Heavy rain brought flooding to the Cache River during the middle of August. Given all of the rain, flooding was almost non-existent locally.
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The episode as NWS LZK wrote it up.
Heavy rain brought flooding to the Cache River during the middle of August.
Given all of the rain, flooding was almost non-existent locally. That changed on the 15th. The front had lifted a bit to the north by this time, and was draped across central Arkansas. Before dawn, a large cluster of thunderstorms hit areas along and north of the Arkansas River, mainly north and west of Little Rock (Pulaski County). At least two dozen reporting sites registered four inches of rain or more.
By 700 am CDT, a whopping 7.20 inches was reported at Damascus (Van Buren County)! That is two months of rain in just a few hours. Elsewhere, an impressive 5.95 inches of rain poured on Center Ridge (Conway County), 4.75 inches at Hattieville (Conway County), 4.10 inches at Conway (Faulkner County), and 4.08 inches at Coal Hill (Johnson County).
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 Aug 16, 2:11 AM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 311 AM CDT Wed Aug 16 2017 .DISCUSSION... Main concerns in this forecast cycle remain the chance of rain each day, and consequently a temperature forecast. The overall threat of strong to severe storms will remain quite low and isolated. Heavy rain with a risk of flash flooding will be possible with any strong storms and any area that has repeated convection. Currently a weakening area of convection was moving northeast over northern AR, and will continue to move northeast this morning and weaken. Some heavy rain was noted earlier over parts of northwest AR. This is associated with an upper weather system moving through the region. The weak frontal boundary has pushed well north of AR and is now over MO. A south wind will be seen over AR today. Early morning temperatures were in the low to mid 70s, while dew point temperatures were just a few degrees less. Some patchy fog areas were also seen. Aloft, the upper ridge was off to the east of AR, while southwest flow was now into AR, especially western AR. This flow will allow warmer temperatures, and much of any convection mainly over western to northern parts of AR. && .SHORT TERM...Today Through Thursday Night Today convection chances will be focused over northwest to northern AR, while much lower chances central and southern areas. Forecast has these trends. Short range models do indicate some upper short wave energy to move over western AR today, a bit more tonight, then a frontal system and additional upper energy is forecast to move into northwest AR later tonight to Thursday. Convection chances are up Thursday morning, while as the upper support weakens over AR, overall convection chances lower through the day. Thursday night, a lower chance of convection is forecast, with the highest in the north, the lowest in the south. The threat of strong to severe storms will be low and isolated, while a bit higher late tonight and early Thursday as the front sags through AR. Also, some patchy fog, dense in spots, will be possible across AR with the in place moist low levels. Temperatures will be much closer to normal values with the overall drop in rain chances. Highs in the mid 80s to lower 90s, while lows mainly in the 70s. Heat index values will rise a bit to the upper 90s to 100 to near 105 degrees, but are not expected to reach advisory levels. && .LONG TERM...Friday Through Tuesday Frontal boundary will remain stalled near the region at the beginning of the long term periods, as upper flow will be quasi- zonal in nature. Several systems will move through and interact with the boundary or remnant convection from it, and this will allow for scattered showers and thunderstorms through the period (largely diurnally-driven). Upper ridge will contract and expand at-will, though it should be centered south or southwest of here. So, though temperatures will warm, readings will be close to average. With southerly surface flow developing early next week, dewpoints will increase, and as a result, afternoon heat index values will approach the 100-105 degree range over the central and south. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Batesville AR 89 75 91 71 / 40 20 60 10 Camden AR 92 76 92 76 / 20 10 30 20 Harrison AR 89 73 88 67 / 60 50 30 10 Hot Springs AR 91 76 89 74 / 20 10 40 20 Little Rock AR 91 76 92 74 / 20 10 50 20 Monticello AR 92 76 93 76 / 20 0 20 20 Mount Ida AR 90 75 88 73 / 20 20 40 20 Mountain Home AR 89 74 90 68 / 60 50 40 10 Newport AR 89 76 91 71 / 30 20 60 10 Pine Bluff AR 92 76 91 75 / 20 10 30 20 Russellville AR 92 75 90 72 / 40 30 40 20 Searcy AR 92 75 90 72 / 20 10 60 20 Stuttgart AR 92 76 90 74 / 20 10 40 20 && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...NONE. && Short Term...59 / Long Term...57
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Little Rock AR 432 AM CDT Wed Aug 16 2017 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-171000- 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- 432 AM CDT Wed Aug 16 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will be possible today, mainly across portions of northern Arkansas. Only isolated convection is forecast for the rest of the state with an overall lowering in rain chances today. The threat of any strong to severe storm will be low, any slower moving storm will produce heavy downpours, possibly leading to localized flooding. Also, this afternoon, heat index values will rise to the mid to upper 90s and a few around 100 degrees, as the overall chance of rain lowers. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday Through Tuesday Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible through the period, mainly in the afternoon and early evening hours. At this time, the threat of severe thunderstorms is low. However, a few storms could become strong, and produce locally heavy rainfall. Next week, humidity will increase, and as a result, afternoon heat index values will approach or exceed 100 degrees in central and southern Arkansas. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation will not be needed. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding developed on the Cache River at Patterson on August 16, 2017.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2017
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: 719741.