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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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October 2007 Storm Report |
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| Short Weather Summary |
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| A progressive
Fall pattern unfolded in October, with several storm systems and cold
fronts visiting Arkansas from the northwest. This resulted in areas of
heavy rain to begin the month, and one severe weather episode (with
numerous wind damage reports and a tornado). Temperatures stayed above
normal during much of October, but readings tumbled to end the month
after a strong front passed through the area. |
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| There was one record high temperature tied
during a stretch of warm days to begin October. Check
out the record below. |
| Site |
Record
High (Date of Occurrence) |
| North Little Rock |
89T (10/07) |
| Note:
"T" means record was tied. |
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Cold fronts began visiting from the northwest just as soon
as October began. One front in particular produced heavy to excessive
rain in western sections of the state early on the 3rd. Rainfall amounts
exceeded three inches in several areas.
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In the picture: The weather pattern at 1 am CDT on
10/03/2007...with a cold front pushing into northern Arkansas and
thunderstorms along the front. Dewpoints were in the 60s (moist) ahead of
the front, with falling dewpoints (drier air) behind the front and mainly
north/west of the state. |
| Fort Smith (Sebastian County) had a grand total of 6.48
inches of rain, with 4.17 inches at Midland (Sebastian County), 4.14
inches at Ratcliff (Logan County), 3.52 inches at Booneville (Logan
County), 3.42 inches at Van Buren (Crawford County) and 3.40 inches at
Ozark (Franklin County). |
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Toward the middle of October, a powerful storm system arrived in the
Pacific Northwest. There was a lot of wind energy present ahead of the
system, with this energy driven across the Plains and into Arkansas. A lot
of Gulf moisture was also pulled northward into the state, which created a
very unstable atmosphere. |
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| In the picture:
Helicity/shear (representing the potential for rotating winds) was high
(over 200 m2/s2) and CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy...or a
measure of instability) was increasing (to over 1000 J/kg) across much
of Arkansas on 10/17/2007. The graphic was constructed using data from
the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK. |
| Severe thunderstorms with damaging straight-line winds developed on
the 17th and early on the 18th, especially across central and southern
Arkansas. Much of the damage consisted of downed trees and power lines,
with part of the roof removed from the Dollarway High School gym about 3
miles west-northwest of Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). A weak tornado
(rated EF1) was spawned a few miles west of Star City (Lincoln
County)...with homes, barns and trailers damaged.
There was also very heavy rain across the southeast half of the state
during the event. Georgetown (White County) received 4.50 inches of
rain, with 4.04 inches at Augusta (Woodruff County), 3.85 inches at Des
Arc (Prairie County), 3.59 inches at Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) and
2.62 inches at Jonesboro (Craighead County). |
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While the fronts came, it really did not feel like Fall
until the 22nd. On that day, temperatures in the 40s and 50s followed
closely behind a front as it surged through the region. This cooler air
spread across the remainder of Arkansas on the 23rd. |
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In the picture: Temperatures at 2 pm CDT on 10/22/2007. |
| In the Tropics |
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| After thirteen named storms through September, the tropics
slowed in October with only one system. Tropical Storm Noel formed on
October 28th in the Caribbean Sea, and eventually moved through the
Bahamas to end the month. Noel then headed into the open Atlantic Ocean to
begin November and became a Category 1 hurricane. |
| Additional October Details |
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| For more details about
October, 2007...go to the "Temperatures and Precipitation"
section below. |
| Temperatures and Precipitation |
| Temperatures
were above normal during the first three weeks of October, with
temperatures cooling off to end the month. Readings at Little Rock are shown to right. |
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Rainfall was at or above normal in much of the state in
October. Some below normal totals were noted in the extreme north, the far
southwest and also in parts of the southeast. Amounts at Little Rock are shown to left. |
| To right, a look at precipitation across the state. |
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| For a look at actual temperatures and precipitation
in Arkansas as measured by the cooperative observer network, click
here. |
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www.weather.gov
