Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, January 15 to 16, 2018

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, January 15 to 16, 2018
Start: 2018-01-15T13:00
End: 2018-01-16T09:00
Location: Arkansas

January 15 to 16, 2018 · NWS MEG · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

An arctic front swept through the region during the afternoon and evening hours on January 15th. As cold air deepened snow developed across the region in response to a an upper level disturbance.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

An arctic front swept through the region during the afternoon and evening hours on January 15th. As cold air deepened snow developed across the region in response to a an upper level disturbance. Snow continued through the early morning hours on January 16th and eventually tapered off by mid-morning. The heaviest snowfall amounts were in East-Central Arkansas where up to six inches fell. Lesser amounts fell over Northeast Arkansas and across Phillips County.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 15, 12:39 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 15, 12:39 PM CST, 21 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 15, 9:39 AM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter weather, 6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Randolph

When: January 15, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Randolph forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.342, -91.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Lawrence

When: January 15, 3:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.041, -91.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Clay

When: January 15, 3:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.368, -90.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Greene

When: January 15, 3:00 PM CST to January 16, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.118, -90.559 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Craighead

When: January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Craighead forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.831, -90.633 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Mississippi

When: January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Mississippi forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.764, -90.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to five inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Poinsett

When: January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Poinsett forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.574, -90.663 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around three inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Cross

When: January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Cross forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.296, -90.771 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to five inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Crittenden

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Crittenden forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.208, -90.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to five inches of snow.

Winter Storm, St. Francis

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 7:00 AM CST
Where: St. Francis forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.022, -90.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to six inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Lee

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Lee forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.781, -90.782 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to five inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Phillips

When: January 16, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Phillips forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.428, -90.848 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to two inches of snow.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, January 2018

Sources

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: 738101, 738102, 738103, 738104, 738105, 738107, 738108, 738109, 738110, 738111, 738112, 738106.