Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of the 16th across northwestern Arkansas as a weak upper level disturbance and associated cold front moved into the area from the northwest. The strongest storms produced damaging wind.
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 TSA wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of the 16th across northwestern Arkansas as a weak upper level disturbance and associated cold front moved into the area from the northwest. The strongest storms produced damaging wind.
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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 16, 12:01 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tulsa OK 101 PM CDT Mon Jul 16 2018 .AVIATION... CONCERNING TAF SITES KTUL/KRVS/KBVO/KMLC/KXNA/KFYV/KFSM/KROG. An outflow boundary extended from just north of Tulsa to just west of Vinita. Storms will continue to form along and ahead of this boundary this afternoon. The better storm coverage will be across northeast Oklahoma through early afternoon, and affect the NW Arkansas terminals by mid to late afternoon. Storms may also be more concentrated across southeast Oklahoma, where the area has remained mostly sunny this morning. MVFR conditions are expected near thunderstorms along with gusty winds. Otherwise, VFR conditions are forecast the majority of the period with light winds. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 951 AM CDT Mon Jul 16 2018/ ..UPDATE... DISCUSSION... Morning surface analysis shows an outflow boundary/front extending from far southeast Kansas into northeast Oklahoma from Bartlesville to near Stillwater. An area of stronger storms will affect Osage County east along the Kansas/Oklahoma border. Meanwhile new development is possible along and ahead of the boundary through the afternoon. The heat advisory is in effect this afternoon and will leave it as is. Some areas will be cooler due to clouds and areas of showers or storms. && .TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for OKZ049-053>076. AR...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for ARZ019-020-029. && LONG TERM....23 AVIATION.....06 CORFIDI
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Tulsa OK 1254 PM CDT Mon Jul 16 2018 ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-171030- Adair OK-Benton AR-Carroll AR-Cherokee OK-Choctaw OK-Craig OK- Crawford AR-Creek OK-Delaware OK-Franklin AR-Haskell OK-Latimer OK- Le Flore OK-Madison AR-Mayes OK-McIntosh OK-Muskogee OK-Nowata OK- Okfuskee OK-Okmulgee OK-Osage OK-Ottawa OK-Pawnee OK-Pittsburg OK- Pushmataha OK-Rogers OK-Sebastian AR-Sequoyah OK-Tulsa OK-Wagoner OK- Washington OK-Washington AR- 1254 PM CDT Mon Jul 16 2018 This Outlook is for Northwest and West Central Arkansas as well as much of Eastern Oklahoma. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. RISK...Limited. AREA...Eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. ONSET...Ongoing. HEAVY RAIN. RISK...Limited. AREA...Eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. ONSET...Ongoing. DANGEROUS HEAT. RISK...Significant. AREA...Eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. ONSET...Ongoing. AREA AT GREATEST RISK...Far northeast and far southeast Oklahoma. DISCUSSION... A persistent area of thunderstorms has been moving east along the Kansas and Oklahoma border with an outflow boundary out ahead of these storms. This boundary will be the focus for more storms this afternoon across northeast Oklahoma into northwest Arkansas. Showers have been ongoing all morning across eastern central Oklahoma, south of Tulsa toward Tahlequah, and this has kept the airmass in this zone more stable. However, the airmass along and south of Interstate 40 has become more unstable. Storms may also form this afternoon across this area. Any of the storms this afternoon will have a limited threat of damaging wind gusts. Hot and humid conditions also continue this afternoon across much of eastern Oklahoma and west central Arkansas except in cloudy areas. Early afternoon heat index values range from 101 to 105 degrees with a heat advisory in effect until 8 PM. Heat index values will top out in the 105 to 109 range by mid afternoon with cooler values across far northwest Arkansas. SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT... Local Spotter Activation May Be Needed. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY...Thunderstorm Potential...Dangerous Heat Potential. THURSDAY through SUNDAY...Dangerous Heat Potential. EXTENDED DISCUSSION... The pattern will remain unsettled into mid week, with thunderstorm chances continuing through Wednesday. There will be a continued threat for strong downburst winds with the strongest afternoon storms. Hot and humid conditions will continue this week, likely increasing late in the week as the upper level ridge builds into the area. weather.gov/tulsa contains additional information. CORFIDI
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tulsa OK
241 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018
ARZ019-029-OKZ072-162030-
Sebastian AR-Crawford AR-Sequoyah OK-
241 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN CRAWFORD...
NORTHWESTERN SEBASTIAN AND EAST CENTRAL SEQUOYAH COUNTIES UNTIL 330
PM CDT...
At 240 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Moffett, moving
east at 15 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations in or near the path include...
Fort Smith... Van Buren...
Cedarville... Roland...
Moffett... Figure Five...
Concord... Shibley...
Dora... Furry...
This includes the following highways,
Interstate 40 in Arkansas between mile markers 0 and 10.
Interstate 40 in Oklahoma between mile markers 323 and 328.
Interstate 540 between mile markers 1 and 9.
LAT...LON 3534 9443 3538 9443 3537 9445 3538 9447
3537 9449 3535 9448 3534 9449 3534 9452
3549 9456 3560 9430 3535 9422
TIME...MOT...LOC 1940Z 252DEG 15KT 3543 9446Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tulsa OK
252 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018
ARZ019-029-OKZ072-162045-
Sebastian AR-Crawford AR-Sequoyah OK-
252 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN CRAWFORD...
NORTHWESTERN SEBASTIAN AND SOUTHEASTERN SEQUOYAH COUNTIES UNTIL 345
PM CDT...
At 252 PM CDT, two strong thunderstorms were located 3 miles
northeast of Moffett and 2 miles southwest of Arkoma. Movement was
east at 15 mph.
Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations in or near the path include...
Fort Smith... Van Buren...
Alma... Barling...
Arkoma... Moffett...
Fort Smith Regional Airport... Jenny Lind...
Kibler... Concord...
Shibley... Mill Creek...
Rye Hill... Dora...
Furry...
This includes the following highways,
Interstate 40 in Arkansas between mile markers 0 and 13.
Interstate 40 in Oklahoma between mile markers 325 and 328.
Interstate 540 between mile markers 1 and 14.
LAT...LON 3549 9415 3521 9432 3526 9444 3538 9443
3537 9445 3538 9447 3537 9449 3535 9448
3533 9450 3531 9448 3530 9449 3531 9453
3532 9456 3550 9446
TIME...MOT...LOC 1952Z 276DEG 13KT 3544 9442 3533 9448Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Tulsa OK 256 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018 ARZ001-162045- Benton AR- 256 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN BENTON COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM CDT... At 256 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Gravette, moving east at 15 mph. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations in or near the path include... Bentonville... Bella Vista... Gravette... Hiwasse... Miller... Centerton... LAT...LON 3636 9423 3636 9453 3650 9452 3650 9425 TIME...MOT...LOC 1956Z 258DEG 13KT 3643 9444
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tulsa OK
304 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018
OKZ076-162045-
Le Flore OK-
304 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL LE FLORE COUNTY UNTIL 345
PM CDT...
At 304 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 6 miles west of
Poteau, moving east at 10 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations in or near the path include...
Poteau... Panama...
Wister... Howe...
Cameron... Shady Point...
LAT...LON 3496 9480 3511 9483 3525 9455 3505 9452
3491 9456
TIME...MOT...LOC 2004Z 255DEG 11KT 3507 9474Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Tulsa OK 309 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018 OKZ075-076-162100- Latimer OK-Le Flore OK- 309 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN LATIMER AND SOUTHWESTERN LE FLORE COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM CDT... At 309 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Bengal, moving east at 10 mph. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations in or near the path include... Talihina... Fanshawe... Talimena State Park... Bengal... LAT...LON 3473 9512 3485 9515 3498 9488 3470 9484 TIME...MOT...LOC 2009Z 255DEG 10KT 3481 9506
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Tulsa OK 310 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018 OKZ076-162100- Le Flore OK- 310 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN LE FLORE COUNTY UNTIL 400 PM CDT... At 310 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 6 miles north of Big Cedar, moving east at 15 mph. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern Le Flore County. LAT...LON 3466 9474 3478 9478 3488 9445 3462 9446 TIME...MOT...LOC 2010Z 263DEG 13KT 3473 9468
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:10 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs near Holcomb Elementary School.
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, July 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: 771410.