Shortly before 600 pm CST, storms fired up just north of Arkansas, and became severe quickly. By 800 pm CST, severe storms were in far northwest Arkansas, and made headway through much of the region north and west of Little Rock (Pulaski County) by the midnight hour.
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.
Shortly before 600 pm CST, storms fired up just north of Arkansas, and became severe quickly. By 800 pm CST, severe storms were in far northwest Arkansas, and made headway through much of the region north and west of Little Rock (Pulaski County) by the midnight hour.
Along the way, there was a 60 mph gust near Mountain Home (Baxter County). Numerous trees were downed eight miles northwest of Ozark (Franklin County). Several trees and road signs were knocked down at Mountain View (Stone County). Empty train cars were pushed over at Hoxie (Lawrence County).
Around 115 am CST on the 15th, the focus was on a storm advancing into central sections of the state. There was persistent rotation in the storm, but mostly not strong enough to worry about. However, the rotation tightened briefly, and this resulted in a quick tornado just south of Romance (White County).
Around 115 am CST on the 15th, the focus was on a storm advancing into central sections of the state. There was persistent rotation in the storm, but mostly not strong enough to worry about. However, the rotation tightened briefly, and this resulted in a quick tornado just south of Romance (White County).
Video footage showed the destruction, with at least one mobile home rolled and demolished. Residents were busy picking up the pieces. This was the forty fifth tornado of the year in Arkansas (more than the usual thirty three tornadoes). Less than a half hour later, the front and storms along it reached Little Rock National Airport (Pulaski County), and a 52 mph gust was measured.
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 Nov 14, 4:43 PM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 443 PM CST Sat Nov 14 2020 .DISCUSSION... Updated to include the 00Z aviation discussion below... && .AVIATION... Moisture continues to stream north ahead of an approaching cold front...which will bring chances for SHRA/TSRA this evening into the overnight period as the front drops SE through the state. Some breezy SRLY winds will be seen ahead of the front...then the winds will switch to a more NWRLY direction behind the front. Expect MVFR or lower conditions within the more intense convection with the front...though some MVFR CIGs may be seen ahead of the front. Behind the front...expect improving conditions by the daylight hrs on Sun as more stable air moves into the state. && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 239 PM CST Sat Nov 14 2020) SHORT TERM...Tonight Through Monday Primary forecast concerns deal with expected events early in this forecast period. Latest data from local radars indicate that the warm air advection type precipitation that affected mainly northern sections of the forecast area has moved to the north of the state. Latest CAM guidance continues to suggest that pre-frontal convection will be possible just to the west and northwest of the forecast area, during the late afternoon and early evening, with the activity then moving quickly to the northeast. The environment across this area will be supportive of super-cellular convection, with all severe weather elements possible. Additional development, in a QLCS pattern, is expected to develop along a relatively fast moving cold front, to affect the forecast area during from mid evening through the early morning hours. Windy conditions will be associated with the frontal boundary. At this time, wind speeds are not expected to meet headline criteria. The front is expected to be east of the state by sunrise, along with all associated precipitation. Dry conditions, and near normal afternoon temperatures are expected through the rest of this forecast period. LONG TERM...Monday Night Through Saturday The long term period will begin w/ a CONUS wide upper air pattern resembling that of a sine wave. Deep troughing w/ steep hgt fld gradients will be prevalent over much of the Upper Great Lakes w/ broad ridging across the Cont. Divide. At the sfc, strong high pressure under forcing for descent will be centered over the Srn Cntrl US. Under high pressure and N/Erly sfc winds, temps will remain seasonably normal, and PoPs will be non-existent. By Thurs, upper-lvl flow will transition to become quasi-zonal w/ an upper high over the Nrn waters of the Gulf of Mexico. At the low- lvls, high pressure will shift Ewrd, and an increasing sfc pres grad will result in stronger Srly winds, allowing for a gradual uptick in temps and moisture. By the end of the period and heading into the next weekend, PoPs will return to the fcst as long range guidance is progging another strong front to surge through the Cntrl Plains and into the Ozarks. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...NONE. && Aviation...62
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 245 PM CST Sat Nov 14 2020 ARZ003>008-012>017-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-151100- Boone-Marion-Baxter-Fulton-Sharp-Randolph-Newton-Searcy-Stone- Izard-Independence-Lawrence-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- 245 PM CST Sat Nov 14 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A few strong to severe thunderstorms may occur in the late afternoon and overnight hours. Damaging winds and large hail could be produced with the strongest storms...though an isolated tornado could also occur in the late afternoon and early evening. The area with the best chances for strong or severe thunderstorms will be across the northwest half of the area. Expect the threat for hazardous weather to become low by Sunday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday Through Friday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation may be required through the late evening hours. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 55
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
1018 PM CST Sat Nov 14 2020
ARZ003>006-012-013-150500-
Baxter AR-Marion AR-Searcy AR-Newton AR-Boone AR-Fulton AR-
1018 PM CST Sat Nov 14 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN SEARCY...
NORTHEASTERN NEWTON...SOUTHERN MARION...SOUTHEASTERN BOONE...NORTHERN
BAXTER AND NORTHWESTERN FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM CST...
At 1017 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 5 miles northeast of Mountain Home to near
Yellville to near Pruitt. Movement was northeast at 40 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Mountain Home... Bull Shoals...
Yellville... Jasper...
Gassville... Flippin...
Lakeview in Baxter County... Salesville...
Western Grove... Viola...
Briarcliff... Valley Springs...
Arkawana... Dugger...
Diamond Bay... Ott...
Ozark Regional Airport... Gamaliel Landing...
Fawn Park... Bull Shoals State Park...
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until midnight CST for north
central Arkansas.
LAT...LON 3638 9201 3611 9260 3599 9295 3602 9326
3650 9233 3650 9192
TIME...MOT...LOC 0417Z 252DEG 32KT 3644 9232 3623 9265 3603 9308
46The Springfield radar (KSGF), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:32 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust was estimated at 60 mph at Mountain Home.
A tree and a couple of road signs were blown down.
Power lines and poles were downed across Lawrence County Road 701 per the Lawrence County Sheriff.
Wind gusts knocked over train cars. The train was stopped when the line of storms moved through Hoxie, AR. These were empty grain cars. A total of 15 cars blew over onto their sides, 3 cars were leaning over.
The NWS survey revealed an EF1 tornado that started just west of Wayne |Walker Road, rolling a mobile home. Another mobile home was severely damaged off Highland Circle just to the east. Along R. G. Davis Road, a double-wide mobile home was pushed off the block foundation. A mobile home along Reames Road sustained roof damage. Other than damage to mobile homes, several trees were either snapped or uprooted along the path. This tornado lifted just southeast of the intersection of Reames and Blackjack Mountain Road. There were four injuries reported.
Live power lines were down and blocking Highway 270, 5 miles east of Sheridan per Arkansas State Police.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2020Warnings in Arkansas, November 2020
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: 925531, 925549, 925544, 925545, 925536, 925550.