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| Storm Reports |
| Are you interested in what happened during a recent event? Check out the report below. |
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Severe Storms/Heavy Rain on January 29-30, 2013 |
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It felt like spring on January 28th, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s in Arkansas. When it gets this warm in the winter, there are often thunderstorms on the horizon. That was the case on the 29th/early on the 30th.
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| In the picture: Temperatures at 400 pm CST on 01/28/2013. |
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A storm system tracked from the southern Plains toward the mid-Mississippi Valley, and dragged a cold front into the region. Along and ahead of the front, strong to severe thunderstorms developed.
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| In the picture: A storm system ("L") in Missouri dragged a cold front into Arkansas during the evening of 01/29/2013. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front. |
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Initially, storms were scattered across northern and western sections of the state from the late morning into the afternoon of the 29th. Hit and miss showers and storms eventually popped up farther south and east through the evening.
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| In the picture: The WSR-88D (Doppler Weather Radar) showed scattered supercells (storms with rotating updrafts) in eastern Arkansas, with lines of storms closing in on central sections of the state at 908 pm CST on 01/29/2013. Widespread heavy rain was falling across the north and west. |
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Winds turned somewhat with height, and five tornadoes were spawned. One of these (rated EF2) tracked a few miles northwest of Natural Dam (Crawford County) and downed mostly trees around 300 pm CST.
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| In the picture: There was a slight turning of the wind with height from the ground to 700 mb (10,000 feet) at 900 pm CST on 01/29/2013. |
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About a half hour later, at least 40 to 50 houses were hit by a weak tornado (rated EF1) north of Elkins (Washington County). Roofs were removed from some homes. Around 400 pm CST, several barns were destroyed by a tornado (rated EF1) near Rockhouse (Madison County).
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There was also some minor structural damage caused by a couple of tornadoes (both rated EF0) about a dozen miles south of Scott (Pulaski County) close to 800 pm CST, and northeast of Monticello (Drew County) shortly before 900 pm CST.
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| In the picture: There were two tornadoes counted in the Little Rock County Warning Area on 01/29/2013. |
| There was a lot of wind energy surrounding the front, and storms moved quickly (more than 50 mph). This increased chances for damaging winds, and there several reports of this received by the National Weather Service. A roof was removed from a barn at Lead Hill (Boone County), and a shed and chicken coop were destroyed northeast of De Witt (Arkansas County). |
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| In the picture: Storm reports in the twenty four hour period ending at 600 am CST on 01/30/2013. The graphic is courtesy of the Storm Prediction Center. |
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Trees were toppled just south of Clinton (Van Buren County), east of Bismarck (Hot Spring County), at Quitman (Cleburne County), Redfield (Jefferson County) and Brinkley (Monroe County). A 60 mph gust was measured at Monticello (Drew County) around 852 pm CST. Just southeast of town, there was a lightning injury and an ambulance was dispatched.
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Trees may have been more easily harmed during this event because they were vulnerable (weakened) following a widespread drought in 2012 and heavy snow during the holiday season.
As the evening progressed, the front swept from west to east across the region, with a line of storms forming along the front. Temperatures fell quickly into the 50s behind the front.
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| In the picture: The forecast sounding (temperature and dewpoint profile with height) at Little Rock (Pulaski County) showed that as saturated air parcels were lifted moist adiabatically to 500 mb (18,000 feet), they were warmer than the environment (sounding temperature) by 3.2 degrees at 900 pm CST on 01/29/2013. Since warm air rises, the parcels were able to continue ascending to build storm clouds. The Lifted Index (LI), which is a measure of instability, was -3.2 in this case...which is moderately unstable. Temperatures aloft had to cool more to force the LI to -6 or lower, which is very unstable. |
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As far as power outages, there were only 10,000 or so counted. A little over a month ago (December 19th/20th, 2012), there were closer to 40,000 outages following a severe weather episode featuring two tornadoes.
This event could have been much worse, but there was not enough instability to fuel a severe weather outbreak. The big system aloft driving this event lagged to the west. The system was surrounded by cooler air overhead, and that was delayed. While it was plenty warm and moist toward the ground, a lack of cooling upstairs kept the atmosphere relatively stable. In addition, instability trended downward after dark with the loss of daytime heating.
Other than severe weather, heavy rain was a concern during this event. Moisture levels were impressive, and two to three times higher than normal. This made thunderstorms more efficient rainmakers.
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More than two inches of rain dumped in portions of the north and west, and also along the Mississippi River.
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| In the picture: Twenty four hour rainfall through 600 am CST on 01/30/2013. |
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Twenty four hour rainfall amounts through 600 am CST on the 30th included 2.98 inches at West Memphis (Crittenden County), 2.71 inches at Fort Smith (Sebastian County), 2.68 inches at Fayetteville (Washington County), 2.19 inches at Highfill (Benton County), 2.08 inches at Harrison (Boone County) and 2.05 inches at Monticello (Drew County). The deluge at Harrison (Boone) guaranteed above normal precipitation for January...the first month with surplus rain since March, 2012.
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| There were numerous reports of wind damage, and one report of lightning on January 29, 2013. For a look at some reports, click here.
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| In the picture: Preliminary reports of severe weather and lightning in the Little Rock County Warning Area on January 29, 2013 (in red). |
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