Arkansas, 2026

Hail in Arkansas, April 26, 2026

April 26, 2026 · NWS SHV · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Numerous supercell thunderstorms developed late in the evening on April 25th into the early morning hours on April 26th along a warm front extending from southern Oklahoma into western Arkansas, well ahead of an advancing cold front and dry line upstream over the Texas/Oklahoma panhandles. The environment farther downstream across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and extreme North Louisiana…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
2

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.

Numerous supercell thunderstorms developed late in the evening on April 25th into the early morning hours on April 26th along a warm front extending from southern Oklahoma into western Arkansas, well ahead of an advancing cold front and dry line upstream over the Texas/Oklahoma panhandles. The environment farther downstream across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and extreme North Louisiana was very unstable and strongly sheared. This environment favored a continuation of severe thunderstorms and the potential for new supercell development. Nocturnal low-level cooling and capping were increasing, which generally kept the primary threat as large hail. As a result, a few large hail reports were documented across Lafayette County in Southwest Arkansas early on April 26th.

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 Apr 25, 6:02 PM CST, 6 hours 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Issued at 136 AM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026
  • Severe weather round two is expected late Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning with this next round potentially more impactful than Friday night's event.
  • The area of greatest concern with this next round is again along and north of I-30 where an Enhanced to Moderate Risk is highlighted for the threat of significant hail and tornadoes.
  • The forecast will remain largely unsettled into next week, but we may see a brief lull in convection early in the week before rain chances increase once again by mid to late week.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 6:02 PM CST, 6 hours 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
702 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 136 AM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

 - Severe weather round two is expected late Saturday afternoon
   through Sunday morning with this next round potentially more
   impactful than Friday night's event.

 - The area of greatest concern with this next round is again
   along and north of I-30 where an Enhanced to Moderate Risk is
   highlighted for the threat of significant hail and tornadoes.

 - The forecast will remain largely unsettled into next week, but
   we may see a brief lull in convection early in the week before
   rain chances increase once again by mid to late week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1146 AM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

Recent hi-res model guidance has the main round of convective
initiation occurring along an OK warm front this evening,
northwest of McCurtain Co, OK. These storms are expected to move
southeastward into the Ark-La-Tx this evening and continue through
the overnight hours. An increasingly unstable environment will be
building this afternoon, which increases the concern for severe
weather impacts, especially in our northwest zones. Large hail
(possibly exceeding 3 inches), damaging wind gusts, and some
strong tornadoes will all be possible for the region. SPC's
outlook highlights our northwestern zones as being the highest
risk for severe hazards due to the favorable environment and the
storm mode leaning toward supercells. The storms are expected to
morph into more of a QLCS as it moves into Deep East TX, northwest
LA, and southern AR later in the night with the loss of daytime
heating. A marginal risk still exists for much of these areas due
to the risk of severe wind gusts that this line could still be
capable of. Due to this event occurring in the evening and
overnight hours, be sure you have multiple ways to receive weather
information and be woken up, if necessary.

There may still be some lingering convection from Saturday night
that bleeds into Sunday morning and clear by midday. The sfc
southerly flow that has been funneling in moisture over recent
days will continue to help keep us warm, with many places seeing
afternoon highs in the mid to upper 80s for the first half of the
work week.

A continuously active pattern will keep rain chances in the
forecast through the end of the week. SPC has a portion of the
forecast area included in 3 of the next 4 outlooks, highlighting
the potential for more severe weather to be included with the
additional rainfall. More detail will come with future forecasts,
but expect a warm and rainy next few days. The added rain will
hopefully work to help the drought conditions across the region
and bring high temperatures back into the 70s by the end of the
week.

57

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 632 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

For the 26/00Z TAF update, a lingering round of -TSRA/SHRA will
pass through the airspace from 26/06Z through 26/18Z, producing
MVFR vis/cigs as a result in this timeframe. Surface winds will
remain out of the south, gaining speed to near 10 kts through the
end of the period. /16/

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Issued at 136 AM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

Spotter activation will likely be needed late Saturday afternoon
through Saturday night and early Sunday for the threat of severe
thunderstorms.

/19/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  68  89  71  90 /  50  30  10  20
MLU  67  88  70  90 /  40  50  10  10
DEQ  61  83  67  84 /  80  30  30  30
TXK  66  86  71  87 /  70  40  20  30
ELD  63  85  68  87 /  70  50  20  20
TYR  71  88  72  88 /  40  20  10  20
GGG  69  88  71  88 /  50  40  10  20
LFK  70  89  71  90 /  20  10   0  20

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...None.
LA...None.
OK...None.
TX...None.
&&

DISCUSSION...57
AVIATION...16

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 25, 10:40 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1140 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1046 PM     Hail             6 ENE Center Point      34.05N 93.84W
04/25/2026  M1.50 Inch       Howard             AR   Public

            mPING report of ping pong ball size hail
            north of Nashville, AR.

&&

16
Special weather statement, Apr 25, 10:53 PM CST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1153 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

ARZ060-061-260545-
Hempstead AR-Nevada AR-
1153 PM CDT Sat Apr 25 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT EASTERN HEMPSTEAD AND WEST
CENTRAL NEVADA COUNTIES UNTIL 1245 AM CDT...

At 1153 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Washington, or 10 miles northwest of Hope, moving southeast at 25
mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
  Hope, Emmet, Perrytown, Washington, Ozan and Oakhaven.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.

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 3383 9383 3392 9371 3376 9341 3359 9357
      3379 9383
TIME...MOT...LOC 0452Z 307DEG 20KT 3379 9368

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

13
Local storm report, Apr 25, 11:04 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1204 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1108 PM     Hail             Ozan                    33.85N 93.72W
04/25/2026  M1.75 Inch       Hempstead          AR   911 Call Center

            Report of golf ball size hail relayed to
            Hempstead County 911 call center from the
            town of Ozan, AR.

&&

16
Local storm report, Apr 25, 11:11 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1211 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1144 PM     Hail             Hope                    33.67N 93.59W
04/25/2026  E2.75 Inch       Hempstead          AR   Public

            Reports from social media of baseball size
            hail in Hope, Arkansas.

&&

CK
Local storm report, Apr 25, 11:24 PM CST, 1 hour before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1224 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1050 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 S Center Point        33.98N 93.95W
04/25/2026                   Howard             AR   Public

            Multiple trees down and some property damage
            reported west of Nashville, AR.

&&

16
Local storm report, Apr 25, 11:51 PM CST, 33 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1251 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1133 PM     Hail             1 NNW Washington        33.78N 93.69W
04/25/2026  M1.50 Inch       Hempstead          AR   Trained Spotter

            Walnut sized hail reported just north of
            Washington, Arkansas.

&&

13

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Lafayette

When
April 26, 12:24 AM CST
Where
Lafayette County, 0.58 mi W of Lewisville Arpt
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
33.370, -93.580

Quarter size hail reported in Lewisville.

Hail, Lafayette

When
April 26, 12:25 AM CST
Where
Lafayette County, 0.58 mi E of Stamps
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
33.370, -93.490

Golf ball size hail reported at Holly Mound just north of Stamps.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, April 2026

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1332348, 1332349.