Upper level ridging was centered over Northern Old Mexico and much of Texas during the morning of May 24th, resulting in a northwesterly flow aloft farther north across much of Oklahoma and Arkansas. A weak shortwave trough embedded in the northwest flow resulted in surface low development along the dryline in West Texas, with large scale forcing ahead of this trough resulting in the development…
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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.
Upper level ridging was centered over Northern Old Mexico and much of Texas during the morning of May 24th, resulting in a northwesterly flow aloft farther north across much of Oklahoma and Arkansas. A weak shortwave trough embedded in the northwest flow resulted in surface low development along the dryline in West Texas, with large scale forcing ahead of this trough resulting in the development of a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) over Western and Central Oklahoma during the early morning hours. A southerly low level jet, typical for this time of year in this flow pattern, sustained this thunderstorm complex as it shifted east-southeast into Southeast Oklahoma after daybreak, which moved across Northern McCurtain County before weakening as it moved into Western Arkansas. As a result, damaging winds downed multiple trees near the Bethel community before exiting the county into Polk County Arkansas.
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 24, 5:55 AM CST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 655 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Saturday through Sunday) Issued at 323 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 Closely monitoring elevated, potentially even some surface based convection across central Oklahoma, and a developing MCS across southern Kansas this morning. General trend in the radar presentation closer to home in Oklahoma has been ongoing elevated thunderstorms, that as they move east, gradually dissipate. That being said, the morning CAMs have continued to suggest some form of thunderstorm cluster or MCS working into SE Oklahoma and SW Arkansas later this morning, gradually falling apart as it moves southward through the late morning, early afternoon. In true NW flow fashion, hi-res guidance continues to struggle, leading to limited confidence in downstream convective coverage and impacts locally. For the time being, elected to side more with the CAMs that have handled the early morning OK/KS convection the best. Buying that these continue their streak of success, along with additional support from other hi-res models that were slower to advertise any morning convection, added a corridor of SCHC PoPs for the afternoon along the I-20 corridor and south citing localized instability this afternoon, clashing with what appears to be a form of residual boundary forcing drifting south from the decay of the morning convection. While some of the CAMs have nailed the early morning convection, thinking is that their presentation of afternoon convective coverage may be on the ambitious side, while other hi-res output shows very limited coverage. This is why only SCHC PoPs were drawn up. If confidence increases, the morning update will adjust PoPs. For the time being, the Storm Prediction Center continues to highlight the I-20 corridor and areas north for potential strong to severe storms, mainly linked to the morning convection, and some possible afternoon coverage. Nonetheless, a warm to borderline hot afternoon will again be present across the Four State Region, with highs very similar to yesterday, in the low and mid 90's. We will remain mild overnight as the upper ridge across north Texas and Oklahoma slowly slides eastward. By Sunday afternoon, a broad upper ridge presentation will be located across the south, with convection likely riding the northern periphery of the ridge envelope. As a result, PoPs are mainly drawn up across the extreme northern zones to start, with some increase in percentages during Sunday afternoon, especially as the upper flow turns more W/SW. This will initiate a prolonged stretch of thunderstorm chances heading into the long term period starting late Sunday night, and into early Monday AM. KNAPP && .LONG TERM... (Sunday Night through Saturday) Issued at 323 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 The upper ridge will quickly break down come Monday, with W/SW flow becoming the dominate synoptic driver through much of the long term period. Multiple perturbations within the mid-level flow will support thunderstorm chances through the upcoming work week, and in return will support the chance for possible severe weather to accompany these clusters of thunderstorms. The previous D4 slight has now become a Day 3 Slight Risk across the western zones of the FA, and given the pattern in place, it is likely that future outlooks will follow in the days to come as each disturbance will support some form of wind and hail threat. Low predictability in this regime however remains the main delay in any long term confidence. What can be said through the long term period is that with daily thunderstorm chances, including a potential heavy rainfall threat through the middle of next week, the 7 day QPF forecast remains on the higher side, with storm totals nearing 5" for some communities, with many falling between 3-5" over the next 7 days. Daily temperatures will also be impacted given daily rain chances, with highs only in the mid 80's through much of the week. KNAPP && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 649 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 For the 24/12z TAF period...Expect reduced flight conditions across the sites, as low stratus continues to move in from the south this morning. The stratus should lift by mid morning, followed by scattered CU and cirrus clouds. Models continue to suggest a cluster of storms will dive south into portions of the region around the lunch hours into the afternoon today. Decided to include VCTS to account for this and tempo in TSRA at many of the sites. Some clouds will remain over the region in wake of the storms, but VFR conditions should return by early evening. However, more low stratus will return by the end of the period, resulting in MVFR/IFR conditions again. /20/ && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Issued at 323 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 While spotter activation is not expected at this time, it may be needed later this morning as convection nears the Four State Region. Afternoon thunderstorms may also be possible as a weak boundary works into a local region of instability. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 95 76 95 75 / 20 0 20 40 MLU 93 73 93 73 / 20 20 30 30 DEQ 85 68 90 67 / 40 20 20 60 TXK 92 73 93 71 / 30 10 20 50 ELD 90 69 92 69 / 30 10 30 50 TYR 93 75 93 73 / 10 0 10 40 GGG 93 73 93 72 / 10 0 10 40 LFK 95 75 94 75 / 20 10 10 20 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. && SHORT TERM...53 LONG TERM....53 AVIATION...20
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:45 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down along Highway 259 near the triangle in the Bethel community.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, 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: 1265126.