A cold front pushed to the south across Arkansas on March 10th, and it started turning cooler and dried out. Data showed storm systems forming along the front, and pulling moisture back into the region on the 11th.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
A cold front pushed to the south across Arkansas on March 10th, and it started turning cooler and dried out. Data showed storm systems forming along the front, and pulling moisture back into the region on the 11th.
As moisture returned, showers started popping up during the morning of the 11th. Temperatures were only in the 30s and 40s. In the northern two to three rows of counties, the atmosphere cooled aloft in the afternoon. Given mostly subfreezing air overhead and a lack of melting, rain changed to snow and was heavy at times.
More than four inches of snow piled up at a few locations in the north. At Cave City (Sharp County), 5.0 inches was measured, with 4.8 inches at Calico Rock (Izard County), 4.0 inches at Mountain Home (Baxter County) and Swifton (Jackson County), 3.8 inches near Jonesboro (Craighead County) and Snow (Marion County), and 3.5 inches at Batesville (Independence County), Bergman (Boone County), Onia (Stone County), and Salem (Fulton County).
This snowfall caused hazardous travel conditions all across northern Arkansas.
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 Mar 11, 5:47 AM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 547 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 .AVIATION... Two systems will merge over Arkansas today and bring good rain chances to the area. Ceilings will lower and visibilities will eventually deteriorate...and VFR conditions will become IFR. Cold air will continue to filter into the state. Sleet may mix with rain by late morning in the north, and this will transition to snow or a rain and snow mix in the afternoon and continue into the night. Northeast and east winds are anticipated through the period. && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 335 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 ) SHORT TERM...Today Through Sunday Night Clouds increasing/thickened quickly this morning, with scattered showers developing during the predawn hours. Areas of rain are in the forecast today, with below average temperatures. Precipitation will be the result of a storm system to the southwest interacting with a stalled front along the Gulf Coast. Across the northern two to three rows of counties, cooling aloft will lead to pockets of sleet this morning, and sleet/snow this afternoon and evening. A long stretch of mild weather and warm ground temperatures will limit accumulations. For now, have up to an inch of snow in the north, with the greatest potential of accumulating snow from Jasper to Melbourne and onto the Missouri bootheel. Precipitation will taper off fairly quickly from north to south tonight. Cannot rule out a few snowflakes before precipitation ends in central Arkansas, but with no accumulation. Cold high pressure will begin building into the region tonight from the north, with some clearing toward Sunday morning. At/below freezing temperatures are expected from Little Rock northward, and a Freeze Warning has been posted. After dry but cool weather on Sunday, a quick round of light rain or light snow will affect mainly the north Sunday night/early Monday. A dusting of snow is possible toward the Missouri border. LONG TERM...Monday Through Friday An upper trough will be moving through the northwest flow over the Plains to begin the period with an upper ridge over the western U.S. This trough moves through Arkansas on Monday and northwest flow returns Monday night. An upper low develops over the Great Lakes and moves to the east coast by Wednesday. The upper ridge slowly moves east Thursdsay and Friday. As the short wave moves through Arkansas Monday, precipitation chances will be ending from west to east. There will be some light rain or snow across the north early in the morning before switching over to all rain. Did not include any snow amounts as temperatures will be near freezing to slightly above. Precipitation will end in the east during the afternoon. High pressure will build into the area for Tuesday and Wednesday. Widespread freezing temperatures are again expected Tuesday night...with temperatures ranging from the mid 20s to mid 30s. Freezing temperatures will be confined to the northeast Wednesday night. Small rain chances return in the west Wednesday night and they will spread east on Thursday as another short wave moves through the northwest flow. A cold front moves through the Plains Friday and will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms to Arkansas. Rain chances will diminish Friday night. && && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Freeze Warning from midnight CST tonight to 9 AM CDT Sunday FOR Baxter-Boone-Cleburne-Conway-Faulkner-Fulton-Garland- Independence-Izard-Jackson-Johnson-Logan-Lonoke-Marion-Monroe- Montgomery-Newton-Perry-Polk-Pope-Prairie-Pulaski-Saline-Scott- Searcy-Sharp-Stone-Van Buren-White-Woodruff-Yell. && Aviation...51
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Little Rock AR 500 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-121100- 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- 500 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Rain will become widespread today across Arkansas. In the northern two to three rows of counties, sleet and snow is expected to develop this afternoon and evening as temperatures cool aloft. Light accumulations of snow are possible. The greatest potential for accumulating snow will be from Jasper to Melbourne and onto the Missouri bootheel. In general, up to an inch of snow is expected in these areas. A long stretch of above average temperatures and a warm ground will tend to limit how much snow piles up. Precipitation will taper off from north to south fairly quickly tonight. Before precipitation ends, snowflakes may make it as far south as central Arkansas, but with no accumulation. Cold high pressure will begin building into the region tonight, with some clearing toward Sunday morning. At or below freezing temperatures will likely occur from Little Rock northward. There will be a hard freeze in the Ozark Mountains as temperatures drop into the 20s. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday Through Friday After dry but cool weather on Sunday, a quick round of light rain or light snow will follow Sunday night and early Monday, mainly in the northern half of the state. A dusting of snow is possible toward the Missouri border. Another freeze is likely in the north Monday night, and in much of Arkansas Tuesday night. Below average temperatures will continue through Wednesday, and then a warming trend will follow later this week. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast Thursday and Friday. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation will not be needed. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 46/51
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 heavy snow, 6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Three inches of snow was measured in Sidney in Sharp County.
Three inches of snow was measured in Heber Springs in Cleburne County.
Two point eight (2.8) inches of snow was measured in Botkinburg in Van Buren County.
Two inches of snow was measured 2 miles south of Ozone in Johnson County.
One inch of snow was measured in Jasper in Newton County.
Zero point eight inches (0.8) of snow was measured in Rose Bud in White County.
Three point five inches (3.5) of snow was measured in Bergman in Boone County.
Three point five inches (3.5) of snow was measured in Glencoe and Salem in Fulton County.
Five inches of snow was measured five miles southeast of Cave City in Independence County.
Four point eight inches (4.8) of snow was measured in Calico Rock in Izard County.
Four inches of snow was measured at KTLO radio station in Mountain Home in Baxter County.
Three point five inches (3.5) of snow was measured in Onia in Stone County.
Three point eight inches (3.8) of snow was measured in the town of Snow in Marion County.
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, March 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: 685221, 685222, 685223, 685230, 685233, 685236, 685239, 685241, 685243, 685249, 685252, 685255, 685256.