Arkansas, 2023

Heat in Arkansas, July 13 to 18, 2023

July 13 to 18, 2023 · NWS SHV · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

An upper level ridge of high pressure remained anchored over the Southern Plains on July 13th, although a portion of its influence extended farther east into the Lower Mississippi Valley. A stationary front extended from Central and Eastern Oklahoma into Western and Southern Arkansas, which focused showers and thunderstorms during the early morning hours of the 14th and reinforced the front back…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
5

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 SHV wrote it up.

An upper level ridge of high pressure remained anchored over the Southern Plains on July 13th, although a portion of its influence extended farther east into the Lower Mississippi Valley. A stationary front extended from Central and Eastern Oklahoma into Western and Southern Arkansas, which focused showers and thunderstorms during the early morning hours of the 14th and reinforced the front back south into portions of extreme Northeast Texas and Southern Arkansas. Even as temperatures climbed into the lower 90s during the afternoon of the 14th, high humidity contributed to heat indices climbing to around 105 degrees across Southern Arkansas on the 14th, with even hotter conditions observed from the 15th-18th with temperatures climbing into the mid and upper 90s, and resultant heat indices ranging from 105-110 degrees.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 13, 1:53 PM CST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 1:53 PM CST, 4 hours 7 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 3:58 AM CST, 14 hours 2 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
458 AM CDT Thu Jul 13 2023

ARZ050-051-060-061-072-073-LAZ003>006-012>014-019>022-141000-
Sevier-Howard-Hempstead-Nevada-Columbia-Union-Webster-Claiborne-
Lincoln-Bienville-Jackson-Ouachita-Winn-Grant-Caldwell-La Salle-
458 AM CDT Thu Jul 13 2023

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Arkansas,
southwest Arkansas, north central Louisiana and northwest Louisiana.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

A Heat Advisory will remain in effect today through this evening.
Expect afternoon highs in the mid to upper 90s, with heat indices
between 105 to 109 degrees.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

The heat is here to stay across the region for the remainder of the
work week. Look for the likelihood of the current Heat Advisory and
or Excessive Heat Warnings to expand through at least the remainder
of the work week and into the first half of the weekend. Thunderstorms
chances may return to the region Sunday into Monday of next week.
However, dry conditions will return by Tuesday, along with more hot
and humid conditions.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

ARZ059-070-071-LAZ001-002-010-011-017-018-OKZ077-TXZ096-097-108>112-
124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-141000-
Little River-Miller-Lafayette-Caddo-Bossier-De Soto-Red River-Sabine-
Natchitoches-McCurtain-Bowie-Franklin-Titus-Camp-Morris-Cass-Wood-
Upshur-Marion-Smith-Gregg-Harrison-Cherokee-Rusk-Panola-Nacogdoches-
Shelby-Angelina-San Augustine-
458 AM CDT Thu Jul 13 2023

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Arkansas, northwest
Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, east Texas and northeast Texas.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

An Excessive Heat Warning will be in effect today through this
evening. Expect afternoon highs in the upper 90s and near the triple
digits, with heat indices greater than or equal to 110 degrees.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

The heat is here to stay across the region for the remainder of the
work week. Look for the likelihood of the current Heat Advisory and
or Excessive Heat Warnings to expand through at least the remainder
of the work week and into the first half of the weekend. Thunderstorms
chances may return to the region Sunday into Monday of next week.
However, dry conditions will return by Tuesday, along with more hot
and humid conditions.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Little River

When
July 13, 6:00 PM CST to July 18, 3:17 AM CST
Where
Little River forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
33.701, -94.234 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Miller

When
July 13, 6:00 PM CST to July 18, 3:17 AM CST
Where
Miller forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
33.312, -93.892 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lafayette

When
July 13, 6:00 PM CST to July 18, 3:17 AM CST
Where
Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
33.241, -93.607 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Columbia

When
July 13, 6:00 PM CST to July 18, 3:17 AM CST
Where
Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
33.214, -93.227 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Union

When
July 13, 6:00 PM CST to July 18, 3:17 AM CST
Where
Union forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
33.171, -92.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, July 2023

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: 1102449, 1102450, 1102451, 1102829, 1102830.