River Flooding continued from late February on the Ouachita and Cache Rivers. Heavy rain early in March brought additional flooding to the Black and White Rivers.
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.
River Flooding continued from late February on the Ouachita and Cache Rivers. Heavy rain early in March brought additional flooding to the Black and White Rivers.
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 Feb 28, 11:18 PM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 1118 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 .AVIATION...Updated w/ a discussion for the 01/06Z TAFs A cold frnt was noted near the AR/LA border w/ N-N/Wrly winds behind the front. -SHRA cont over the Srn half of AR, w/ some iso TS in far S/Ern AR. Expect -SHRA in the Srn portion of the state to persist into Mon morning. Cntrl to Srn AR will prevail w/ MVFR to IFR conditions. VFR conditions are expected over the N through the PD. /232/ && PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 256 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021) SHORT TERM...Today Through Tuesday Night Active weather will continue today through tonight as a cold front sweeps across the state. On satellite imagery, a few breaks in cloud cover were seen over S-Cntrl AR and Ern AR. Elsewhere, skies were overcast and showers/thunderstorms were moving into the state from the Srn Plains. Over portions of Wrn AR, between 1 to 2 inches of rain had already fallen, and with additional heavy rainfall possible from training of thunderstorms, the likelihood of flash flooding will increase across the aforementioned area. All this convection will slide Ewrd during the evening/overnight period. Temperatures across the CWA have climbed into the mid 70s Cntrl and S to the 60s across Nrn AR in closer proximity to the warm front. The warm front was currently located along the AR/MO based on surface observations. The 18z special sounding from this afternoon indicated ~1900 J/kg of surface based CAPE and FCST/MU CAPE of ~2000 J/Kg. The wind profile is nearly unidirectional with height resulting in minimal SRH values between 0-1 KM of ~100 m2/s2 and 0-3 KM are ~130 m2/s2. Given the tall skinny profile of CAPE and marginal SRH, overall hail size is expected be on the smaller side. There is plenty of available bulk wind shear, ~65 Knots, which will aid in updraft sustainability and the potential for some rotating updrafts if surface winds can obtain some low-level backing. PW values are elevated with values near 1.3 inches. Looking aloft, SWrly flow encompasses a thick layer from H925-H250 promoting convection moving nearly parallel with the slow moving surface boundary. Heavy rainfall will pose the greatest threat, with damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes also possible. This activity will move across the region tonight with the passage of a cold front. PoPs will remain over extreme Srn reaches of the CWA as the front stalls just the S of the CWA. While the apparent trough swings through with the cold front, a compact upper closed low is progged to slowly traverse the region on Tuesday. This time around severe weather is not expected. In fact, a few flakes may fly across the higher terrain of the Ozarks, however no impacts are expected at this time. Precip will wind down on Tuesday as the upper system slides E of the MS River. Dry weather will finish out the short term. LONG TERM...Wednesday Through Sunday The midweek period wl actually be fairly quiet as sfc high pres wl be in place ovr the Mid-South. Temps wl actually be a bit abv normal for early March. Warming wl be helped by sloly rising upr heights ahead of a new upr storm sys working into the SWrn states. By late in the week, the aforementioned upr lvl storm sys wl be apchg AR fm the Srn Plains States. Moisture/rain chcs wl gradually return to much of the FA fm the west on Fri into Sat. Models are showing this sys weakening to an open wave heading into the weekend, with overall rain chcs limited. Another lull in the wx pattern is expected for Sun. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Flood Watch until 6 AM CST Monday FOR Arkansas-Bradley-Calhoun- Cleveland-Desha-Drew-Jefferson-Lincoln-Lonoke-Monroe-Prairie- Woodruff. && Aviation...GREEN
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 615 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 ARZ003>008-012>017-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-011100- 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- 615 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...This evening and Tonight Showers and thunderstorms will continue across central and southern Arkansas ahead of an advancing cold front. Some strong to severe storms are possible with damaging wind gusts being the primary concern. Severe storms will also be capable of producing hail to one inch in diameter. A brief tornado can not be ruled out. Heavy rainfall will accompany thunderstorm activity as well with widespread rain accumulations of one to two inches and localized heavier amounts. As such, a flooding risk will be prevalent over the southern half of the state. Even in areas where the rain has stopped, flooding concerns will continue as the water runs off. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday Through Saturday Expect scattered showers to continue through Tuesday, with isolated thunderstorms possible. Rain will once again affect the area late in the week. While isolated strong storms could occur in portions of the area, widespread or organized severe weather is not expected at this time. Due to heavy rainfall the last few days, as well as high soil moisture content from snow melt, localized heavy rainfall will continue to be a concern, especially over central and southern Arkansas. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts and statements from your Arkansas NWS offices. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter Activation may be needed later this afternoon and this evening. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 232/57/44
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
714 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM FLASH FLOOD MALVERN 34.37N 92.82W
02/28/2021 HOT SPRING AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
REPORTS OF VEHICLES HAVING DIFFICULTY DRIVING ALONG
ROADS, WITH SOME VEHICLES STUCK, DUE TO FLOODING IN THE
DOWNTOWN MALVERN AREA, ESPECIALLY ALONG PINE BLUFF
STREET.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LZK2100504
TRSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
719 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0718 PM FLASH FLOOD PINE BLUFF 34.21N 92.02W
02/28/2021 JEFFERSON AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEVERAL STREETS REPORTED TO BE UNDER WATER IN DOWNTOWN
PINE BLUFF.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LZK2100505
GOUDSWARDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
727 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM FLASH FLOOD MALVERN 34.37N 92.82W
02/28/2021 HOT SPRING AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
CORRECTED FOR EVENT TIME. REPORTS OF VEHICLES HAVING
DIFFICULTY DRIVING ALONG ROADS, WITH SOME VEHICLES
STUCK, DUE TO FLOODING IN THE DOWNTOWN MALVERN AREA,
ESPECIALLY ALONG PINE BLUFF STREET.
&&
CORRECTED EVENT TIME...REMARKS
EVENT NUMBER LZK2100504
COOPERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
728 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM FUNNEL CLOUD ARKADELPHIA 34.12N 93.07W
02/28/2021 CLARK AR SOCIAL MEDIA
FUNNEL CLOUD SEEN NEAR ARKADELPHIA, NEAR HIGHWAY 67.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LZK2100506
TRSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
729 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM FLASH FLOOD SHERIDAN 34.31N 92.41W
02/28/2021 GRANT AR SOCIAL MEDIA
CORRECTED EVENT TIME. MINOR FLOODING WITH WATER
COVERING YARDS AND 3 TO 4 INCHES OF WATER FLOWING OVER
ROADS IN SHERIDAN, AR.
&&
CORRECTED EVENT TIME...REMARKS
EVENT NUMBER LZK2100502
COOPERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1025 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0915 PM HEAVY RAIN STEPHENS 33.42N 93.07W
02/28/2021 E3.00 INCH OUACHITA AR PUBLIC
ESTIMATED 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A 2 HOUR PERIOD,
ENDING AROUND 915 PM.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LZK2100507
232The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding developed in late February on the Ouachita River at Arkadephia due to heavy rain.
Heavy rains late in February brought flooding to the Ouachita River at Camden through the 9th.
Heavy rains brought flooding from late February into late March to the Ouachita River at the Thatcher Lock and Dam through the 22nd.
Heavy rains at the end of February brought flooding to the Cache River at Patterson through the 13th.
Heavy rains brought flooding to the White River at Augusta early in March through mid March.
Heavy rains brought flooding to the Black River at Black Rock early in March.
Heavy rains brought flooding to the White River at Clarendon early through mid March.
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, March 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: 950059, 950060, 950061, 950063, 950065, 950064, 950066.