Before the month could end, there was another deluge on the horizon. An active southern stream of the jet drove a storm system toward the region on the 27th.
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.
Before the month could end, there was another deluge on the horizon. An active southern stream of the jet drove a storm system toward the region on the 27th. The system triggered the next round of downpours. Rain and isolated thunderstorms arrived during the afternoon and evening of the 27th, and continued through much of the 28th. Two to more than four inches of rain was common in central and southern sections of the state. Forty eight hour rainfall through 600 am CST on March 1st included 4.53 inches at Little Rock (Pulaski County), 4.10 inches at Mount Ida (Montgomery County), 3.42 inches at Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), and 3.02 inches at Hot Springs (Garland 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 Feb 28, 11:40 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Update National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1140 AM CST Wed Feb 28 2018 .AVIATION... Overall MVFR ceilings will be seen, with areas of VFR ceilings north and south, while patchy IFR conditions with fog and heavier convection. A warm front will lift across AR today, and as upper level energy moves through the region, rain, showers and scattered thunderstorms will develop. This morning, most of the convection will be over the northern half of AR, while through the day and tonight, this area will gradually move south, covering central and southern AR. Rain will be heavy at times with IFR conditions and fog later this evening and tonight. Winds will be northeast, north of the warm front, then become south behind the front. Toward Thursday morning, winds will become west behind the cold front. Speeds will be 5 to 15 mph. Later this afternoon, evening and tonight, more rain, heavy at times, and even a few strong to severe storms may develop over the southern half of AR. (59) && .Prev Discussion.../ Issued 1045 AM CST Wed Feb 2018/ Overall forecast on track. This morning the area of light convection is over the northern half of AR. Most rain amounts have been light to moderate, with so far less than an inch. The rain was in response to a warm front lifting across AR, and some upper level short wave energy moving through the mean upper southwest to northeast flow. Models do gradually move the main lift from the north to central and southern areas later today, tonight and into Thursday until the cold front pushes through AR and clears the rain east. Precip water values have come up to well over an inch, some back to a heavy rain threat over AR, and a moderate to high risk of rainfall exceeding flash flood guidance with this system. Also, a slight to marginal risk of strong to severe storms is forecast over the southern half of AR, when the strongest lift moves across AR this evening to early night. Winds and hail are the primary threats, while a low tornado threat will be seen. Late morning update will only fine tune elements based on current conditions. (59) && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 415 AM CST Wed Feb 28 2018) SHORT TERM...Today Through Thursday Night Main forecast concerns: Rain/convective trends today into tonight and chances for some SVR storms late today/this evening. Warm fnt was situated acrs Srn AR early this mrng, generally just N of a KTXK-KCDH-KPBF line. First wave of rain affected much of the FA last night and into the early mrng hrs, with most of the activity now moving out of NE AR as the assocd upr shortwave begins to depart the region. The aforementioned warm fnt is fcst to eventually lift NWD acrs the rest of AR today, providing a focus for additional rainfall. Hi-Res models cont to show a brief lull in the steadier rain early this mrng, with another round affecting the FA by late mrng, focused along and N of the bndry. By this aftn, overall areal coverage wl cont to incrs over the entire FA, as the main upr trof apchs AR fm the Srn Plains. With soils already well saturated over the SE half of the FA, the Flood Watch will remain in effect through midnight tonight. The other focus wl be on the potential for any severe storms later this aftn/evening assocd with a CDFNT that wl push thru the region. The area of concern rmns the Srn 1/3 of the state, where marginal instability/low lvl wind shear is fcst to be in place. SPC latest outlook has no sig changes this mrng, with damaging winds/isolated tornadoes the main concerns. Rain chances wl finally diminish fm the NW later tngt and Thu morning as the cold front moves out of the area. High pressure wl then bld in for the rest of the PD with much drier and somewhat cooler airmass. LONG TERM...Friday through Tuesday Quasi-zonal flow will push high pressure through the region Friday and Saturday. The high will shift east by Sunday, as southwest flow aloft develops. Remnants of a stalled front will move back to the north, and surface low pressure will drag a cold front into the region from the plains. The front will move across the state around Monday, with showers and isolated thunderstorms along and ahead of it. Northwest upper flow will develop as a closed low deepens near the Great Lakes Region. This will push the front east of the area. Cooler air will follow the front. Through the period, temperatures will be largely below seasonal averages. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Flood Watch through Thursday morning FOR Arkansas-Bradley- Calhoun-Clark-Cleburne-Cleveland-Dallas-Desha-Drew-Faulkner- Garland-Grant-Hot Spring-Independence-Jackson-Jefferson-Lincoln- Lonoke-Monroe-Montgomery-Ouachita-Perry-Pike-Polk-Prairie- Pulaski-Saline-White-Woodruff. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook...Update National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1230 PM CST Wed Feb 28 2018 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-011100- 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- 1230 PM CST Wed Feb 28 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected again today and tonight, as a weather system and cold front move through the region. Rain will be heaviest over central and southern Arkansas. In this part of the state, two to more than four inches of rain could occur. This additional rainfall will only aid in worsening flood conditions already in place from the most recent heavy rainfall event across the area. There will also be the possibility of isolated severe storms, with hail and winds the main threats. An isolated tornado may also develop. The main threat area will be over the southern half of Arkansas late this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday Through Tuesday Rain will end during the day Thursday. Dry weather is forecast the rest of Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The chances of rain will be back in the forecast Sunday with the next weather system to affect the region. Due to the recent prolonged period of heavy rainfall, river stages are expected to remain high into next week. Flooding will continue in several river basins, including the Black, White, Cache, Ouachita, and Saline Rivers. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation may be necessary late this afternoon and this evening, given the possibility of severe weather. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 44/57/59
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:16 UTC.
21 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
There was flooding at Timber Lake Reservoir near the Conway and Perry County line.
Highway 381 near highway 70 is flooding and the water is approaching homes. A few voluntary evacuations were taking place. This was reported on twitter by local broadcast media.
Portions of Highway 8 South were closed due to high water.
Highway 33 South closed north of Dixie due to high water.
Highway 46 was closed due to high water.
Highway 291 north of Prattsville was closed due to high water.
Northeast of Sheridan, 9.6 miles of Highway 46 were closed due to high water.
Highway 291 north of Prattsville was close due to high water.
Three miles of State Highway 229 between the towns of Poyen and Fenter was closed due to high water.
Hickory Grove Rd. was flooded by water in Bismarck.
Frank Senko Rd. at Highway 11 was closed due to high water.
Highway 11 at Fletcher Ellis Rd. was closed due to high water.
Vinity Rd. near McRae was closed due to high water.
Jones Island Rd. was closed due to high water.
Bayou Rd. was closed due to high water.
Heathscott Rd. near Georgetown was closed due to high water.
Widespread Flash Flooding was ongoing in and near the communities of Alexander, Shannon Hills, Bauxite, Sardis and Bryant in Saline County.
Ridge Rd. in El Paso was closed due to high water.
High water was covering Vincent and Beale Streets in Roland.
Springfield Rd. was closed due to high water near the Conway and Faulkner County line.
Sorrells Rd. at Old Warren Rd. was flooded.
Palestine Rd. in Kirby was closed due to high water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, February 2018
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: 742144, 742085, 742086, 742089, 742091, 742094, 742097, 742099, 742102, 742103, 742109, 742113, 742115, 742116, 742119, 742120, 742128, 742130, 742131, 742133, 742138, 742143.