Arkansas, 2022

Winter Storm in Arkansas, January 15, 2022

January 15, 2022 · NWS TSA · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A strong upper level storm system moved into the Southern Plains on the 15th. Precipitation overspread northwestern Arkansas during the early morning hours, with the approach of the system.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 TSA wrote it up.

A strong upper level storm system moved into the Southern Plains on the 15th. Precipitation overspread northwestern Arkansas during the early morning hours, with the approach of the system. The air mass became cold enough to support snow within a few hours of the precipitation beginning, which resulted in a change over to snow later in the morning. The snow, which was occasionally heavy at times, continued through the evening, before tapering off, as the system moved away from the region. Widespread two to three inches of snow occurred across northwestern Arkansas, with heavier snow of four to eight inches occurring across portions of Carroll, Madison, Benton, Washington, Sebastian, and Franklin Counties.

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 14, 10:21 PM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 14, 10:21 PM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 14, 4:55 PM CST, 10 hours 5 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Tulsa OK
455 PM CST Fri Jan 14 2022

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-151145-
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-
455 PM CST Fri Jan 14 2022

...WINTER WEATHER AND WIND IMPACTS SATURDAY...

This Outlook is for Northwest and West Central Arkansas as well as
much of Eastern Oklahoma.

.DAY ONE...Through Tonight.

WINTER WEATHER.
	SNOW ACCUMULATION.
	RISK...Limited.
	AREA...Northeast Oklahoma into Northwest Arkansas.
	ONSET...Late Tonight.

SIGNIFICANT WINDS.
	RISK...Limited.
	AREA...Eastern Oklahoma.
	ONSET...Late Tonight.

DISCUSSION...
A cold front will move into eastern Oklahoma late tonight bringing
gusty northerly winds. Wind gusts near 40 mph will be likely across
most of eastern Oklahoma behind the front. Precipitation will also
develop near and behind the front, and will initially be rain.
A transition to a rain/snow mix will take place as cooler air filters
in behind the front. A changeover to mostly or all snow is expected
across northeast Oklahoma towards sunrise, though marginal low level
temperatures may delay the transition some.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
Spotter Activation Not Expected.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.
SATURDAY...Winter Weather Potential...High Wind Potential.
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...No Hazards.
WEDNESDAY...High Wind Potential.
THURSDAY...No Hazards.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
Accumulating snowfall is likely through the day Saturday across
much of eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. A Winter
Weather Advisory will be in effect from 3 am Saturday to 12 am
Sunday for far northeast Oklahoma into far northwest Arkansas, as
well as parts of southeast Oklahoma and west central Arkansas. One
to three inch accumulations are possible, with locally higher
amounts within the higher terrain of Carroll and Madison counties.
Gusty winds near or in excess of 40 miles per hour combined with the
expected snowfall may create brief whiteout conditions. Travel may
be hazardous at times across parts of eastern Oklahoma and
northwestern Arkansas.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING STATEMENT...
Light accumulations of snowfall are also expected across much of
eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas in addition to the
aforementioned winter weather advisory. Slick spots are expected
to develop across many area roadways with some blowing and drifting
of snow across east-west roadways.

weather.gov/tulsa contains additional information.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Benton

When
January 15, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Benton forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.339, -94.256 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washington

When
January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 10:30 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.979, -94.216 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Carroll

When
January 15, 7:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.341, -93.538 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Madison

When
January 15, 7:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.011, -93.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sebastian

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Sebastian forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Winter Storm, Franklin

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, January 2022

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 996742, 996743, 996739, 996740, 996745, 996746.