Monthly Storm Reports and Storm Data
Storm Reports
Are you interested in what happened during a recent event? Check out the report below.
 
July, 2012 Storm Report
 
Short Weather Summary
 
In much of Arkansas, July featured triple digit temperatures and below normal rainfall. A drought went from bad to worse, with a disaster declared in the vast majority of counties.

 

Record Temperatures
 
There were numerous record high temperatures tied or broken in July. Check out the records below.

 

Site Record High (Date of Occurrence)
Batesville 100T (07/03), 104 (07/04), 106 (07/05), 106 (07/06), 99T (07/27), 109 (07/30)
Fayetteville 97T (07/01), 99 (07/04), 100 (07/05), 101 (07/06), 102 (07/20)
Fort Smith 103 (07/04), 105 (07/05), 106 (07/06), 106T (07/19), 108 (07/20)
Harrison 103 (07/06)
Hot Springs 99T (07/01), 101T (07/04), 103 (07/05), 106 (07/06), 105 (07/19), 109 (07/20), 106 (07/28), 106T (07/29)
Jacksonville 104 (07/03), 103 (07/04), 104T (07/05), 105 (07/19), 107 (07/20), 102T (07/26), 106T (07/28)
Jonesboro 104 (07/05), 102T (07/06), 105 (07/19), 104 (07/30)
Little Rock 102T (07/05), 107 (07/06), 105 (07/19), 108 (07/20), 103 (07/26), 108 (07/28), 111 (07/30)
Monticello 101T (07/03), 100T (07/07), 104 (07/27), 106 (07/30), 105T (07/31)
Mount Ida 104T (07/06), 107 (07/20)
North Little Rock 101 (07/04), 102 (07/05), 105 (07/06), 104T (07/20), 105T (07/28)
Russellville 105 (07/03), 105T (07/04), 107 (07/05), 108 (07/06), 106 (07/19), 109 (07/20), 104T (07/25), 104T (07/26), 108T (07/30)
Texarkana 100 (06/05), 107 (06/25)
Note: "T" means record was tied.

 

Continuing Drought/Extreme Heat/Spotty Beneficial Rain
 
Percent of normal rainfall in July, 2012. If there was good news in July, it is that parts of southern and western Arkansas got above normal rainfall.
In the picture: Percent of normal rainfall in July, 2012.

 

This included Fort Smith (Sebastian County), Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) and Texarkana (Miller County). Meanwhile, amounts less than an inch were common from central into northeast Arkansas. Jonesboro (Craighead County) tallied only 0.86 inch. Rainfall totals were below normal at most locations.

 

Precipitation in July, 2012
Site Amount Normal +/- % of Normal
Fayetteville (NW AR) 2.42 3.24 -0.82 75%
Harrison (NC AR) 2.96 3.14 -0.18 94%
Jonesboro (NE AR) 0.86 3.54 -2.68 24%
Fort Smith (WC AR) 3.91 3.30 +0.61 118%
Little Rock (C AR) 1.46 3.27 -1.81 45%
West Memphis (EC AR) 3.75 3.41 +0.34 110%
Texarkana (SW AR) 4.13 3.44 +0.69 120%
El Dorado (SC AR) 2.47 3.56 -1.09 69%
Pine Bluff (SE AR) 3.95 3.93 +0.02 101%

 

There were numerous days above 100 degrees, especially in northern and western sections of the state. These areas were closest to a large ridge of high pressure in the southern Plains, which often sets up somewhere in the country every year and brings extreme heat.

 High temperatures on 07/20/2012.
In the picture: High temperatures on 07/20/2012.

 

Russellville (Pope County) hit the century mark 22 times, and finished the month with 15 straight days of triple digit heat. Away from the high, West Memphis (Crittenden County) only hit 100 degrees once.

On July 20th, it was particularly hot in the Arkansas River Valley from Little Rock (Pulaski County) westward, and also in the Ouachita Mountains. There were many readings above 105 degrees.

At Little Rock (Pulaski County), July 30th was the third warmest day on record locally as the mercury climbed to 111 degrees.

 

Temperatures Hitting the Century Mark in July, 2012
Site Days >= 100° Days >= 105° Highest
Fayetteville (NW AR) 8 0 104°
Harrison (NC AR) 12 1 106°
Mtn Home (NC AR) 17 1 107°
Jonesboro (NE AR) 10 1 105°
Fort Smith (WC AR) 19 6 108°
Russellville (WC AR) 22 10 109°
Mount Ida (WC AR) 11 2 107°
Hot Springs (C AR) 14 7 109°
Little Rock (C AR) 16 6 111°
West Memphis (EC AR) 1 0 100°
Texarkana (SW AR) 5 0 103°
El Dorado (SC AR) 5 0 102°
Pine Bluff (SE AR) 8 1 105°
Monticello (SE AR) 7 2 106°

 

A severe to exceptional drought was noted in much of Arkansas on 07/31/2012.
Subpar rain and heat made an existing drought worse. By the end of the month, at least 80 percent of the state was experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions.
 
Drought Conditions (Percent Area)
Category Coverage
D0-D4 100%
D1-D4 99.66%
D2-D4 96.12%
D3-D4 80.63%
D4 44.46%
In the picture: A severe to exceptional drought was noted in much of Arkansas on 07/31/2012.

 

Livestock ponds dried up as the ground water supply dwindled. Hay was in short supply, and was expensive to buy. Many ranchers were forced to sell cattle early. On July 11th, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated 69 of 75 Arkansas counties as disaster areas to help farmers recover from losses caused by the drought.

 

The rain came when high pressure exited to the west toward the Rockies. Clockwise flow around the high drove cold fronts into the region from the northwest. A ridge of high pressure ("H") built to the west, with clockwise flow around the high creating a northwest wind flow aloft on 07/09/2012.
In the picture: A ridge of high pressure ("H") built to the west, with clockwise flow around the high creating a northwest wind flow aloft on 07/09/2012. A cold front rode the flow into Arkansas.

 

One front approached on the 6th/7th, pushed into Arkansas on the 8th and then stalled for several days toward the Louisiana border. Surrounding the front, there were some impressive downpours and local amounts over two inches.

Hardy (Sharp County) received 2.53 inches of rain in less than an hour during the afternoon of the 8th. On the 9th, there was a whopping 3.09 inches at Fordyce (Dallas County), 2.75 inches at Magnolia (Columbia County) and 2.08 inches at Ozark (Franklin County). A deluge resulted in 2.00 inches at Narrows Dam (Pike County) on the 10th, and 2.15 inches at Portland (Ashley County) on the 12th.

 

Notable Event Downpours
Location 24 Hour Amount Day (Ending 7 am CDT)
Fordyce (Dallas Co) 3.09 07/10
Magnolia (Columbia Co) 2.75 07/10
Hardy (Sharp Co) 2.53 07/09
Blytheville (Mississippi Co) 2.31 07/09
Portland (Ashley Co) 2.15 07/13
Ozark (Franklin Co) 2.08 07/10
Narrows Dam (Pike Co) 2.00 07/11
Stuttgart (Arkansas Co) 1.94 07/13
Helena-West Helena (Phillips Co) 1.88 07/12
Moro Bay State Park (Bradley Co) 1.77 07/12
Harrison (Boone Co) 1.76 07/08
Fayetteville (Washington Co) 1.70 07/08
Hampton (Calhoun Co) 1.70 07/14
North Little Rock (Pulaski Co) 1.70 07/10

 

Storm #1 near Booneville (Logan County) became severe and then collapsed shortly before 345 pm CDT on 07/07/2012. Cool downdrafts (outflow) from the storm forced hot air to the east aloft (updrafts), and this helped initiate Storm #2.
In the picture: Storm #1 near Booneville (Logan County) became severe and then collapsed shortly before 345 pm CDT on 07/07/2012. Cool downdrafts (outflow) from the storm forced hot air to the east aloft (updrafts), and this helped initiate Storm #2.
 

There was also a fair amount of severe weather. Most reports consisted of damaging winds as storms collapsed.

Preceding the front on the 6th, straight-line wind gusts exceeded 60 mph in west and southwest Little Rock (Pulaski County) and near Lake Norrell, Avilla and Benton (all in Saline County). Trees were downed (some on houses), and there was some minor structural damage.

Along the front on the 8th, trees were on power lines and several roofs were damaged by winds at Wilburn (Cleburne County). A truck was blown off the road just north of Pleasant Plains (Independence County). There were numerous power outages following a storm at Hardy (Sharp County).

On the 12th, winds with a storm damaged chicken houses and barns near Y City (Scott County).

 

Twenty four hour rainfall through 700 am CDT on 07/27/2012.

There were a few more storms on the 20th with a front, and spotty severe weather. On the 26th/27th, large clusters of storms dumped a large swath of beneficial rain in the western counties.
In the picture: Twenty four hour rainfall through 700 am CDT on 07/27/2012.

 

Twenty four hour amounts through 700 am CDT on the 27th included 3.74 inches at Waldron (Scott County), 2.64 inches at Narrows Dam (Pike County), 2.56 inches at Ratcliff (Logan County), 2.22 inches at Cove (Polk County) and 2.15 inches at Ashdown (Little River County).

 

Links of Interest
July 6-14, 2012 (pattern change/some rain/cooler)
July 19-20, 2012 (severe storms)
July 26-27, 2012 (severe storms/heavy rain)

 

In the Tropics
 

There were no named storms in July.

 

Additional July Details
 
For more details about July, 2012...go to the "Temperatures and Precipitation" section below.

 

Temperatures and Precipitation
Temperatures were above normal in July. Readings at North Little Rock are shown to right. July, 2012 Temperatures in North Little Rock

 

July, 2012 Precipitation in North Little Rock Rainfall was below normal in most areas, but at or above normal portions of the south and west. Amounts at North Little Rock are shown to left.

 

To right, a look at precipitation across the state. July, 2012 Precipitation in Arkansas

 

For a look at actual temperatures and precipitation in Arkansas as measured by the cooperative observer network, click here.
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