NORMALS:
                   HIGH       LOW        AVG       PCPN
OZARKS               48        28         38       3.20
NORTHEAST            49        30         40       4.25
EAST CENTRAL         51        33         42       4.51
SOUTHEAST            54        34         44       5.41
ARKANSAS VALLEY      52        32         42       4.30
OUACHITA             51        30         41       5.02
LITTLE ROCK AREA     53        34         43       4.71
SOUTHWEST            56        38         47       4.83

STATE EXTREME TEMPERATURES:

HIGHEST  88 AT CAMDEN 12/10/1918
LOWEST  -21 AT MAMMOTH SPRING 12/9/1917 

LITTLE ROCK EXTREMES:

WARMEST AVERAGE  59.1 IN 1889    ALL TIME HIGH        80 ON 12/31/1951
COLDEST AVERAGE  29.6 IN 1983                               12/24/1955
WETTEST         16.92 IN 1884                                12/5/1956
DRIEST           0.14 IN 1889    ALL TIME LOW         -2 ON 12/23/1989
SNOWIEST          9.8 IN 1963    MOST RAIN ONE DAY  5.01 ON 12/24/1987 
                                 MOST SNOW ONE DAY   9.8 ON 12/22/1963

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HIGHLIGHTS

December 2-3, 1982: Major outbreak of tornadoes. Thunderstorms then 
stalled in north central and west central sections resulting in
serious flash floods. Significant river flooding followed.
Rose Bud was hit twice by tornadoes and Clinton had the
worst flash flooding.

December 8-9, 1917: Heavy snow with 21 inches in Yell County followed 
by bitter cold with many stations below -10.

December 10-14, 1932: Five day period of ice in east and south and 
snow in northwest.

December 12-13, 2000: A major Winter Storm brought 2 to as much as 
6 inches of sleet and snow to northern Arkansas...with 1/2 to 2 
inches of freezing rain (icing) to central and southern 
sections. Where icing occurred...up to 300,000 customers 
lost electric power. Timber damage was extensive. 

December 14, 1987: Tornado at West Memphis with 6 fatalities.

December 15-17, 2001: Heavy to excessive rain fell across northern 
and western Arkansas, with more than 5 inches of rain measured.  
Vegetation was mostly dormant, with rain water not absorbed
well. Also, river flooding was already occurring in parts of 
southern and eastern Arkansas due to recent heavy rain events. 
The end result was widespread high water problems, with the 
worst flooding in 50 years in some areas. 

December 18-31, 1983: Arctic cold covered the state with 
temperatures continuously below freezing in most areas, some 
light snow and significant ice, especially on 21st and 26th,
the coldest weather came on Christmas Day with most lows
below zero and highs in single digits and teens.

December 18, 2002: A tornado outbreak affected much of central and 
southern Arkansas, with 26 tornadoes spawned. The vast majority of 
the tornadoes were weak (F0/F1), but there was an F3 tornado 
produced near Hamlet (Faulkner County) with one person killed. 

December 21, 1929: El Dorado gets 18 inches of snow and the south 
gets a general 9 inches or more. 

December 22, 1963: Heavy snow in southeast and central sections 
with 10 to 13 inches common. Many areas had below zero 
temperatures after this with -14 at Fayetteville. 

December 23-25, 1982: Tornadoes across the state across the 
Christmas holiday and heavy rains caused river flooding.

December 23, 1989: Severe Arctic cold resulted in many below zero 
temperatures without a snow cover. Little Rock reaches -2.

December 24, 1987: Heavy Christmas Eve rains resulted in serious 
river flooding. West Memphis had flash flooding 10 days after 
being hit by a tornado. 

December 25-28, 2000: Two weeks after a major Winter Storm on the 
12th and 13th, a devastating ice event affected mainly central and 
southern Arkansas with up to 3 inches of ice noted west of Hot 
Springs. Trees and power lines snapped...with up to 300,000 customers 
losing electric power. Combined with the event on the 12th and 13th, 
it was the costliest and most damaging weather period in Arkansas 
history.