Strong and deep convection became widespread over the Ark-La-Tex and downstream portions of southern Arkansas on March 15th. This occurred along an outflow boundary on the southwestern flank of a decaying MCS, and a favorable environment encouraged increased training over several hours.
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 SHV wrote it up.
Strong and deep convection became widespread over the Ark-La-Tex and downstream portions of southern Arkansas on March 15th. This occurred along an outflow boundary on the southwestern flank of a decaying MCS, and a favorable environment encouraged increased training over several hours. The mesoscale environment was characterized by ML CAPE of 1000-2000 J/kg, PWATs of 1.5-1.8 inches, and deep layer shear of 30-50 knots. In addition, a highly favorable coupled overlap of 850 mb convergence and 250 mb divergence helped to maintain deep convection. Convection trained from southwest to northeast, resulting in numerous reports of flash flooding across much of the Ark-La-Tex region with rainfall totals exceeding five inches in some areas.
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 Mar 15, 2:24 AM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 324 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM... (Friday through Saturday) Issued at 322 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 Areas of showers and storms will continue to trek across the ArkLaTex through the pre-dawn hours, capable of producing locally heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, as well as hail and damaging winds in some stronger storms. While these storms have trended downward in intensity through the past several hours, a tornado or two is still not out of the question, as the region remains highlighted in the SPC's Severe Weather Outlook through dawn. After daybreak, showers and storms will continue, migrating into our northern Louisiana zones in earnest during the early morning and pushing east through the afternoon, with zones north and west having a brief window of opportunity to dry out during the afternoon and early evening. Afternoon highs look to range from near 70 degrees north to just below 80 degrees south, while mostly cloudy to overcast skies prevent much in the way of diurnal warming. Storms will continue to have the potential to become severe Friday, primarily along and south of I-20, the primary associated threats being damaging winds and hail. The synoptic regime responsible for this activity will remain relatively unchanged through the first half of the weekend, as the large closed low over the northern Baja peninsula gradually meanders into the desert southwest, while southwesterly flow aloft continues to funnel moisture into our region. Storms will rebuild along and south of the I-20 corridor into the evening hours before coming to an end near midnight. Behind the departing rainfall, temperatures will drop into the 50s north to lower 60s south. As advertised, our active pattern will continue into Saturday, as showers and storms remain possible through the day, once again generally remaining south of the I-20 corridor before attempting to spread further north into the afternoon hours. Continued prolonged cloud cover will keep afternoon highs Saturday in the low to mid 70s across the ArkLaTex. All told, the storm total QPF values look to range between 1 and 2 inches through Sunday. Zones along and south of I-30 remain highlighted in the Excessive Rainfall Outlook today, as well as areas along and south of I-20 tomorrow. Precautions should always be heeded in the event areas of flash flooding develop. /26/ && .LONG TERM... (Saturday Night through Friday) Issued at 322 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 With the upper level low still positioned over the Four Corners Region and southwesterly flow becoming pseudo zonal aloft, Saturday's showers and storms look to overtake the entire region overnight into Sunday morning, before finally departing to the south and east by Sunday evening, swept away by a surface cold front, behind which surface high pressure builds in, centered over the Central Plains. Upper level ridging will form over Texas on the east side of the stubborn upper level low, and this ridging will make its way east over the ArkLaTex as the week continues, followed by the upper level troughing developed from the stubborn low which will by this point genuinely be in motion. The first half of the week will thus remain dry for the Four State Region, while temperatures remain at or slightly below seasonable values, with highs in the 60s to lower 70s and lows in the 30s and 40s, with some sites taking aim at dropping to near-freezing values at least once more during the last week of astronomical winter. The aforementioned troughing looks to advance into ArkLaTex airspace Thursday, bringing with it returning rain chances overnight Wednesday into Thursday, as showers and storms continue areawide through to the end of this extended forecast period as the upper level trough continues its push into the deep south. /26/ && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 100 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 MVFR cigs have begun to develop early this morning across N LA and Lower E TX, with these cigs expected to fill in and affect all the region between 07-09Z. Meanwhile, convection has begun to increase across NE TX into SW AR well ahead of a cold front that extended farther NW from the N side of DFW into extreme SE OK and Wrn/Cntrl AR. This convection should continue to expand while gradually sliding SE across the region overnight, with IFR conditions developing (including reductions to vsbys and wind gusts to 25-35kts). This convection should continue to slide SE across Deep E TX and NCntrl LA after daybreak with the cold fropa, with additional redevelopment possible behind the front through the morning across E TX/N LA. The convection should finally diminish/exit the region to the E into NE LA by/shortly after 18Z, although MVFR cigs looks to linger over much of the region through the afternoon except in LFK, where VFR conditions should return. These cigs should eventually lower though after 00Z Saturday, with low MVFR/IFR cigs returning to the area by the end of the 06Z TAF period. S winds 6-10kts overnight, except gusty in/near the convection, will become NNE 5-10kts following the fropa across E TX/NW LA/SW AR. /15/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 76 59 73 60 / 70 20 20 70 MLU 75 56 72 57 / 80 20 10 50 DEQ 71 50 72 52 / 20 10 10 40 TXK 72 54 70 56 / 40 20 10 50 ELD 72 51 72 54 / 70 10 10 50 TYR 74 59 70 58 / 40 20 40 70 GGG 74 58 71 58 / 50 20 30 70 LFK 80 63 74 60 / 80 20 50 80 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. && SHORT TERM...26 LONG TERM....26 AVIATION...15
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Shreveport LA 524 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096- 097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-161030- Sevier-Howard-Little River-Hempstead-Nevada-Miller-Lafayette- Columbia-Union-Caddo-Bossier-Webster-Claiborne-Lincoln-De Soto- Red River-Bienville-Jackson-Ouachita-Sabine-Natchitoches-Winn-Grant- Caldwell-La Salle-McCurtain-Bowie-Franklin-Titus-Camp-Morris-Cass- Wood-Upshur-Marion-Smith-Gregg-Harrison-Cherokee-Rusk-Panola- Nacogdoches-Shelby-Angelina-San Augustine- 524 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Arkansas, southwest Arkansas, north central Louisiana, northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, east Texas and northeast Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Thunderstorm chances will continue through the morning and early afternoon. All modes of severe weather will still be possible, with damaging winds and large hail being the primary threats. Flash flooding will also be a concern, as thunderstorms look to train in the early morning hours across portions of southern Arkansas and north Louisiana. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Rain chances will linger through the weekend, before a cold front drys things out to start the new workweek. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will possibly be needed.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
600 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0555 AM Flash Flood El Dorado 33.22N 92.67W
03/15/2024 Union AR Law Enforcement
Numerous roads were flooded and closed
throughout much of Union County. Widespread
rainfall amounts of 5.00-5.50 inches of rain
has fallen thus far. Still raining heavily.
&&
15Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
606 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0604 AM Flash Flood Magnolia 33.27N 93.24W
03/15/2024 Columbia AR Law Enforcement
Numerous roads were flooded and closed
throughout Columbia County. At least 2 high
water rescues were needed for stranded
motorists. 5.77 inches of rain has been
measured thus far at the Magnolia Municipal
Airport. Still raining heavily.
&&
15Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
613 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 AM Flash Flood 1 N Vivian 32.89N 93.98W
03/15/2024 Caddo LA Law Enforcement
Highway 1 near Vivian is closed due to
flooding.
&&
15Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
626 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 AM Flash Flood 9 W Bradley 33.11N 93.81W
03/15/2024 Lafayette AR Law Enforcement
Highway 160 west between Bradley and
Doddridge was flooded and closed.
&&
15Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
631 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 AM Flash Flood 3 W Bradley 33.11N 93.72W
03/15/2024 Lafayette AR Law Enforcement
A high water rescue was needed for a
stranded vehicle on Highway 160 near Gin
City.
&&
15Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
633 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 AM Flash Flood Bradley 33.10N 93.65W
03/15/2024 Lafayette AR Law Enforcement
Numerous county roads in the southern part
of Lafayette County were flooded and closed.
&&
15The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:35 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway 49 from the northeast side of Jefferson to County Road 248 was flooded and closed.
Parts of Highway 125 southwest of McLeod were flooded.
Parts of Highway 43 near Smithland were flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2024
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: 1171042, 1171043, 1171044.