Widely scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of northwestern Arkansas during the afternoon of the 26th. The atmosphere had become very unstable by the time the thunderstorms developed, allowing for intense updraft development in some storms.
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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.
Widely scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of northwestern Arkansas during the afternoon of the 26th. The atmosphere had become very unstable by the time the thunderstorms developed, allowing for intense updraft development in some storms. The strongest thunderstorm produced damaging wind gusts.
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 Aug 26, 2:09 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tulsa OK 309 PM CDT Thu Aug 26 2021 .DISCUSSION... Hot and humid conditions will continue for most areas into next week, but it will not be quite as hot as it has been the past few days. Isolated showers and storms have developed this afternoon from southeast Oklahoma into northwest Arkansas, and have included pre first period wording in the zones to account for this. The heat advisory will expire at 7 pm today, and no advisory is currently planned for Friday, although conditions will need to be monitored. Isolated convection may occur again Friday afternoon in mainly the higher terrain areas, but will keep pops below mentionable levels. Coverage may be slightly greater Saturday, so did include low pops that afternoon. The best rain chances this period will be from Sunday into Monday as deeper moisture is maximized at that time and a weak frontal boundary approaches from the north and stalls. The long range models are in remarkably good agreement on the future track of what is likely to become Hurricane Ida, with landfall most likely on the south central or southeast Louisiana coast Sunday or Sunday night, followed by a north to northeast track towards Memphis. This track should keep all associated impacts east of our area during the first part of next week. Removed the National Blend of Models pops towards the middle of next week, but otherwise stayed close to the NBM forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TUL 76 95 75 95 / 0 10 0 0 FSM 75 95 74 94 / 10 10 0 20 MLC 73 93 72 93 / 0 10 0 10 BVO 69 94 68 94 / 0 0 0 0 FYV 68 91 67 91 / 10 10 0 20 BYV 70 92 69 91 / 10 10 0 20 MKO 73 94 72 94 / 0 10 0 10 MIO 72 93 71 92 / 10 0 0 0 F10 73 94 72 94 / 0 10 0 10 HHW 74 91 73 91 / 10 10 0 20 && .TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for OKZ054>067-070>072. AR...Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for ARZ019-020-029. && SHORT TERM...23 LONG TERM....05 PLATE
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Tulsa OK 1238 PM CDT Thu Aug 26 2021 ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-271015- 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- 1238 PM CDT Thu Aug 26 2021 This Outlook is for Northwest and West Central Arkansas as well as much of Eastern Oklahoma. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. DANGEROUS HEAT. RISK...Elevated. AREA...Much of Northeast Oklahoma and also West Central Arkansas. ONSET...Ongoing. DISCUSSION... Hot and humid conditions will continue into the early evening across much of the region. Heat index values in the 105 to near 110 degree range are expected across much of northeast Oklahoma and around 105 degrees over parts of west central Arkansas. A heat advisory is in effect for these locations from Noon to 7 PM today. SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT... Spotter Activation Not Expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. FRIDAY...Dangerous Heat Potential. SATURDAY...No Hazards. SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...Thunderstorm Potential. EXTENDED DISCUSSION... The hot and humid conditions look to continue into Friday with slightly cooler conditions forecast for the weekend. Heat index values of 100 to around 105 degrees will be possible Friday afternoon across parts of the region. Over the weekend a weak frontal boundary is forecast to approach the region and stall across Kansas Sunday into Monday. In response, shower and thunderstorm chances will become possible across the region. Additional precipitation may be possible Tuesday into Wednesday over the eastern portion of the forecast area from a possible Tropical system. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING STATEMENT... weather.gov/tulsa contains additional information.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tulsa OK
259 PM CDT Thu Aug 26 2021
ARZ001-010-OKZ063-069-262030-
Benton AR-Washington AR-Adair OK-Delaware OK-
259 PM CDT Thu Aug 26 2021
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southwestern Benton,
west central Washington, southeastern Delaware and northeastern Adair
Counties through 330 PM CDT...
At 259 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms near
West Siloam Springs, 4 miles east of Watts and near Lincoln.
Movement was west at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations in or near the path include...
Siloam Springs... Prairie Grove...
Lincoln... Westville...
West Siloam Springs... Watts...
Cincinnati... Lake Francis...
Ballard... Wedington...
Rhea... Canehill...
Summers... Natural Falls State Park...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3619 9473 3609 9463 3591 9451 3590 9426
3611 9441 3621 9455
TIME...MOT...LOC 1959Z 083DEG 9KT 3616 9457 3611 9449 3596 9439
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPHThe Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:32 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong thunderstorm wind damaged some of the fencing and some of the stands at the high school football stadium.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2021
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: 973227.