Winter Weather in Arkansas, April 20, 2021

Name: Winter Weather in Arkansas, April 20, 2021
Start: 2021-04-20T21:50
End: 2021-04-20T21:50
Location: Arkansas

April 20, 2021 · NWS LZK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

A cold front from Canada surged into the region during the morning of April 20, and was over the southern counties by the late afternoon. Ahead of the front at 400 pm CDT, it was 76 degrees at Monticello (Drew County) with plenty of sunshine. It was a different world behind the front, with 33 degrees at Harrison (Boone County). The transition from mild to cold resulted in windy conditions. Winds shifted to the northwest at 10 to 20 mph, with maximum gusts between 30 and 40 mph in places.

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 Apr 20, 5:34 PM CST, 4 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 5:34 PM CST, 4 hours 16 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
634 PM CDT Tue Apr 20 2021

.UPDATE...

Updated to include the 00Z aviation discussion below...

&&

.AVIATION...

Clouds will slowly move out and lift through the evening and
overnight hours from NW to SE. Light rain/snow showers are
expected to come to an end by sunset for north terminals. For
northern Arkansas, MVFR/IFR conditions are expected to become VFR
conditions overnight as CIGs lift and VIS improves. Widespread VFR
condtions are expected for central and southern terminals through
the period. Winds will be out of the NW remaining gusty until
midnight.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 243 PM CDT Tue Apr 20 2021)
Short Term...Tonight thru Thursday...
Here comes the late season freeze - high pressure dropping down
across the Plains is driving a cold front thru the area today.
Temperatures tonight are going to drop down to freezing or below
across about 2/3 of the forecast area. The southeastern zones will
likely be spared, but will remain quite cold regardless.

A rain/snow mix will persist across portions of northern Arkansas
this afternoon and tonight, but should clear out by morning. Little
to  no accumulation is anticipated.

As for the freeze warning, I had to expand it a bit. Some of the
counties included in the watch will only see freezing temperatures
in part of the area, however frost conditions are likely outside of
the freeze areas in those counties.

A trof sweeping across the midsection of the country will begin to
move east tonight, leaving the area under a northwesterly flow
tomorrow. In the wake of the cold front, temperatures will be on the
cool side tomorrow, topping out in the 50's across the north and the
lower 60's across the south.

Temperatures will drop down to rather cold levels again tomorrow
night, and frost is likely across portions of the north. Highs
Thursday will recover a bit, with max temperatures warming up 3-6
degrees in most areas.

Extended Term...Thursday Night thru Tuesday...
Upper low pressure will be over the northern Plains and desert
southwest to begin the long term period. The northern low will move
off to the east Friday and the southwest low will move into New
Mexico. The low will open into a trough and move through Arkansas
Saturday and to the east coast Sunday. Ridging reutrns to the Plains
Sunday and Monday.

A warm front will be in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday night and
Friday. This front will move north through Arkansas Saturday with a
trailing cold front. Showers and isolated thunderstorms will
overspread the area Thursday night and Friday, ending Saturday
morning. The bulk of the rain will be Friday and Friday night, in
the south, with up to two inches. High pressure builds in for the
rest of the period with warmer temperatures. Below normal
temperatures will become above normal by the end of the period.

&&

.LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
Freeze Warning from 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Wednesday FOR Baxter-Boone-
Clark-Cleburne-Conway-Faulkner-Fulton-Garland-Grant-Hot Spring-
Independence-Izard-Jackson-Johnson-Lawrence-Logan-Lonoke-Marion-
Montgomery-Newton-Perry-Pike-Polk-Pope-Pulaski-Randolph-Saline-
Scott-Searcy-Sharp-Stone-Van Buren-White-Yell.

&&

Aviation...CONDRY

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 20, 8:37 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
937 PM CDT Tue Apr 20 2021

ARZ003>008-012>017-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-211000-
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-
937 PM CDT Tue Apr 20 2021

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Much colder condtions will be noted tonight, with temperatures
dropping down into the mid 20s to lower 30s. These subfreezing
temperatures will be seen generally along and northwest a line
from Glenwood, to Mount Ida, to Conway, to Batesville to
Pocahontas. These areas will likely see a significant late season
freeze. Areas just southeast of this line could see temperatures
near or just above freezing, with patchy frost possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday Through Monday

After near or subfreezing temperatures are seen across the
northwest half of the area Wednesday morning, the potential for
hazardous weather will become low by Wednesday afternoon.
Additional subfreezing temperatures could be seen across portions
of the area late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Beyond
Thursday morning, the threat for hazardous weather will become
low.

.Spotter Information Statement...

Spotter activation will not be needed.

&&

Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk.

62/46/44

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 20, 4:01 PM CST, 5 hours 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
501 PM CDT TUE APR 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0450 PM     SNOW             OMAHA                   36.46N  93.19W
04/20/2021  M0.9 INCH        BOONE              AR   SOCIAL MEDIA

            MEASURED ON AN ELEVATED SURFACE.

&&

EVENT NUMBER LZK2100579

44

Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Boone

When: April 20, 9:50 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Snow in the amount of 0.9 inches was measured on an elevated surface.

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

Every storm in Arkansas in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, April 2021

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: 951723.