNIGHT AS LOW CLOUDS AND FOG BUILD IN. THERE IS SOME INDICATION FOR MORE SH/TS ACTIVITY THURSDAY MORNING...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT VERY HIGH ATTM. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 653 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014/ AVIATION...17/12Z TAF CYCLE AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WL CONT TO PRODUCE MVFR/IFR CONDS ACRS MUCH OF THE FA THRU MID MRNG. A FEW LOCATIONS WL CONT TO SEE LIFR CONDS FOR A COUPLE OF HRS EARLY. EXPECT IMPROVING CONDS LATER THIS MRNG. ONGOING CONVECTION ACRS SRN MO COULD AFFECT KHRO AND KBPK TOWARD MID TO LATE MRNG. ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION IS PROGGED TO AFFECT NRN AR LATE TODAY AND EVENTUALLY PARTS OF WRN AR LATER TNGT. /44/ PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 412 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AN UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN U.S. RESULTS IN NORTHWEST FLOW OVER ARKANSAS. THIS PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY BEFORE THE RIDGE BUILDS EASTWARD BY LATE FRIDAY. THE HIGH SHOULD EXTEND TO ARKANSAS BY SATURDAY. A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT WILL TEND TO WAFFLE AROUND THE STATE TODAY AND TOMORROW. SEVERAL SHORT WAVES WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE AND BRING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS MORNING AND MOVE ACROSS MAINLY NORTH ARKANSAS. ANOTHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED THURSDAY MORNING A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH...AFFECTING CENTRAL SECTIONS MORE SO. FRIDAY SHOULD BE DRY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH ON SATURDAY AND BRING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NWLY FLOW ALOFT WL BRING ANOTHER UPR SYS/CDFNT SEWD INTO THE FA ON SUN...ALONG WITH A CHC OF SHRA/TSRA. HOWEVER...THE LATEST ECMWF RUN IS TRENDING SLOWER WITH THIS FEATURE COMPARED TO THE GFS/GEM. OPTED STAY CLOSER TO THE GFS/GEM SOLUTIONS AND SEE HOW LATER MODEL RUNS HANDLE OVERALL TRENDS. A SLOWER SOLUTION COULD LEAD TO A GREATER CONCERN FOR LOCALLY HVY RAINFALL. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WL FOLLOW THE PASSAGE OF THE CDFNT TO CLOSE OUT OF THE PD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 64 80 62 83 / 40 30 10 10 CAMDEN AR 72 88 68 89 / 20 40 20 10 HARRISON AR 64 78 61 80 / 40 40 10 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 70 86 67 85 / 50 40 10 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 70 85 66 86 / 50 40 10 10 MONTICELLO AR 71 88 67 88 / 30 40 20 10 MOUNT IDA AR 68 85 65 84 / 50 40 10 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 64 78 60 81 / 40 30 10 10 NEWPORT AR 64 80 61 83 / 40 30 10 10 PINE BLUFF AR 70 87 66 87 / 40 40 20 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 68 85 65 84 / 40 40 10 10 SEARCY AR 66 82 63 83 / 40 40 10 10 STUTTGART AR 68 84 65 85 / 40 40 10 10 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && AVIATION...226
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 741 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-181245- ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND- CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING- INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE- MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE- PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE- WOODRUFF-YELL- 741 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PATCHY FOG WILL BE NOTED ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. THE FOG WILL BE LOCALLY DENSE IN SPOTS...ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO PARTS OF NORTHERN ARKANSAS LATER THIS MORNING. WHILE A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL UP TO PENNY SIZE...ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO REDEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN HALF OF THE STATE. AFTER DRY AND WARM WEATHER FRIDAY INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND...A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP INTO ARKANSAS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THERE ARE GOOD CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE FRONT. DATA IS SHOWING THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE ODILE...FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN...MOVING INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF THE COUNTRY AND INTERACTING WITH THE FRONT. THIS WOULD ADD MOISTURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT...AND COULD RESULT IN HEAVY RAINFALL WHEN THE FRONT CROSSES THE STATE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1023 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014
ARZ003>005-171555-
BAXTER AR-BOONE AR-MARION AR-
1023 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN BOONE...NORTHERN
MARION AND WESTERN BAXTER COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 AM CDT...
AT 1021 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF DIAMOND CITY...OR 17 MILES
NORTHWEST OF BULL SHOALS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. SOME PEA SIZED HAIL MAY
BE SEEN AS WELL.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BULL SHOALS... WININGTON... PYATT...
PRICE PLACE... OZARK ISLE... LEAD HILL...
LAKEWAY... LAKEVIEW... FLIPPIN...
DODD CITY... DIAMOND CITY... CLARK HILL...
BULL SHOALS STATE PARK... ZINC...
SOUTH LEAD HILL... SNOW... PEEL...
OAKLAND...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!
LAT...LON 3632 9239 3620 9291 3650 9303 3651 9299
3651 9257
TIME...MOT...LOC 1523Z 316DEG 26KT 3649 9284
226The Springfield radar (KSGF), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:39 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down onto a county road, and a number of large limbs were blown down.
Hail from dime to nickel size fell on the south side of Mountain Home.
Hail fell at the Arkansas State Police Troop Headquarters. The hail started out as penny size, increased to nickel size, and ended up reaching golf ball size.
Hail fell at the Harrison Police Department.
Hail 2 inches in diameter fell at the intersection of U.S. 65 and U.S. 62/412 on the southeast side of Harrison.
Streets flooded in Harrison and low-water crossings were flooded in Boone County. The Harrison airport measured 1.41 inches of rain between 2:59 PM and 3:11 PM CDT.
A few trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down, blocking Arkansas 123.
Trees were uprooted or snapped off.
Trees were uprooted or snapped off.
A few trees were blown down.
Some trees were blown down.
Some trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2014Warnings in Arkansas, September 2014
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: 534639, 534640, 534643, 534641, 534642, 534644, 534645, 534656, 535280, 534649, 535277, 535279, 535281, 535282, 535283, 534657.