How Dry Is It?
Abnormally Dry Conditions
At times, below normal precipitation will lead to a lack of ground water and worsening drought conditions in Arkansas. Check out the latest conditions below.
 
Monitoring Drought in Arkansas
 
Drought Status
 
As of February 27th, 2013...a severe (D2) drought affected most areas west of Ashdown (Little River County), Clarksville (Johnson County) and Berryville (Carroll County). Farther east, while there were some D0/D1 conditions, there was no drought at all in half of the state.
 
 
Drought has been a common theme in Arkansas since 2010. The southwest has fared the worst, with a four and a half foot (54.39 inches) rainfall deficit at Texarkana (Miller County) in a three year span.

 

Precipitation Statistics (2010-2012)
Site 2012 +/- 2011 +/- 2010 +/-
Fayetteville (NW AR) 34.29 -13.93 56.15 +9.82 42.15 -3.87
Harrison (NC AR) 29.53 -14.61 52.01 +7.87 46.12 +0.92
Jonesboro (NE AR) 33.57 -14.53 58.05 +9.95 32.22 -13.96
Fort Smith (WC AR) 33.94 -11.52 46.56 +1.10 35.27 -8.60
Little Rock (C AR) 42.25 -7.50 60.23 +10.48 36.52 -14.41
West Memphis (EC AR) 39.08 -13.15 55.95 +2.37 51.83 -0.97
Texarkana (SW AR) 32.07 -17.58 30.69 -18.96 29.53 -17.85
El Dorado (SC AR) 44.41 -8.51 37.62 -15.30 34.23 -19.88
Pine Bluff (SE AR) 45.69 -5.46 48.70 -2.45 31.97 -20.51

 

There were some drought breakers along the way, such as a deluge from mid-November to mid-December, 2011.

 

Thirty day rainfall through 600 am CST on 12/11/2011. Twelve to more than eighteen inches of rain was measured from Mena (Polk County) to Mount Ida (Montgomery County), Russellville (Pope County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), Jonesboro (Craighead County) and West Memphis (Crittenden County).
In the picture: Thirty day rainfall through 600 am CST on 12/11/2011.

 

Hurricane Isaac brought much needed rain to southern and eastern Arkansas in late August, 2012. Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) had an 8.39 inch total in the forty eight hour period ending at 700 am CDT on September 1st.

Hurricane Isaac was just off the coast of Louisiana at 425 pm CDT on 08/28/2012.
In the picture: Hurricane Isaac was just off the coast of Louisiana at 425 pm CDT on 08/28/2012.

 

Unfortunately, these were temporary fixes to a long term problem. As 2013 began, there was still a drought in parts of the west. While the year was off to a wet start in places, it was uncertain whether enough precipitation would fall through May to end the drought.

 

The drought outlook through May, 2013.
In the picture: The drought outlook through May, 2013.

 

Precipitation Trends

 

Streamflow and Soil Moisture
 
Most recent streamflow (values in the 25th to 75th percentile are normal)
Most recent soil moisture (values between 30 and 70 percent are normal)

 

Fire Danger

 

The Forecast

USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.