A line of severe thunderstorms moved through in the early mornings of both May 19th and 20th which caused a few reports of wind damage.
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.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved through in the early mornings of both May 19th and 20th which caused a few reports of wind damage.
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 May 18, 9:34 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1034 PM CDT Thu May 18 2017 .UPDATE... Have updated to increase rain chances over the area in the northwest and far west tonight. 00Z upper level analysis shows a degree of ridging still in place over Arkansas, but starting to erode. Trough emenating from a closed upper low in the four corners region and interacting with a strong surface system over Oklahoma has allowed strong storms to develop and move east/northeast. Based on their current trajectory and incoming model data, these will likely clip our northwest half later tonight. There will still be a severe threat, but this should wane in the early morning hours as the storms weaken. && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 640 PM CDT Thu May 18 2017) AVIATION... Clouds will increase over the next 24 hours, as a storm system approaches from the plains. Expect conditions to deteriorate by early Friday morning, with MVFR ceilings developing. Some improvement can be expected during the late morning and early afternoon hours, similar to today. Precipitation chances are low- confidence, except for maybe in the north. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...NONE. && 57
Hazardous Weather Outlook...Updated National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1245 AM CDT Fri May 19 2017 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-191000- 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- 1245 AM CDT Fri May 19 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight The region will be between a ridge of high pressure over the southeast United States and a front and stormy conditions in the Plains. Overnight, storms from Oklahoma will build into northwest Arkansas. Some storms will be severe, with damaging winds the main concern. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. Locally heavy rain will also be noted, with amounts locally over an inch. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Not much will change on Friday. Hit and miss showers and a few thunderstorms in the forecast, mainly in areas north and west of Little Rock. High pressure to the east will weaken Friday night and Saturday. The front to the west will head toward Arkansas, with rain chances increasing. Several rounds of thunderstorms are expected through the weekend. A few storms could become strong to severe. The stronger storms could produce large hail and damaging winds. Locally heavy rainfall will also occur. Thunderstorms will move out of the area Sunday afternoon. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation may be needed Friday night and Saturday. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 51/46
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:53 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A line of severe thunderstorms uprooted several large trees north of Coal Hill.
A line of thunderstorms blew down a large sign at Clarksville High School.
Law Enforcement reported several trees and powerlines down throughout the western half of Johnson County.
Newton County law enforcement reported several trees and a few powerlines were downed because of the line of thunderstorms.
Public and Emergency manager initially reported damage to a farm in the Lakeway area. NWS Storm Survey was sent out to determine if it was straight-line winds or a tornado and were determined to be the former. Wind gust speeds were estimated to be approximately 80 mph. Several trees were uprooted or snapped on and near the property. Additionally, a few outbuildings sustained damage. One lost a roof while another had a trees thrown on it. A trailer was also tipped over from the winds.
Large trees limbs were blown down from severe thunderstorm winds.
Law enforcement reported hail approximately 1 inch in diameter with a single severe thunderstorm passing over Pleasant Plains.
Severe thunderstorm produced hail 1 inch in diameter near Oxford, Arkansas.
Thunderstorm produced hail 1.25 inches in diameter as it moved over Austin, Arkansas.
Both a COOP observer and trained spotter reported hail ranging from 0.88 inches to 1.75 inches in diameter as it moved over Salem, Arkansas.
The public reported a carport was damaged from wind after severe thunderstorms produced strong winds in Beebe.
A thunderstorm produced 0.88 inch hail near the city of Mayflower.
Thunderstorm wind blew a tree down on East Robbins Road in Conway.
A thunderstorm blew a tree down across highway 281.
Social media video shows flooding along highway 13 in Judsonia after heavy rainfall from a thunderstorm.
A personal weather station in St. Charles in West Little Rock recorded 3.08 inches of rainfall in approximately 3 hours.
Training thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall which caused flash flooding to occur at the intersection of Chenonceau Boulevard and Aberdeen Drive in West Little Rock.
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, May 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: 700299, 700301, 700302, 700303, 700304, 700312, 700314, 700320, 700321, 700323, 700324, 700673, 700674, 700676, 700675, 700677, 700678, 700680, 700679, 700681.