National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

The 7th started with a freeze in the northwest, which was about two weeks earlier than normal. The mercury dipped to 31 degrees at Fayetteville (Washington County) and Highfill (Benton County).

Temperatures warmed up heading into the middle of the month. In southern Arkansas, the mercury climbed into the lower and mid 80s on the 12th. De Queen (Sevier County) had 84 degrees, with 82 degrees at Monticello (Drew County) and Texarkana (Miller County).

Farther north, a cold front sagged into the state from Missouri. Over an inch of rain fell across the northwest counties. Twenty four hour rainfall through 100 am CDT on the 13th included 1.61 inches at Harrison (Boone County), 1.56 inches at Highfill (Benton County) and 1.44 inches at Mountain Home (Baxter County).

On the 13th, the front exited toward the upper Midwest. Well above normal temperatures continued ahead of a new cold front in the Plains.

Around 630 pm CDT, lightning delayed the first quarter of the Arkansas and Kentucky college football game at Fayetteville (Washington County) for a little more than an hour. Conditions worsened later, with the game finally suspended in the third quarter.

Between 930 pm and 1000 pm CDT, a weak tornado (rated EF1/90 to 100 mph winds) tracked 12.5 miles from 4 miles north-northeast of Cave Springs to 3 miles northeast of Avoca (both in Benton County). This is in the Tulsa County Warning Area. This was only the 14th tornado of 2012 in Arkansas. In a typical year, there are 33 tornadoes.

Event rainfall generally ranged from one half to one and a half inches. Lighter amounts from a quarter to a half inch fell along portions of the Mississippi River.

It stayed warm ahead of the next front on the 17th, and there were good chances for severe weather in the southeast half of the state. This is where fuel (warmth/moisture) was most readily available. Surrounding the front, winds turned with height. This created rotation in some storms, and isolated tornadoes were spawned.

A short-lived weak tornado (rated EF1) was identified at Clarendon (Monroe County), with numerous trees and power lines downed and some structural damage. Much of the town was without power. Another weak tornado (rated EF0) briefly touched down in a farm field just northwest of Seaton (Lonoke County).

Tornadoes were larger and more numerous in Mississippi. Ten tornadoes were counted, with a half dozen injuries reported. The strongest tornado was rated EF3, and had a 16.25 mile track. This was only the second instance of an October tornado this strong in state history.

Gusty west winds and very dry air followed the front on the 18th. Gusts reached 40 mph at a few locales during the afternoon. In the northern Plains, close to hurricane force gusts spread dust south and east toward Arkansas. Winds whipped across drought stricken areas of Nebraska and Kansas where soil moisture was woefully low and dirt was easily lifted. A dust storm caused a multi-car accident in northern Oklahoma and shut down Interstate 35.  

Unseasonably warm weather held on into the last week of October. One more front surged into the area on the 25th, and temperatures dropped quickly into the 40s by 300 pm CDT at Fayetteville (Washington County) and by 500 pm CDT at Harrison (Boone County).

Winds shifted to the northwest and became gusty as the front went through Jonesboro (Craighead County) and Little Rock (Pulaski County) between 800 pm and 900 pm CDT.

Other than markedly cooler air, there were areas of rain behind the front and a few rumbles of thunder. A narrow swath of one to two inch amounts was noted from southwest into central sections of the state, or roughly along the Interstate 30 corridor.

A hard freeze occurred in portions of northern and western Arkansas early on the 27th, 28th and 29th. On all three mornings, the mercury plummeted into the 20s to around 30 degrees at Fayetteville (Washington County), Harrison (Boone County), Mountain Home (Baxter County) and Mount Ida (Montgomery County).

This cool snap guaranteed that October would be the first month in 2012 with below normal temperatures (by 1 to 3 degrees).

While a lot happened during the month, rainfall totals were generally in the minus category. Less than three inches of rain was common (3.50 to 5.50 inches is normal). In the southwest, precipitation was 25 to 50 percent of normal in most areas. At Texarkana (Miller County), only 1.77 inches was measured (36 percent of normal).

While it cooled down locally, it heated up along the east Coast. Hurricane Sandy slammed into the southern New Jersey coast by the evening of the 29th.

An historic event unfolded, with life threatening storm surge flooding from Delaware to Massachusetts, and tropical storm to hurricane force winds (40 to 90+ mph) from the mid-Atlantic Coast to parts of New England. This caused extensive tree and power line damage and widespread power outages.

Southwest of the track of Sandy, five to ten inches of rain fell from southern Pennsylvania to northern Virginia. This caused moderate to major high water problems along creeks and small streams. One to two feet of snow piled up in the mountains of West Virginia, with gusty winds creating blizzard conditions.

Oscar was a short-lived Tropical Storm in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The system formed on the 3rd and was gone by the 5th. Oscar was not a threat to land.

Tropical Storm Patty was similar to Oscar. The system came to life near the Bahamas on the 11th and tracked to the northeast. Two days later, Patty dissipated.

Raphael took shape southeast of Puerto Rico on the 12th, and headed to the north. The system became a Category 1 hurricane (85 mph winds) on the 15th, and brushed by Bermuda to the east on the 16th. The system then headed northeast into the open Atlantic Ocean and became a post-tropical cyclone (lost tropical characteristics) on the 17th.

Sandy formed in the Caribbean Sea on the 22nd. By early on the 25th, the system reached Cuba and strengthened into a strong Category 2 hurricane (110 mph winds). The system weakened slightly after making landfall, and then hit the Bahamas later in the day. Sandy continued weakening (to Category 1 status/75 mph winds) on the 26th/27th, and slowly wobbled to the north. The system went by the outer banks of North Carolina on the 28th before turning to the northwest and strengthening (90 mph winds) on the 29th. Sandy became post-tropical late in the day before making landfall in southern New Jersey.

Tropical Storm Tony originated in the central Atlantic on the 23rd, and moved to the northeast. The system remained over open water before weakening and becoming post-tropical on the 25th.