A strong winter storm moved into Arkansas from the plains overtop a cold airmass already in place. Snow, heavy at times, was seen across much of the state with freezing rain noted over central Arkansas initially, with the axis of freezing rain shifting south into southern Arkansas with time.
Every event with a place to put it; 34 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A strong winter storm moved into Arkansas from the plains overtop a cold airmass already in place. Snow, heavy at times, was seen across much of the state with freezing rain noted over central Arkansas initially, with the axis of freezing rain shifting south into southern Arkansas with time. Very cold temperatures would filter into the state in the wake of the winter storm prolonging winter storm and winter weather impacts.
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 18, 6:17 AM CST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 617 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 ...New AVIATION, CLIMATE... .SHORT TERM... (Today through Wednesday Night) Issued at 347 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 Winter weather condns are expected to spread acrs the state fm N/Wrn AR into Cntrl and Ern AR by later this aftn to evng, w/ now most of the state under a winter weather headline. Impacts to travel are expected acrs much of the state over the next 24 hours thru early Wed mrng, w/ slick to treacherous road condns possible, particularly acrs Nrn AR where greater snow accumulations are expected. Bridges and overpasses wl also become problematic very quickly as winter precip begins to accumulate. Latest objective sfc temp analysis indicated the sfc 0C isotherm was draped acrs Nrn AR, just north of the I-40 corridor, w/ Arctic air beginning to spill into Nrn AR, and sfc pres ridging extending N/Ewrd fm the ARKLATEX into N/Wrn AR. Thru the day today, sfc cyclonic flow wl be moving E-N/Ewrd acrs the FA, w/ covg of precip incrsg fm N/W to E. The past few 24 hours of short term guidance has trended markedly cooler for temperatures thru the day today, w/ the 0C sfc isotherm expected to linger more Swrd along or near the I-40 corridor, and sfc temps in the 20s acrs Nrn AR. As such, official fcst snow amounts have trended up quite a bit over the Nrn third of the FA, which better represents the 18/00Z suite of deterministic short-term guidance. Over Nrn AR, expect an early period of mixed precip acrs N/Wrn to Nrn AR as precip begins to move into the region, w/ an eventual transition to snow by later this mrng. Total amounts acrs the Nrn third of the state wl range fm 6 to 10 inches, w/ locally greater amounts near one foot possible along the N/Wrn portion of the AR/MO state line. Given the higher total fcst amounts, periods of efficient snowfall rates in excess of 1-2"/hr wl be possible, particularly by the later evng hrs tonight and could result in severely reduced visibilities with gusty Nrly winds. Over Cntrl AR, a gradient of mixed precip, consisting of freezing rain to snow/sleet is still anticipated, w/ precip lkly starting over Wrn AR by mid-mrng today, and quickly spreading Ewrd acrs the state, reaching Ern to S/Ern AR near 00Z tonight. Persistent mixed precip wl lead to much lower snow totals acrs the Cntrl third of the state, w/ b/w 1 to 3 inches, primarily north of I-40, and some light glazing from freezing rain, w/ ice accruals up to one tenth of an inch possible. Road condns over Cntrl AR wl lkly deteriorate quickly as well w/ mixed precip leading to icy condns, and by this evng, travel could become difficult and hazardous. Acrs Srn AR, cold rain is expected initially, particularly over far Srn AR, w/ mixed precip including freezing rain to sleet ensuing by later this aftn to evng. Light sleet accumulations up to one inch, and ice accruals from one tenth of an inch, to near two tenths of an inch are expected, and wl lkly impact area roads and bridges quickly by this evng. Over S/Wrn AR, there is some moderate confidence for slightly higher ice accruals near one quarter inch in the higher terrain of the Ouachita Mountains, which could result in some minor damage to vegetation. Winter precip is lkly to continue acrs the state thru the overnight PD tonight, w/ precip covg quickly tapering off fm W to E near daybreak Wed mrng. In the wake of precip, Arctic air wl be spilling into the FA, w/ the first of a few consecutive bitterly cold mrngs expected on Wed. Area temps acrs Nrn AR wl lkly fall to single digits to near zero in some spots. Cntrl to Srn AR should see temps in the mid teens to low 20s. Hazardous wind chill values wl accompany this cold on Wed mrng, w/ WC values falling to -5 to -10 degrees acrs Nrn AR, and WC values in the single digits elsewhere over Cntrl to Srn AR thru Wed mrng. A Cold Weather Advisory wl be in place over much of the state, late tonight thru Wed mrng. Bitter cold is set to continue into the long term PD, and wl lkly keep the winter precip that falls today in place for a few days, and could possibly exacerbate fcst cold temps due to a greater snow pack over Srn MO and Nrn AR. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through Monday) Issued at 347 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 Thu still looks to the be coldest day of this winter season, with the expansive arctic high centered over the central Plains States. Fcst lows Thu mrng wl be near zero, or even a few degrees below zero over north-central AR, with single digits and teens elsewhere. Of course, these readings may be even lower depending on the amount of snow cover. A number of record lows are in jeopardy, many dating back to 2021. Dangerous wind chill values are still expected acrs the FA as well Thu mrng. Much of north AR wl see indices range from -5F to -15F, central sections hovering near zero, and single digits south. The sfc high wl cont to shift east of the area late this week and over the weekend, taking the core of the arctic with it. This wl allow for a moderating trend to commence over the Mid-South. Models cont to show a storm system passing to the south of AR Sat night and early Sun. Kept low PoPs (20%) acrs southern AR, per the more consistent ECMWF solution. Wl cont to monitor trends in the coming days. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 615 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 VFR conds this mrng wl start to deteriorate fm the west starting later this mrng, as a variety of precip types overspread the FA. Expect snow acrs north AR for this event, with some PL mixed in at the onset. A mixture of rain, freezing rain and sleet wl be common over central AR, with mainly rain over southeast areas where sfc temps wl be abv freezing for most of the day. Precip chcs wl taper off fm the west overnight, followed by mainly MVFR ceilings toward the end of the PD. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 347 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 Record Lows for Feb 20: Record Forecast Low Harrison 12 in 2021 -1 Hot Springs 14 in 2021 10 Little Rock (Adams Field) 9 in 2021 11 N Little Rock (NWS) 17 in 2021 10 Monticello 15 in 1978 14 Mountain Home 16 in 2006 2 Russellville 10 in 2021 8 Searcy 5 in 2021 7 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 6 AM CST Wednesday for ARZ004>008- 014>017-024-025-031>034-039-042>047-103-112-113-121>123-203-212- 213-221>223-313. Cold Weather Advisory from 3 AM to 11 AM CST Wednesday for ARZ004>008-014>017-024-025-031>034-039-042>047-052>057-062>069- 103-112-113-121>123-130-137-138-140-141-203-212-213-221>223-230- 237-238-240-241-313-340-341. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST Wednesday for ARZ052>057- 062>069-130-137-138-140-141-230-237-238-240-241-340-341. && SHORT TERM...72 LONG TERM/CLIMATE...44 AVIATION...44
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Little Rock AR 358 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 ARZ004>008-014>017-024-025-031>034-039-042>047-052>057-062>069- 103-112-113-121>123-130-137-138-140-141-203-212-213-221>223-230- 237-238-240-241-313-340-341-191000- Marion-Baxter-Fulton-Sharp-Randolph-Stone-Izard-Independence- Lawrence-Cleburne-Jackson-Conway-Faulkner-White-Woodruff-Perry- Garland-Saline-Pulaski-Lonoke-Prairie-Monroe-Pike-Clark- Hot Spring-Grant-Jefferson-Arkansas-Dallas-Cleveland-Lincoln- Desha-Ouachita-Calhoun-Bradley-Drew-Boone County Except Southwest- Newton County Higher Elevations-Searcy County Lower Elevations- Southern Johnson County-Southern Pope County- Southeast Van Buren County-Western and Northern Logan County- Northern Scott County-Northwest Yell County- Polk County Lower Elevations- Central and Eastern Montgomery County- Boone County Higher Elevations-Newton County Lower Elevations- Northwest Searcy County Higher Elevations- Johnson County Higher Elevations-Pope County Higher Elevations- Van Buren County Higher Elevations- Southern and Eastern Logan County- Central and Southern Scott County-Yell Excluding Northwest- Northern Polk County Higher Elevations- Northern Montgomery County Higher Elevations- Eastern, Central, and Southern Searcy County Higher Elevations- Southeast Polk County Higher Elevations- Southwest Montgomery County Higher Elevations- 358 AM CST Tue Feb 18 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Through the day today, winter weather is expected to spread across the state, bringing significant snowfall to most of northern Arkansas, and mixed precipitation including snow, sleet, and freezing rain to central and Southern Arkansas. Road and travel conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly through the day as winter precipitation expands in coverage, and could result in very hazardous and slippery road conditions. Light to moderate freezing rain across southwestern to southern central Arkansas later today and tonight could result in hazardous ice accumulations that could lead to damaged vegetation and treacherous roads as well. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Wednesday and through the end of the work week, significantly colder air is forecast across the state, with hazardous cold expected Wednesday through Friday mornings. Moderating temperatures are expected over the weekend. No other hazardous weather is expected through the period. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation will not be needed. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 72/44
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
26 winter storm, 7 winter weather, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow was measured at 7.0 inches at the Boone County Airport.
Sleet was measured at 0.5 inches near Waldron.
Snow was measured at 7.0 inches near Spring Lake Estates.
Snow was measured at 5.0 inches near Bruno.
Snow was measured to a depth of 5.0 inches in Jasper.
Snow was measured at a depth of 4.8 inches 4 miles southeast of Jasper.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 1.0 inch in Subiaco and Caulksville.
Snow was measured to a depth of 4.3 inches in Gilbert.
Snow was measured at 4.0 inches near Saint Joe.
Snow was measured to a depth of 6.5 inches in Witts Spring.
Snow was measured to a depth of 4.0 inches at Salem.
Sleet and snow was measured at 1.5 inches near Caglesville.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 2.0 inches near Center Ridge.
Snow and sleet was measured at 2.0 inches in Dardanelle.
Sleet and snow was measured at 1.5 inches 8 miles northwest of Clinton.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 1.1 inches in Conway.
Snow was measured in Fairfield Bay at a depth of 3.0 inches.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 2.0 inches in Gibson.
Snow was measured at 3.0 inches near Mountain View.
Snow was measured at 3.0 inches in Calico Rock and Melbourne.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 1.5 inches in Heber Springs.
The Hot Springs Memorial Airport ASOS measured 0.15 inches of ice accretion due to freezing rain.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 1.5 inches in Cabot.
Snow was measured at 4.0 inches in Hardy.
Sleet was measured at 1.0 inch near Benton.
The Mena Intermountain Airport ASOS measured 0.25 inches of ice accretion due to freezing rain.
Sleet and snow was measured at 2.3 inches at and near Batesville.
The Russellville ASOS measured 0.09 inches of ice accretion due to freezing rain.
The Little Rock ASOS measured 0.09 inches of ice accretion due to freezing rain.
Snow was measured at 4.5 inches in Hoxie.
Sleet, with some snow, was measured at 1.5 inches just south and east of Searcy.
Sleet and some snow was measured at 1.0 inch in Biscoe.
Sleet and snow was measured at a depth of 2.8 inches in Newport.
The Pine Bluff ASOS measured 0.10 inches of ice accretion due to freezing rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, February 2025
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: 1249914, 1249878, 1249918, 1249833, 1249828, 1249830, 1249816, 1249822, 1249827, 1249867, 1249861, 1249819, 1249870, 1249812, 1249817, 1249863, 1249820, 1249825, 1249818, 1249851, 1249875, 1249925, 1249836, 1249821, 1249824, 1249923, 1249858, 1249920, 1249921, 1249844, 1249815, 1249826, 1249847, 1249924.