A stalled front was located in the vicinity of Northeast Arkansas during the late evening hours of July 21st, 2015. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the front.
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 MEG wrote it up.
A stalled front was located in the vicinity of Northeast Arkansas during the late evening hours of July 21st, 2015. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the front. One storm became severe producing flash flooding.
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 Jul 21, 8:17 PM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 917 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015 .UPDATE... AN MCV THAT MOVED EAST ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL AR DURING THE DAY WAS SERVING TO ORGANIZE THUNDERSTORMS AS IT ENTERED NORTHEAST AR AT MIDEVENING. THIS STORMS WERE RIDING ALONG AN EAST/WEST LOW LEVEL THETA-E GRADIENT. THIS THETA-E GRADIENT BECAME SLIGHTLY LESS DEFINED AS IT EXTENDED SOUTHEAST TO THE MEMPHIS METRO AT 9 PM. PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THESE STORMS THROUGH LATE EVENING REMAINS HEAVY RAIN NEAR THE MCV CENTER /NORTHWEST LAWRENCE COUNTY AT DISCUSSION TIME/ AND STRONG WIND CHANCES TO THE SOUTH OF THE EASTWARD ADVANCING MCV. FORECAST WAS RECENTLY UPDATED TO BOOST LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT RAIN CHANCES FURTHER...MAINLY NORTH OF I-40. PWB && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 636 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015/ DISCUSSION... UPDATED FOR AVIATION DISCUSSION WITH 00Z TAFS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 355 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015/ DISCUSSION... CURRENTLY A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDS ACROSS THE NORTH BORDER OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH A SECONDARY BOUNDARY FARTHER TO THE SOUTH NEAR MEMPHIS AND THE TN/MS BORDER. THE LESS DEFINED SOUTHERN BOUNDARY NEAR THE TN/MS BORDER HAS BEEN THE MAIN FOCUS FOR DIURNAL CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IS OCCURRING SOUTH OF TUPELO. A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE REGION...BUT AREAS IN THE SOUTHWEST ARE MOST CLEARLY EXCEEDING THE THRESHOLD WHERE MORE SUNSHINE IS OCCURRING. WILL LET THE ADVISORY EXPIRE THIS EVENING AS CONDITIONS WILL NOT WARRANT AN ADVISORY AFTER TODAY UNTIL LATER IN THE WEEK. FOR TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...THE MAIN FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE STATIONARY NEAR THE NORTH BORDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. MULTIPLE WEAK SHORTWAVES COMBINED WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE WILL INCREASE THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE THROUGH THE PERIOD. HIGHER STORM CHANCES AND CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES LOW ENOUGH TO PROVIDE A BREAK IN THE HEAT ADVISORY. FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...AN UPPER RIDGE WILL EXTEND IN FROM THE WEST AND PUSH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY FARTHER TO THE NORTH. THIS WILL LOWER THE CHANCES OF STORMS AND BRING HIGHER HEAT INDICES BACK INTO THE AREA. HEAT ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED AGAIN BY THE END OF THE WEEK. SWC && .AVIATION... FOR 00Z TAFS SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE MID-SOUTH...EXPECT ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE FOR NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. CONVECTION SHOULD WEAKEN OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...AREAS OF SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP FROM AN MCS...SO KEPT VICINITY SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS FOR EARLY IN MORNING FOR JONESBORO AND JACKSON. THEN ANOTHER ROUND OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FOR TOMORROW...TIMING AND LOCATIONS UNSURE SO USED VICINITY. TLSJR && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 319 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-221030- ALCORN-BENTON MS-BENTON TN-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- 319 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS MORNING TO EARLY THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI. A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS...TO A PARSONS TENNESSEE LINE. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN ARE THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING ARE THE MAIN THREATS. HEAT INDICES MAY WARM TO IN EXCESS OF 105 DEGREES OVER THE MIDSOUTH THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. JAB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
844 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015
ARZ008-017-220215-
RANDOLPH AR-LAWRENCE AR-
844 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR...
CENTRAL RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
NORTHWESTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
AT 842 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING WINDS TO 50 MPH WAS
LOCATED OVER RAVENDEN...OR 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF BLACK ROCK...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO LIKELY WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN CENTRAL RANDOLPH AND NORTHWESTERN LAWRENCE COUNTIES SHOULD
MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3623 9135 3623 9133 3624 9133 3624 9126
3633 9126 3633 9128 3636 9128 3643 9109
3616 9103 3609 9134 3612 9135
TIME...MOT...LOC 0142Z 241DEG 17KT 3626 9124SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
940 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015
ARZ017-018-026-027-035-220345-
CRAIGHEAD AR-GREENE AR-CROSS AR-LAWRENCE AR-POINSETT AR-
940 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL UNTIL 1045 PM CDT FOR...
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
SOUTHWESTERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
NORTHERN CROSS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
POINSETT COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
AT 939 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING WINDS AT
LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MINTURN TO NEAR
BEEDEVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN CRAIGHEAD...SOUTHWESTERN GREENE...NORTHERN CROSS...LAWRENCE
AND POINSETT COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3618 9035 3523 9056 3537 9104 3588 9103
3589 9129 3609 9131
TIME...MOT...LOC 0239Z 291DEG 21KT 3600 9103 3549 9114
TLSJRSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1108 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015
ARZ026>028-035-036-220500-
CRAIGHEAD AR-MISSISSIPPI AR-CRITTENDEN AR-CROSS AR-POINSETT AR-
1108 PM CDT TUE JUL 21 2015
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
NORTHERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
EAST CENTRAL CROSS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
EASTERN POINSETT COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
AT 1107 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING WINDS AT
LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BLACK OAK TO
NEAR EARLE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN CRAIGHEAD...MISSISSIPPI...NORTHERN
CRITTENDEN...EAST CENTRAL CROSS AND EASTERN POINSETT COUNTIES SHOULD
MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3592 8965 3591 8965 3589 8977 3581 8971
3573 8996 3559 8996 3552 8991 3556 9003
3540 9004 3539 9005 3548 9008 3542 9017
3538 9017 3538 9007 3529 9017 3523 9008
3512 9009 3526 9055 3592 9045
TIME...MOT...LOC 0407Z 296DEG 34KT 3583 9040 3531 9048
TLSJRThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:10 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding south of Bono. Highway 63 was flooded with about a foot of water as a result.
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, July 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: 596529.