 |
| Storm Reports |
| Are you interested in what happened during a recent event? Check out the
report below. |
|
|
 |
Severe Weather/Heavy Rain on December 19-22, 2007 |
 |
| |
 |
It has been a busy December, with several storm systems
riding a strong Subtropical Jet into the region from the southwest
United States. One such system brought a round of heavy rain to
parts of Arkansas late on the 19th and into the 20th. |
| In the
picture: The Subtropical Jet has brought an active weather pattern to
the southern United States in December, 2007. Wind speeds (at 30,000
feet) in the graphic
are in knots. |
| There were a few rumbles of thunder as well, with a house
fire apparently started by lightning at Diaz (Jackson County) during the
early morning hours of the 20th. The fire claimed the lives of two people (an
elderly couple). |
|
| In the picture:
The WSR-88D (Doppler Weather Radar) showed rain shifting to the east of
Arkansas at 1118 am CST on 12/20/2007. |
| There was no severe
weather this time. Severe storms (and tornadoes) were found along the Gulf Coast
(Louisiana into Mississippi and Alabama). |
 |
There were widespread one quarter to three quarter inch
rainfall amounts, with locally more than two inches. |
| In the
picture: Twenty four hour rainfall totals ending at 6 am CST on
12/20/2007. "E" is estimated precipitation. |
| 24
Hour Rainfall (through 6 am CST on December 20th) |
| Brinkley (Monroe
County) |
2.00" |
| Malvern (Hot Spring
County) |
2.00" |
| Des Arc (Prairie
County) |
1.95" |
| Crystal Valley
(Pulaski County) |
1.33" |
| McCrory (Woodruff
County) |
1.30" |
| Gillham Dam (Pike
County) |
1.22" |
| Severe weather was possible in eastern Arkansas on December 22nd
as yet another storm system approached. However, a strong inversion aloft
kept the clouds socked in...with limited heating. This kept the atmosphere
from becoming too unstable. |
 |
| In the picture:
The pattern on 12/22/2007 featured a storm system ("L") tracking just to
the north of Arkansas. To the south of the system, CAPE (Convective
Available Potential Energy...or a measure of instability) values struggled
to climb, with values less than 1000 J/kg (considered low) in eastern sections of the
state. Meanwhile, to the north and west of the system, snow and blowing
snow were common. |
|
Temperatures Aloft at North Little Rock (6 am CST on December 22nd) |
| Height (Feet) |
Temp (° F) |
| 568 |
55 |
| 1001 |
54 |
| 1611 |
54 |
| 2001 |
52 |
| 2454 |
49 |
| 2900 |
47 |
| 3540 |
56 |
| 3999 |
55 |
| 4770 |
52 |
| 5000 |
52 |
| 5617 |
50 |
| NOTE: Inversion began
between 3000 and 3500 feet with rising temperatures aloft. It was warmer at
5617 feet than at 2900 feet. |
|
|
On the back side of the system (north and west), heavy
snow fell from the southern Plains into the upper Midwest. There were
also very strong winds, with gusts over 40 mph in Arkansas. Trees and
power lines were downed in several locations. |
| In the picture:
Twenty four hour snowfall (inches) through 9 am CST on 12/23/2007. The graphic is
courtesy of the National Climatic Data Center. |
|
|
www.weather.gov
