Other than a couple large hail reports from Dec 29 across Drew and Bradley Counties, there wasn't much severe weather reported across Arkansas near the end of the year, widespread rain and thunderstorms were noted on Dec 29 and again on Dec 31. Much of the heaviest rain held off until just after the new year, but portions of western and northern Arkansas picked up some heavy rain before midnight.
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.
Other than a couple large hail reports from Dec 29 across Drew and Bradley Counties, there wasn't much severe weather reported across Arkansas near the end of the year, widespread rain and thunderstorms were noted on Dec 29 and again on Dec 31. Much of the heaviest rain held off until just after the new year, but portions of western and northern Arkansas picked up some heavy rain before midnight.
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 Dec 29, 5:31 AM CST, 5 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 531 AM CST Wed Dec 29 2021 .AVIATION... With the 12z issuance, have begun to see ceilings lift and visibilities improve somewhat. However still seeing patchy dense fog and forecast that to continue through midmorning. Showers and thunderstorms will move into the area today. Ceilings and visibilities are expected to be limited once again tonight, but that this point remained optimistic with IFR forecast at most terminals. && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 356 AM CST Wed Dec 29 2021) SHORT TERM...Today Through Thursday Night Complicated forecast on tap with dense fog currently being observed across a wide swath of the forecast area. As a result did issue a dense fog advisory through 15z. Models somewhat disagree on the coverage of rain before 18z today. At this point have trended towards the HRRR and kept precipitation chances limited to extreme SE Arkansas through about 16z before increasing POPs across the north. Models do generally agree that a surface low will track into the state with a warm front that will be located generally along interstate 40. As a result do believe the greatest chance for severe weather to be located south and east of interstates 30 and 40. Compared to model runs yesterday...have slowed down the onset of the strongest storms and expect them to develop shortly before 00z with these storms pushing east of the CWA by 04z. Do believe all modes of severe weather will be possible with the best chances the closer to the Mississippi River the storms get. Locating the exact location of the warm front this afternoon will be the key to determining the location of the strongest storms. Thursday will be noticeably quieter with dry weather forecast and temperatures continuing to run about 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. LONG TERM...Friday Through Tuesday A well pronounced H500 trough will be progressing southeastward from the Pacific NW at the start of the period. Ahead of this feature, SW flow aloft will be in place across the region. A lead shortwave will work its way toward the state from the Baja Peninsula which will aid in precip development across the area. At the sfc, a cold front will be leading a very cold airmass from the Northern Plains southward toward the middle of the country. An area of low pressure will develop across SE Colorado and will begin to move east along the main cold front. With the pressure gradient tightening SW winds will increase and transport low level moisture northward. Td values are expected to increase above 60 F across the southeast half of the state Friday. As the cold front moves into the state and the H500 shortwave approaches, thunderstorms are expected to develop and move across the area. This will likely take place from Friday evening through Saturday morning. The cold front and associated cold airmass look to progress across the state fairly efficiently, likely by 18z Saturday. The window of opportunity for severe potential will be in place mainly from Friday evening into the morning hours Saturday. Some ingredients for severe weather appear limited including sfc based instability, which is restricted to southern/eastern portions of the state. Aiding the potential for severe weather as well as heavy rainfall will be a nocturnal LLJ of 50-60 kts that looks to setup from northern LA into far northern MS. PW values across central/southern AR look to climb into the 1.5-1.75 inch range Friday night as well which could aid in locally heavy rainfall amounts. In the wake of the front as the intense H500 trough swings east across the region, much colder air will rapidly filter into the state. As temps plunge into the teens and twenties and NW winds remain at or above 10 kts, wind chill values may fall into the single digits or perhaps below zero across northern AR Sunday morning. Dry weather will be seen for a few days near the end of the period with a slow return of normal to above normal temperatures. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM CST this morning FOR Baxter- Calhoun-Clark-Cleburne-Cleveland-Conway-Dallas-Faulkner-Fulton- Garland-Grant-Hot Spring-Independence-Izard-Jefferson-Lawrence- Lonoke-Marion-Ouachita-Perry-Pulaski-Randolph-Saline-Searcy- Sharp-Stone-Van Buren-White. && Aviation...65
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1058 AM CST Wed Dec 29 2021 ARZ003>008-012>017-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-301100- 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- 1058 AM CST Wed Dec 29 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Dense fog is being observed across the state and will continue across the afternoon. This will lead to hazardous driving conditions due to the low visibility. In addition, showers and thunderstorms will be ongoing or be developing most of today. Some of these storms could be severe mainly across portions of southeastern Arkansas. Generally in locations to the south and east of Interstates 30 and 40. With these strong storms all modes of severe weather will be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday Through Tuesday A strong cold front will approach the state on Friday bringing the chance for strong to severe thunderstorms across the state from Friday afternoon into Saturday morning. In addition to the possibility of severe weather, locally heavy rainfall will also be possible. Strong S-SW winds will be seen across the state in advance of the front with gusts approaching 30 mph at times. Behind the front, significantly colder air will move into the state. Wind chill values Sunday morning are expected to be in the single digits or lower across northern Arkansas. W-NW winds behind the front will be strong with gusts approaching 30 mph at times. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter Activation May Be Needed && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk.
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 15 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:06 UTC.
2 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Street flooding was reported in Little Rock.
Quarter size hail was reported at the Dollar General store in Hermitage.
Received a report of a broken windshield on a car driving on Hwy. 425 south of Monticello.
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, December 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: 998037, 998038, 998039.