Widespread heavy rainfall occurred as a slow moving storm system passed over the region around Christmas. Several inches of rainfall was seen from the 25th through the 28th.
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.
Widespread heavy rainfall occurred as a slow moving storm system passed over the region around Christmas. Several inches of rainfall was seen from the 25th through the 28th. The river flooding on some rivers continued into January.
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 Dec 26, 5:46 AM CST, 4 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 546 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2015 .AVIATION... THE WARM FRONT IS NOW LIFTING INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT. EXPECT THE THUNDERSTORMS TO SPREAD NORTH AND WEST THROUGH THE MORNING. CONDIITONS WILL DETERIORATE IN THE NORTHWEST THROUGH THE DAY AND IMPROVE IN THE SOUTHEAST. MAINLY MVFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 305 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2015/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WARM FRONT REMAINS STALLED ACROSS EXTREME SRN AND SERN AR EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH MOISTURE LIFTING NORTH OVER THIS FRONT INTO THE REST OF THE STATE. AS THIS HAPPENS...SHRA/TSRA ARE BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS OVER TIME AS THEY LIFT NORTH. GOOD CHANCES FOR RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING OVER A GOOD PORTION OF THE CWA...BUT BY THIS AFTERNOON...THE AXIS OF BEST POPS WILL SHIFT TO THE NW AS THE FRONT MOVES OVER EXTREME NWRN AR...SWRN MO...AND NERN OK. EXPECT THIS FRONT TO STALL IN THIS REGION TONIGHT...AND AS THE DEEP SRLY FLOW CONTINUES TO INCREASE AHEAD OF THE SLOWLY APPROACHING UPPER CLOSED LOW TO THE SW...SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHRA/TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE. LATEST INDICATIONS ARE THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAS SHIFTED A BIT FURTHER NW THROUGH SUN MORNING THAN WHAT WAS EXPECTED OVER THE PAST COUPLE DAYS. LOOKS LIKE THE HIGHEST QPF VALUES THROUGH SUN MORNING WILL REMAIN JUST WEST AND NW OF THE CWA. EXPECT RAINFALL AMOUNTS NW OF A LINE FROM MOUNT IDA TO MOUNTAIN HOME THROUGH SUN MORNING TO BE ON THE ORDER OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. MUCH HIGHER AMOUNTS COULD BE SEEN JUST WEST OF THE LZK CWA. THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL DROP BACK EAST AND SE ON SUN INTO SUN NIGHT AS THE STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES CLOSER. EXPECT ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES FOR MOST OF THE CWA THROUGH MIDDAY MON...WITH AMOUNTS OF LESS THAN 2 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS THE FAR SERN COUNTIES. WITH THESE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS...STORM TOTAL VALUES COULD STILL RANGE FROM 2 TO OVER 8 INCHES IN SOME SPOTS. THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS CONTINUE TO REMAIN ACROSS THE NWRN THIRD OF THE STATE. EVEN THOUGH THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAS SHIFTED A BIT FURTHER WEST...THERE REMAINS HIGH POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD VERY HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH MON...WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL POSSIBLE. WILL KEEP THE FFA TIMING AND PLACEMENT AT THIS TIME AS A RESULT...GIVEN THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN VERY HIGH IF THESE RAINFALL TOTALS COME TO FRUITION. RIVER FLOODING HAS ALSO BECOME A MAJOR CONCERN...ESPECIALLY OVER THE ARKANSAS AND OUACHITA RIVER BASINS. THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL COULD STILL CHANGE EVEN BEING THIS CLOSE TO THE EVENT...SO CONTINUE TO EXPECT SOME SMALL ADJUSTMENTS IN THE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO. SOME SVR WX COULD ALSO BE SEEN WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM GIVEN THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND RESULTING DYNAMICS. HOWEVER...THIS WILL ALSO DEPEND ON THE EXACT TRACK THE UPPER LOW TAKES AND HOW FAR NORTH THE WARM SECTOR MOVES. BY LATE IN THE SHORT TERM...MOST OF THE PRECIP WILL LIFT NE OF THE STATE...WITH DRIER AND MUCH COLDER AIR PUSHING INTO THE CWA. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH COLD AIR AND MOISTURE REMAINING ACROSS THE FAR NWRN COUNTIES TO POSSIBLY SEE A VERY BRIEF WINTRY MIX MON NIGHT...AND AGAIN ON TUE NIGHT AS A NEW FRONT APPROACHES. HOWEVER..NO HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME WITH TEMPS REMAINING JUST ABOVE FREEZING AND ANY WINTRY MIX BEING LIGHT IN INTENSITY. LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AN UPPER TROUGH WILL BE MOVING THROUGH NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TO BEGIN THE LONG TERM PERIOD. ANOTHER UPPER TROUGH WILL ENTER THE PLAINS THURSDAY AND SLOWLY MOVE SOUTH FRIDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE WEST COAST. SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER ARKANSAS THROUGH THE PERIOD. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN OR LIGHT SNOW TO NORTH AND NORTHWEST SECTIONS. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH DRY CONDITIONS. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY...THEN COOLER FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 71 63 65 52 / 70 70 80 100 CAMDEN AR 75 67 72 49 / 40 40 100 100 HARRISON AR 67 46 48 42 / 90 90 100 100 HOT SPRINGS AR 72 65 69 47 / 70 60 100 100 LITTLE ROCK AR 74 65 70 51 / 60 50 90 100 MONTICELLO AR 76 67 73 52 / 20 30 80 100 MOUNT IDA AR 72 65 67 45 / 80 80 100 100 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 69 51 54 44 / 90 90 100 100 NEWPORT AR 72 64 66 54 / 70 50 80 100 PINE BLUFF AR 76 66 72 50 / 40 40 90 100 RUSSELLVILLE AR 72 63 65 48 / 80 80 100 100 SEARCY AR 72 64 67 52 / 70 50 80 100 STUTTGART AR 74 65 71 52 / 40 40 80 100 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR ARKANSAS-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-CONWAY-DALLAS- DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-INDEPENDENCE- IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LINCOLN-LONOKE-MONROE-OUACHITA-PERRY- PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-WOODRUFF. FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR BAXTER-BOONE- JOHNSON-LOGAN-MARION-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-PIKE-POLK-POPE-SCOTT- SEARCY-YELL. && AVIATION...51
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 940 PM CST FRI DEC 25 2015 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-261100- BOONE-MARION-BAXTER-FULTON-SHARP-NEWTON-SEARCY-STONE-IZARD- INDEPENDENCE-JOHNSON-POPE-VAN BUREN-CLEBURNE-JACKSON-LOGAN-CONWAY- FAULKNER-WHITE-WOODRUFF-SCOTT-YELL-PERRY-POLK-MONTGOMERY-GARLAND- SALINE-PULASKI-LONOKE-PRAIRIE-MONROE-PIKE-CLARK-HOT SPRING-GRANT- JEFFERSON-ARKANSAS-DALLAS-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-DESHA-OUACHITA-CALHOUN- BRADLEY-DREW- 940 PM CST FRI DEC 25 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A WARM FRONT WILL BEGIN TO LIFT NORTHWARD THROUGH THE STATE TONIGHT WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG IT. THE MAIN AREA AFFECTED WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS THROUGH LATE EVENING. LATER TONIGHT...THE ACTIVITY WILL SHIFT SLOWLY NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND EVENTUALLY NORTHERN ARKANSAS TOWARD SATURDAY MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS OF ARKANSAS...IN THE VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT SLOWLY TO THE NORTHWEST AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH THE HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES CONCENTRATED ALONG AND NORTH OF THE FRONT. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MEANDER OVER THE REGION INTO SUNDAY... PROVIDING A CONTINUED FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED. A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO TRACK ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...BRINGING ONE LAST ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION. FORECAST RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES OVER SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...WITH 5 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE STATE. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS STILL LOOK TO BE OVER THE OUACHITA AND OZARK MOUNTAIN REGION WHERE IN EXCESS OF 10 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. AS A RESULT...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF ARKANSAS THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. RIVER FLOODING WILL ALSO BE AN INCREASING CONCERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. SOME STRONG AND SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS LATER SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE AFOREMENTIONED STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION AND INTERACTS WITH THE WARM AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL APPEAR TO BE THE PRIMARY CONCERNS AT THIS TIME. PLEASE MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE COMING DAYS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY THE CASE THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND WITH MANY PEOPLE TRAVELING ACROSS ARKANSAS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY FLOODING OR RAINFALL AMOUNTS. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 516 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2015 ARZ033-045-046-261145- WHITE AR-PRAIRIE AR-LONOKE AR- 516 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN LONOKE...SOUTH CENTRAL WHITE AND NORTHWESTERN PRAIRIE COUNTIES UNTIL 545 AM CST... AT 516 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PARKERS CORNER...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LONOKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LONOKE...DES ARC...HAZEN...CARLISLE...BARRETTSVILLE...PARKERS CORNER... PRAIRIE CENTER...SISEMORE...THURMAN...MCCREANOR...HAYLEY...SEATON...CULLER... SCREETON...CHILDERS...HICKORY PLAINS...PETTUS...CENTER POINT AND VINITY CORNER. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3456 9178 3465 9197 3509 9174 3497 9145 TIME...MOT...LOC 1116Z 208DEG 38KT 3468 9184 62
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Fourche LaFave River at Houston rose back above flood stage during the morning hours of the 26th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Petit Jean River at Danville rose above flood stage around noon on the 27th, falling back below flood stage during the evening hours of the 31st.
The White River at Batesville rose above flood stage during the evening hours on the 27th, falling back below flood stage during the late afternoon hours on the 30th.
The Fourche LaFave River at Gravelly rose above flood stage during the evening hours of the 27th, falling back below flood stage during the evening hours of the 28th.
The Buffalo River at St. Joe rose above flood stage during the evening hours on the 27th, falling back below flood stage during the early morning hours on the 29th.
The Spring River at Hardy rose above flood stage during the evening hours on the 27th, falling back below flood stage during the late morning hours on the 29th.
The Arkansas River at Dardanelle rose above flood stage during the early morning hours of the 28th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Little Red River at Judsonia rose above flood stage during the early morning hours on the 28th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The White River at Calico Rock rose above flood stage during the morning hours on the 28th, falling back below flood stage during the evening hours on the 29th.
The Arkansas River at Morrilton rose above flood stage during the morning hours of the 28th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Saline River at Benton rose above flood stage during the morning hours on the 28th, falling back below flood stage during the morning hours of the 29th.
The Ouachita River at Arkadelphia rose above flood stage during the morning hours on the 28th, falling back below flood stage during the late evening hours of the 29th.
The Arkansas River at Toad Suck Lock and Dam rose above flood stage during the afternoon hours on the 28th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The White River at Newport rose above flood stage during the evening hours on the 28th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Ouachita River at Camden rose above flood stage during the early morning hours on the 29th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Arkansas River at Pine Bluff rose above flood stage during the late evening hours of the 29th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Arkansas River at Little Rock rose above flood stage during the afternoon hours on the 30th, remaining above flood stage into January.
The Arkansas River at Pendleton rose above flood stage during the afternoon hours of the 30th, remaining above flood stage into January.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, December 2015
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: 613103, 613106, 613114, 613105, 613116, 613117, 613099, 613112, 613115, 613098, 613107, 613108, 613096, 613113, 613110, 613100, 613095, 613102.