Arkansas, 2020

Winter Weather in Arkansas, January 16 to 17, 2020

January 16 to 17, 2020 · NWS LZK · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

During the early morning hours of the 17th, readings in parts of the Ozark Mountains of the north dipped to around freezing. By 400 am CST, it was 31 degrees at Harrison (Boone County) and 32 degrees at Mountain Home (Baxter County).

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 LZK wrote it up.

During the early morning hours of the 17th, readings in parts of the Ozark Mountains of the north dipped to around freezing. By 400 am CST, it was 31 degrees at Harrison (Boone County) and 32 degrees at Mountain Home (Baxter County). At the same time, a storm system approaching from the west spread moisture into areas north of Little Rock (Pulaski County). Areas of light freezing rain were noted toward the Missouri border. There was a thin coating of ice on trees and power lines, and a few bridges and overpasses. Roads were mainly wet, and travel was mostly unaffected.

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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 16, 5:43 PM CST, 6 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 5:43 PM CST, 6 hours 7 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 16, 3:16 AM CST, 20 hours 34 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 16, 5:53 PM CST, 5 hours 57 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. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Newton

When
January 16, 11:50 PM CST to January 17, 10:34 AM CST
Where
Newton forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

Elevated surfaces were coated with about one tenth of an inch of ice.

Winter Weather, Searcy

When
January 17, 12:00 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where
Searcy forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

About one tenth of an inch of ice accumulated on young pine trees, causing them to lean.

Winter Weather, Stone

When
January 17, 12:41 AM CST to 11:28 AM CST
Where
Stone forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
35.860, -92.157 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice accumulated on trees.

Winter Weather, Sharp

When
January 17, 1:05 AM CST to 11:28 AM CST
Where
Sharp forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.161, -91.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice accrued on elevated surfaces.

Winter Weather, Boone

When
January 17, 6:47 AM CST to 4:34 PM CST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

The Harrison ASOS measured 0.21 inches of freezing rain from midnight to 643 am CST.

Winter Weather, Baxter

When
January 17, 7:05 AM CST to 5:28 PM CST
Where
Baxter forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.287, -92.337 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Mountain Home airport recorded 0.09 inches of freezing rain from midnight through 0645 am CST.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, January 2020

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 873649, 873650, 873651, 873648, 873645, 873647.