National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Amounts were less than two inches at most locales. Only 0.14 inch was tallied near Beedeville (Jackson County), with 0.23 inch just northeast of Damascus (Van Buren County) and 0.48 inch at the Clarksville Water Plant (Johnson County). It was the driest June on record at these sites. At the latter site, records date back to 1871!

The month started off mild, but the heat cranked up during the last week as a ridge of high pressure (common summertime feature) built over much of the country.

On the 28th, the mercury topped out at 109 degrees at Mountain Home (Baxter County), Russellville (Pope County) and Searcy (White County). All-time record high temperatures for June were set at Harrison (Boone County) and Little Rock (Pulaski County). It was 107 degrees at both places.

Interestingly, it was just about the hottest June afternoon ever a few days earlier (on the 25th), with several monthly heat records snapped. Those records were met or exceeded.

While the worsening drought was the big story, there were at least two sizable precipitation and severe weather events. These occurred on the 3rd/4th and the 11th/12th.

Trees and tree limbs were also toppled at Batesville (Independence County). A 61 mph gust was measured just southeast of Oil Trough (Independence County), with a 59 mph gust at Vendor (Newton County). Softball size hail pelted Smithville (Lawrence County). Hail to the size of tennis balls was measured at Hickory Flat (White County), with golfball size hail a few miles northeast of Botkinburg (Van Buren County) and at Olyphant (Jackson County).

Twenty four hour amounts through 700 am CDT on the 4th included 4.09 inches at Blytheville (Mississippi County) and 3.26 inches at Jasper (Newton County). At the North Little Rock Airport (Pulaski County), 1.36 inches of rain was measured, with most of this falling in an hour. This is more than double the amount received in May (0.55 inch).

On the 11th, a large precipitation area moved out of southern Missouri and traversed much of the northeast half of Arkansas by late afternoon. Along the way, wind gusts of 60 mph or more downed trees and/or power lines. This was the case just south of Omaha (Boone County), at Marshall (Searcy County), Alread (Van Buren County), Heber Springs (Cleburne County), Floyd (White County), Hickory Plains (Prairie County), Clarendon (Monroe County), Tichnor (Arkansas County) and a few miles northwest of Watson (Desha County).

Twenty four hour amounts through 700 am CDT on the 12th included 3.88 inches at St. Charles (Arkansas County), 3.59 inches at Magnolia (Columbia County), 3.28 inches at Eudora (Chicot County) and 3.05 inches at Malvern (Hot Spring County).

As high pressure strengthened in late June, any storms were isolated. One storm pushed over a tree a few miles east of Sunshine (Garland County) on the 25th. Several trees were blown down and a couple of barns were damaged just west of Appleton (Pope County) on the 30th.  

As far as the tropics, there was some activity in the Gulf of Mexico. In late June, Tropical Storm Debby brought 10 to 20 inches of rain (and locally more) to northern and central Florida and southern Georgia.

Tropical Storm Chris formed well out in the northern Atlantic Ocean on June 19th. The system eventually became a minimal hurricane before dissipating on the 22nd. Chris was never a threat to land.

Tropical Storm Debby developed in the central Gulf of Mexico on the 23rd and wobbled for awhile before eventually tracking to the east. The system made landfall in northern Florida on the 26th and crossed the state. Debby briefly emerged in the Atlantic Ocean before falling apart on the 27th.