A weak stationary front extended north of the Interstate 20 corridor in Northeast Texas east into far Southern Arkansas during the afternoon hour of May 17th, which began to drift back north by late afternoon into the evening, as a southerly low level flow developed across the broad warm sector to the south, in response to tighter pressure gradient ahead of an upper level trough that traversed…
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.
A weak stationary front extended north of the Interstate 20 corridor in Northeast Texas east into far Southern Arkansas during the afternoon hour of May 17th, which began to drift back north by late afternoon into the evening, as a southerly low level flow developed across the broad warm sector to the south, in response to tighter pressure gradient ahead of an upper level trough that traversed northeast from the Southern Plains into the Ozarks. Ample daytime heating atop a very moist air mass along and south of the front contributed to strong instability, with increased large scale forcing ahead of the trough and along the front resulting in scattered severe thunderstorms developing during the afternoon and evening across portions of Southern Arkansas, extreme Northeast Texas, and Southeast Oklahoma. Several reports of large hail and damaging winds were received from these storms, before they shifted northeast of the area into Western and Central Arkansas by late evening.
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 May 17, 2:57 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 357 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday Night) Issued at 247 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025 After dodging severe weather yesterday, it doesn't appear we will have the same fortunes this go 'round. From a simple comparative standpoint, we are seeing far more breaks in the cloud cover this afternoon as compared to this time yesterday. Additionally, our 12Z sounding from this morning indicated a much weaker capping inversion than we were dealing with yesterday. Hence, yesterday's significant lack of convection across our region is not likely to repeat itself later this afternoon and evening. This thinking is reinforced by the fact that forcing aloft is expected to be much stronger this evening as a shortwave disturbance embedded in SW flow aloft is noted this afternoon over Central Texas. This has already resulted in several thunderstorms going severe SW of the DFW metro area. This trend is only expected to increase farther east toward the I-35 corridor as we go through the remainder of this afternoon, then eventually spreading into the I-30 and I-20 corridors across our region by early this evening. At the sfc, we continue to analyze a cold front just north of our region. South of the boundary, sfc-based CAPE has skyrocketed into the 4500-6000 J/kg range with modestly steep mid-level lapse rates as well. As strong to severe storms continue to evolve out to our west this afternoon, hi-res CAM guidance suggest this convection should eventually congeal into a bowing MCS or large wind-driven cluster of storms by early to mid evening as they enter our NW zones. This thinking was much of the impetus for SPC expanding the Day 1 Enhanced Risk across a larger swath of our northern CWA. In addition, large hail will be possible with any individual storms that develop later this evening and along with the potential MCS. Given the excessively high level of instability, very large hail over 2 inches in diameter is certainly plausible. As we approach midnight, the severe threat should gradually begin to diminish as the aforementioned shortwave pivots NE of the region. However, we may not lose convection entirely due to the sfc boundary easing farther south into our northernmost zones but don't anticipate this posing a severe threat beyond midnight into early Sunday morning. Unfortunately, the threat of additional severe weather will return late on Sunday into Sunday night once again across our the more NW parts of CWA. This will occur as another shortwave quickly ejects across Texas over the same general area as today's disturbance with the Middle Red River Valley directly in the crosshairs. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats once again, but a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Similar to tonight, the severe threat will gradually diminish by late evening toward midnight as upper forcing exits to the NE. Temperatures throughout the remainder of the weekend will remain well above average due to the lack of frontal passage during this short-term period. /19/ && .LONG TERM... (Monday through next Friday) Issued at 247 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025 The active weather pattern will continue through early next week before we finally see a cold front advance across the region on Tuesday and Tuesday night. Ahead of this front, very warm and unstable air will continue to support strong to severe convection from Monday afternoon through Tuesday. Initially, the NW half of the region will be under the gun for severe storms by late Monday ahead of the approaching front with all modes of severe weather possible. Moving into Tuesday, the severe threat will shift to our SE half with fropa occurring early in the day across our NW zones. Shear and instability will continue to support all severe modes through late Tuesday before the threat finally exits the entire region by Tuesday night. The front will usher in a much more comfortable air mass with post-frontal temperatures running very near to slightly below seasonal averages through the remainder of next week. /19/ && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1239 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025 This mornings low ceilings have mostly scattered out across the region and will stay that way through much of the day. A complex of storms will likely begin impacting areas of northern TX this evening and move into our area soon after. Recent models have suggested that western terminals could see impacts as early as 18/00z and move eastward to all other terminals sans KLFK. Surface winds across the entire area will be variable with the passage of storms. Visibilities and ceilings could also drop in stronger storms. Winds will otherwise be southerly at around 5-10 kts through the period. Ceilings will lower again to MVFR/IFR levels for most areas by daybreak Sunday before lifting again later in the day. /57/ && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Issued at 1239 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025 Spotter activation may be needed late this afternoon through this evening, mainly along and north of the Interstate 20 corridor with any severe thunderstorms that develop. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 74 92 75 92 / 50 10 10 10 MLU 72 92 72 92 / 40 20 10 0 DEQ 65 84 67 85 / 60 30 30 60 TXK 70 89 71 90 / 60 30 20 40 ELD 68 88 69 91 / 60 30 20 10 TYR 72 91 74 89 / 50 20 10 40 GGG 71 91 72 90 / 50 20 10 20 LFK 74 92 74 92 / 30 10 0 10 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. && SHORT TERM...19 LONG TERM....19 AVIATION...57
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
333 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025
ARZ073-LAZ006-172115-
Union AR-Union LA-
333 PM CDT Sat May 17 2025
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTH CENTRAL UNION COUNTY IN
SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND NORTHERN UNION PARISHES THROUGH 415 PM
CDT...
At 332 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles east of Cooley, or 16 miles southeast of Junction City, moving
northeast at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Bernice, Farmerville, Oakland, Taylorville, Lillie, Bayou D Arbonne
Lake, Spearsville, Lockhart, Cooley, Marion, Cecil, Shiloh, and
Litroe.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3270 9243 3281 9274 3282 9273 3286 9273
3308 9260 3297 9210
TIME...MOT...LOC 2032Z 226DEG 12KT 3288 9250
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH
53The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 157 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:12 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several pictures of golfball to hen egg size hail were taken and posted to social media, that fell just east/southeast of Strong.
Golfball size hail fell about 6 miles east of Strong.
A tree was blown down onto a home on East 47th Street in El Dorado. No injuries were reported.
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, May 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: 1262428, 1262429, 1262430.