After a mild and quiet start to the month and much of the year, a quick change in seasons was provided by Arctic high pressure in the Ohio Valley. Meanwhile, a storm system approached from the southern Plains, with moisture building into the state from the Gulf of Mexico during the evening hours of the 15th.
Every event with a place to put it; 33 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 LZK wrote it up.
After a mild and quiet start to the month and much of the year, a quick change in seasons was provided by Arctic high pressure in the Ohio Valley. Meanwhile, a storm system approached from the southern Plains, with moisture building into the state from the Gulf of Mexico during the evening hours of the 15th. Snow and sleet developed across the northern third of the state into southern Missouri that evening. Freezing rain and sleet developed across the central third of the state, with just a cold rain across the south. The cold rain gradually transitioned into a freezing rain and sleet mix as temperatures dropped across the south during the overnight and early morning hours on the 16th. Accumulations of 2 to 4 inches of snow and sleet were seen across the northern third of the state, with some higher amounts across the far northwest. Central sections of the state saw freezing rain amounts of one tenth to one quarter inch, with 1 to 2 inches of sleet and snow on top of the ice. The southern third of the state saw mostly just freezing rain, with amounts of a tenth across the far south, to one quarter to over one half inch of ice from around Mt. Ida, Hot Springs and Arkadelphia, eastward to Pine Bluff and De Witt. Many roads across the area became treacherous, with numerous traffic accidents as a result. Significant ice accumulations also caused power outages across southern sections of the state, some of which lasted several hours and even days in some rural locations.
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 Feb 15, 6:16 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 616 PM CST SUN FEB 15 2015 .AVIATION... FROZEN PRECIP WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SN/PL MIX ACROSS THE NORTH...WITH FZRAPL ACROSS CENTRAL SITES. KLLQ WILL HAVE THE LONGEST AMOUNT OF TIME WITH LIQUID PRECIPITATION...BUT WILL HAVE SOME FZRA AS SYSTEM MOVES OUT. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 225 PM CST SUN FEB 15 2015/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT DRASTIC CHANGE OCCURRED DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WHEN AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVED THROUGH THE STATE. TEMPERATURES VERSUS TWENTY FOURS AGO ARE ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 40 DEGREES COLDER AS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE OFF TO OVER THE GREAT LAKES IS FUNNELING COLD AIR INTO THE REGION THANKS TO NORTHEAST WINDS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A SHORTWAVE OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AT THIS TIME. SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO DIVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AND HELP TO SPAWN SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OVER TEXAS. MODELS ARE CONTINUING THEIR TREND OF LATE IN MOVING THE SURFACE LOW FURTHER TO THE NORTH AND NOW TAKE IT FROM EAST TEXAS TO CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI DURING THE DAY MONDAY. NAM SOLUTION STILL SEEMS TO BE THE OUTLIER THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE TO TREND TOWARDS THE GFS/ECMWF/SREF BLEND. TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO WARM SIGNIFICANTLY ALOFT BUT HOLD ONTO A A VERY SHALLOW LAYER OF COLD AIR ON AND JUST OFF THE SURFACE. MODELS HOLD ONTO THIS MAYBE 4000 FOOT LAYER OF SUB FREEZING AIR WITH THE LATEST THERMAL PROFILES/BUFKIT SOUNDINGS NOW SHOWING A NORTHWARD SHIFT OF THE FREEZING RAIN AXIS. EARLIER MODEL RUNS HAD THE BEST CHANCES OF FREEZING RAIN ROUGHLY FROM MENA TO DE WITT BUT AXIS NOW APPEARS TO BE NEAR AND ALONG A HOT SPRINGS TO LITTLE ROCK TO WEST MEMPHIS LINE. ICE AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH OR MORE OR NOT BE RULED OUT IN THIS AREA. HEAVIEST SNOW AND SLEET POTENTIAL WOULD THEN BE PUSHED FURTHER NORTH WITH HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI BORDER. WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING ABOVE FREEZING...FAR SOUTH APPEARS TO MISS OUT ON SIGNIFICANT WINTER PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME SIGNALS THAT SOME FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW COULD OCCUR SO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE HELD ONTO. REMAINDER OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL BE LEFT IN PLACE. MODELS ALSO SHOWING POTENTIAL FOR SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION AND A RUMBLE OF THUNDER CAN NOT BE EXCLUDED ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTH. SYSTEM DOES CLEAR THE AREA FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SOME LEFTOVER PRECIPITATION MAY BE OVER THE SOUTHEAST EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING BUT WILL END SHORTLY AFTER DARK. ENTIRE NATION EAST OF THE WEST COAST WILL BE UNDER PRONOUNCED CYCLONIC FLOW WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL. LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AN IMPULSE IN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL PROMOTE SCATTERED RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS TUESDAY. LONG TERM MODELS BRINGING PRECIP BACK IN THE REGION LATE IN THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...DIFFERENCES DO EXIST WITH HOW WARM TEMPERATURES WILL BE...WITH THE GFS BEING COLDER AND THE EURO BEING WARMER. THIS BRINGS IN ANOTHER MIXED BAG OF WINTER PRECIP FOR THE WEEKEND. THIS IS STILL FAR OUT IN THE PERIOD AND DETAILS WILL NEED TO BE HAMMERED OUT AS WE GET CLOSER IN TIME. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 22 30 18 33 / 100 100 10 20 CAMDEN AR 34 38 26 40 / 100 100 10 20 HARRISON AR 20 28 17 34 / 100 100 10 20 HOT SPRINGS AR 29 34 23 39 / 100 100 10 20 LITTLE ROCK AR 28 32 22 38 / 100 100 10 20 MONTICELLO AR 34 38 25 38 / 100 100 10 20 MOUNT IDA AR 29 33 22 40 / 100 100 10 20 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 20 29 17 34 / 100 100 10 20 NEWPORT AR 23 30 19 33 / 100 100 10 20 PINE BLUFF AR 31 33 24 38 / 100 100 10 20 RUSSELLVILLE AR 24 32 22 39 / 100 100 10 20 SEARCY AR 24 31 19 36 / 100 100 10 20 STUTTGART AR 28 32 21 37 / 100 100 10 20 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR ARKANSAS-BAXTER- BOONE-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-CONWAY-DALLAS-FAULKNER-FULTON- GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON- JOHNSON-LOGAN-LONOKE-MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-PERRY-PIKE- POLK-POPE-PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-WOODRUFF-YELL. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR BRADLEY- CALHOUN-DESHA-DREW-LINCOLN-OUACHITA. && AVIATION...58
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 515 PM CST SUN FEB 15 2015 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-161100- 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- 515 PM CST SUN FEB 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT VERY COLD AIR IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE STATE...WITH MANY LOCATIONS BELOW FREEZING. AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES NORTHEAST FROM TEXAS TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TO FALL AFTER SUNSET. WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING NEAR THE GROUND...MIXED WINTER PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIKELY. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN ACROSS WEST AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE STATE DURING THE EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WIDESPREAD WINTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE...WITH A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN FOR THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES. PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE INTO THE DAYLIGHT HOURS MONDAY. WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES IN THE LITTLE ROCK COUNTY WARNING AREA. TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS AND IS DISCOURAGED OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS FOR WINTER PRECIPITATION THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON ARE LISTED BELOW. THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE WILL SEE A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND SNOWFALL AND TOTAL ACCUMULATION WILL GENERALLY BE BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES. LOCATIONS NEAR THE MISSOURI BORDER WILL LIKELY SEE THE HIGHEST SLEET AND SNOWFALL TOTALS...WITH SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY RECEIVING AS MUCH AS 10 INCHES OF SLEET AND SNOW. ACROSS A CENTRAL BAND OF THE STATE, ROUGHLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR, A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL OCCUR. FREEZING RAIN AMOUNTS MAY BE AS HIGH AS A QUARTER TO HALF AN INCH OF ICE IN THIS AREA...WHICH COULD LEAD TO SOME ICING CONCERNS. FREEZING RAIN WILL LIKELY TRANSITION TO SLEET...WITH ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SLEET ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...ROUGHLY FROM ARKADELPHIA TO PINE BLUFF...WILL SEE A COLD RAIN TONIGHT...AND WILL TRANSITION OVER TO FREEZING RAIN AROUND SUNRISE AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY. STORM TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS HERE COULD RANGE FROM A QUARTER TO HALF OF AN INCH. FARTHER SOUTH, ROUGHLY FROM CAMDEN TO MONTICELLO, SLEET, POSSIBLY MIXED WITH FREEZING RAIN, IS EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS MONDAY. THE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL AND SEVERAL WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. THESE DISTURBANCES WILL KEEP SMALL CHANCES FOR WINTER WEATHER IN THE FORECAST...SO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY REPORTS OF WINTER PRECIPITATION...INCLUDING TYPES AND AMOUNTS...ARE WELCOME TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 58
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
25 winter storm, 12 ice storm, 8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow and sleet amounts of 3 up to 5 inches were observed across Marion county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 3 up to 5 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 3 up to 5 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 3 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 3 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 4 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 2 up to 4 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 3 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Some light ice accumulations were also seen. The highest accumulations of wintry weather were observed across northern sections of the county.
Snow and sleet amounts of 3 up to 5 inches were observed in Boone county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 2 up to 4 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. While some freezing rain was observed, most of the accumulation across the area was from snow and sleet.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed. The highest accumulations of wintry weather were observed in the higher terrain north of the Arkansas River Valley.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across northern portions of the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Some light ice accumulations were also seen.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Some light ice accumulations were also seen.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Some light ice accumulations were also seen. The highest accumulations of wintry weather were observed across northern sections of the county.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Some light ice accumulations were also seen.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Some light ice accumulations were also seen.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed.
Snow and sleet amounts of 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Sleet accumulations of around 1 inch was observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed.
Freezing rain accumulations of two to four tenths of an inch were observed across the county, along with some sleet accumulations of around an inch. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Sleet accumulations of around 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed. The highest sleet accumulations were across northern portions of the county, and the highest freezing rain accumulations were observed across southern sections. Several automobile accidents occurred as result of the hazardous travel conditions generated by the winter storm.
Sleet accumulations of around 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed. The highest sleet accumulations were across northern portions of the county, and the highest freezing rain accumulations were observed across southern sections. Several automobile accidents occurred along Interstate 40 and other roadways across the county as a result of the hazardous travel conditions generated by the winter storm.
Sleet accumulations of around 1 up to 2 inches were observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one tenth to one quarter inch were also observed. The highest sleet accumulations were across northern portions of the county, and the highest freezing rain accumulations were observed across southern sections. Several automobile accidents occurred along Interstate 40 and other roadways across the county as a result of the hazardous travel conditions generated by the winter storm.
Freezing rain accumulations of over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Sleet accumulations of over one inch were also observed. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Sleet accumulations of around 1 inch was observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of two to four tenths of an inch were also observed. The highest sleet accumulations were across northern portions of the county, and the highest freezing rain accumulations were observed across southern sections.
Sleet accumulations of around one half inch was observed across the county as the first major winter storm of the year moved across the state. Ice accumulations of one to three tenths of an inch were also observed. Several accidents were also caused by the winter storm.
Freezing rain accumulations of over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one quarter to over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Sleet accumulations of over one inch were also observed. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one quarter to one half of an inch were observed across the county, with around one half inch of sleet observed across northern sections of the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles. Many accidents were also caused by the hazardous travel conditions.
Freezing rain accumulations of one third to over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one quarter to over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one third to over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Freezing rain accumulations of one third to over one half of an inch were observed across the county. Many residents lost power due to downed power lines and snapped power poles.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
Freezing rain accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch were observed across the county.
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, February 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: 558499, 558500, 558501, 558503, 558504, 558505, 558506, 558511, 557321, 558502, 558507, 558508, 558509, 558510, 558512, 558516, 558515, 558517, 558518, 558541, 558548, 558565, 558542, 558543, 558549, 558550, 558551, 558562, 558552, 558553, 558560, 558563, 558564, 558558, 558561, 558554, 558555, 558559, 558557, 558544, and more.