The Cold Of Winter - Winter Weather Events, Alabama, Arkansas

THE COLD OF WINTER
BY:  PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

RECENT SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER EVENTS THAT HAVE AFFECTED NORTH
ALABAMA AND/OR SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE:

JANUARY 9-10 2011:
HEAVY SNOW IMPACTED MUCH OF NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN TENNESSEE AS A STRONG GULF COAST LOW INTERACTED WITH AN EXISTING COLD AIR MASS. SIX TO TEN INCHES OF SNOW WAS COMMON ACROSS THE AREA WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA RECEIVING AROUND 1 FOOT OF FRESH SNOW IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS! SNOWFALL RATES WERE AS HIGH AS 2-3 INCHES PER HOUR AT TIMES...AND A RARE OCCURRENCE OF "THUNDERSNOW" WAS EVEN REPORTED AROUND HUNTSVILLE. THE 8.9" OF SNOW OFFICIALLY AT HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS THE 3RD LARGEST SINGLE EVENT SNOW STORM ON RECORD /DATING BACK TO 1874/. MEASURABLE SNOW WAS ON
THE GROUND FOR 8 DAYS IN HUNTSVILLE -- ALSO A RECORD.

FEBRUARY 15 2010:
A WINTER STORM TRACKED ACROSS THE REGION AND BROUGHT A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES WERE REPORTED...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU NEAR THE TOWN OF SEWANEE.

FEBRUARY 8 2010:
A NARROW BAND OF SNOW DEVELOPED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS ALONG THE ALABAMA/TENNESSEE STATE LINE. THE SNOW ENDED BY LATE MORNING BUT NOT AFTER DUMPING 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF LAUDERDALE...LIMESTONE AND MADISON COUNTIES IN NORTH ALABAMA.

JANUARY 29 2010:
A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW IMPACTED MANY AREAS
ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS DAY. UP TO 1/4 INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATED ON TREES...CARS...SECONDARY ROADS AND POWERLINES... MAINLY NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER. IN ADDITION TO THE ICE...ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW FELL OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS CREATING DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF SLEET AND SNOW OCCURRED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

JANUARY 2-10 2010 "FRIGID" TEMPERATURES:
DURING THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF JANUARY...VERY COLD AIR SETTLED ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. AT THE HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE BETWEEN JANUARY 2ND AND JANUARY 10TH WAS 31.4 DEGREES. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD WAS 15.8 DEGREES. TO PUT THIS MORE IN PERSPECTIVE...THE "NORMAL" AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR HUNTSVILLE DURING THIS PERIOD IS AROUND 51 DEGREES...AND THE "NORMAL" AVERAGE LOW IS 32 DEGREES.

--------------PAST "HISTORICAL" WINTER WEATHER EVENTS--------------

MARCH 12-14, 1993 -- "STORM OF THE CENTURY"A VERY LARGE AND POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM DUMPED SNOW FROM THE GULF COAST TO NEW ENGLAND...INCLUDING AN OFFICIAL 7.3 INCHES OF SNOW AT HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN TENNESSEE WERE HAMMERED WITH 1 TO 2 FEET OF
SNOW...INCLUDING 17 INCHES AT VALLEY HEAD /DEKALB COUNTY/ AND 12-15
INCHES AROUND SCOTTSBORO /JACKSON COUNTY/.

NEW YEARS STORM - 1963-64:
AN ALL-TIME RECORD SNOW EVENT FOR THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE THAT DUMPED AN UNPRECEDENTED 17.1 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE AREA IN A 24-HOUR
PERIOD.

RECENT SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER EVENTS THAT HAVE AFFECTED NORTH ALABAMA AND/OR SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE:

JANUARY 9-10 2011:
HEAVY SNOW IMPACTED MUCH OF NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN TENNESSEE AS A STRONG GULF COAST LOW INTERACTED WITH AN EXISTING COLD AIR MASS.  SIX TO TEN INCHES OF SNOW WAS COMMON ACROSS THE AREA WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA RECEIVING AROUND 1 FOOT OF FRESH SNOW IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS! SNOWFALL RATES WERE AS HIGH AS 2-3 INCHES PER HOUR AT TIMES...AND A RARE OCCURRENCE OF "THUNDERSNOW" WAS EVEN REPORTED AROUND HUNTSVILLE. THE 8.9" OF SNOW OFFICIALLY AT HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS THE 3RD LARGEST SINGLE EVENT SNOW STORM ON RECORD /DATING BACK TO 1874/. MEASURABLE SNOW WAS ON
THE GROUND FOR 8 DAYS IN HUNTSVILLE -- ALSO A RECORD.

FEBRUARY 15 2010:
A WINTER STORM TRACKED ACROSS THE REGION AND BROUGHT A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES WERE REPORTED...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU NEAR THE TOWN OF SEWANEE.

FEBRUARY 8 2010:
A NARROW BAND OF SNOW DEVELOPED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS ALONG THE ALABAMA/TENNESSEE STATE LINE. THE SNOW ENDED BY LATE MORNING BUT NOT AFTER DUMPING 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF LAUDERDALE... LIMESTONE AND MADISON COUNTIES IN NORTH ALABAMA.

JANUARY 29 2010:
A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW IMPACTED MANY AREAS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS DAY. UP TO 1/4 INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATED ON TREES...CARS...SECONDARY ROADS AND POWERLINES... MAINLY NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER. IN ADDITION TO THE ICE...ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW FELL OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS CREATING DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF SLEET AND SNOW OCCURRED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

JANUARY 2-10 2010 "FRIGID" TEMPERATURES:
DURING THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF JANUARY...VERY COLD AIR SETTLED ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. AT THE HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE BETWEEN JANUARY 2ND AND JANUARY 10TH WAS 31.4 DEGREES. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD WAS 15.8 DEGREES. TO PUT THIS MORE IN PERSPECTIVE...THE "NORMAL" AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR HUNTSVILLE DURING THIS PERIOD IS AROUND 51 DEGREES...AND THE "NORMAL" AVERAGE LOW IS 32 DEGREES.


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OHIO
115 PM EST MON NOV 18 2013
THE WINTER OF 2012-2013 IN NORTHERN OHIO WAS CHARACTERIZED
BY WARM TEMPERATURES AND A LACK OF BIG SNOWSTORMS.  TEMPERATURES AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE WINTER WERE BELOW NORMAL BUT READINGS DURING THE HEART OF THE SEASON WERE WARM.  FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW MOST OF THE CLIMATE STATIONS IN NORTHERN OHIO FINISHED WITH BELOW NORMAL SNOWFALL TOTALS.   TOTALS IN THE LAKE ERIE SNOWBELT WERE ALSO A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL WITH A PEAK OF JUST UNDER 130 INCHES IN NORTHERN GEAUGA COUNTY. THE WINTER SEASON STARTED OUT COOL WITH TEMPERATURES THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER AVERAGING A COUPLE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.  THE MONTH WAS ALSO DRY WITH JUST A DUSTING OF SNOWFALL MOST LOCATIONS.   DECEMBER WAS VERY WARM WITH AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FIVE TO SEVEN DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.  THE AKRON-CANTON AREA EXPERIENCED ITS 8TH WARMEST DECEMBER EVER.  THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF MINOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENTS DURING THE MONTH.  HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST SNOW STORM OF THE SEASON OCCURRED ON DECEMBER 26TH.  AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVED UP THE OHIO VALLEY AND BROUGHT SNOW AND VERY GUSTY WINDS TO THE AREA.  NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OCCURRED FOR A FEW HOURS CAUSING TRAVEL PROBLEMS.  SNOWFALL TOTALS RANGED FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES EAST OF INTERSTATE 71 TO JUST A COUPLE OF INCHES ALONG THE INTERSTATE 75 CORRIDOR.   WARM WEATHER CONTINUED DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY. AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH WERE BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.   ONLY A COUPLE OF VERY WEAK STORM SYSTEMS AFFECTED THE REGION DURING THE MONTH. THIS RESULTED IN SNOWFALL TOTALS OF NO MORE THAN A FEW INCHES OUTSIDE OF THE SNOWBELT.   A PROLONGED LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT ON THE 21ST THROUGH THE 24TH DUMPED AS MUCH AS TWO FEET OF SNOW ON GEAUGA COUNTY.  FEBRUARY ENDED UP BEING THE SNOWIEST MONTH OF THE WINTER.  SEVERAL STORMS BROUGHT A COUPLE TO A FEW INCHES OF SNOW TO THE ENTIRE AREA.  THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL EPISODES OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW TO THE EAST OF CLEVELAND.  ALL OF THE MAJOR CLIMATE SITES FINISHED THE MONTH WITH AT LEAST A FOOT OF SNOWFALL.  SOME OF THE LOCATIONS IN THE SNOWBELT HAD A FEW FEET OF ACCUMULATION DURING THE MONTH.   SPRING WAS SLOW TO ARRIVE WITH COOL TEMPERATURES CONTINUING DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH.  IT WAS A DRY MONTH WITH LITTLE SNOWFALL OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE ERIE SNOWBELT. AN ICE STORM AFFECTED THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF OHIO ON MARCH 18TH.  A GLAZE OF ICE CLOSED SCHOOLS, CAUSED  SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES AND RESULTED IN MANY ACCIDENTS IN PORTAGE, MAHONING, TRUMBULL AND ASHTABULA COUNTIES.
$$
KUBINA

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
227 PM CST TUE NOV 12 2013

...WINTERS IN ARKANSAS...
THE CLIMATOLOGICAL WINTER SEASON IS DEFINED AS THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 1ST-FEBRUARY 28TH. ARKANSAS HAS EXPERIENCED A WIDE VARIETY OF WEATHER EXTREMES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS SINCE ITS RECORDED WEATHER HISTORY BEGAN IN 1819...RANGING FROM DEEP SNOWS AND TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO...TO HEAVY RAINS...TO EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS AND TEMPERATURES PUSHING 90 DEGREES.  SOME OF THE MORE NOTABLE WINTERS HAVE BEEN..

1822-1823:
SNOW FELL AT THE FIRST OF DECEMBER AT LITTLE ROCK...AND BY THE 3RD OF THE MONTH...THE TEMPERATURE HAD FALLEN TO -9. COLD WEATHER CONTINUED THROUGH JANUARY AND FEBRUARY...WITH THE TEMPERATURE FALLING TO SINGLE DIGIT LOWS ON FIVE DAYS IN JANUARY...AND AS LOW AS -11 ON FEBRUARY 15TH.  IN FACT...IN FEBRUARY ALONE...THERE WERE SIX DAYS WITH SINGLE-DIGIT LOWS AND TWO DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO. MANY LIVESTOCK PERISHED...AND ROADS WERE IMPASSABLE FOR MUCH OF THE SEASON. ICE FORMED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER AT
LITTLE ROCK...BUT THE RIVER DID NOT FREEZE...DUE TO A HIGH STAGE AT THE TIME.

1831-1832:
THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE SNOW AND ICE. SIX INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT LITTLE ROCK ON DECEMBER 8TH. AT ONE TIME...THE ARKANSAS RIVER WAS FROZEN OVER 20 MILES BELOW LITTLE ROCK...AND THE WHITE RIVER WAS FROZEN OVER AT BATESVILLE. TOWARD THE END OF FEBRUARY...SIX INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT LITTLE ROCK ON THE 23RD. ON THE 29TH...THE WHITE RIVER AT BATESVILLE WAS REPORTED TO BE FROZEN OVER AGAIN.

1841-1842:
THE WINTER WAS THE MILDEST IN SEVERAL YEARS. GARDENS WERE REPORTED TO BE GREEN...AND PEACH TREES WERE IN BLOOM BY FEBRUARY 1ST.

1855-1856:
THE WINTER WAS PARTICULARLY COLD...ESPECIALLY IN JANUARY AND EARLY FEBRUARY. THE ARKANSAS RIVER WAS FROZEN OVER AT ONE POINT...AND AT LITTLE ROCK...THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO -4 ON FEBRUARY 4TH.

1863-1864:
THIS WAS LIKELY THE COLDEST PERIOD IN MANY YEARS.  AT THE END OF DECEMBER...TWO INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT LITTLE ROCK...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS. DURING THE FIRST WEEKS OF JANUARY... TEMPERATURES  AS LOW AS -10 TO -15 WERE REPORTED AT FORT SMITH AND LITTLE ROCK.

1876-1877:
SEVERAL SNOWSTORMS HIT THE STATE IN DECEMBER...WITH SEVERE COLD FOLLOWING. TEMPERATURES ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WERE BELOW ZERO AT HELENA. ON THE 28TH...MOUNT IDA FELL TO -8...AND MONTICELLO TO -1.  ON THE 30TH...LITTLE ROCK BOTTOMED OUT AT ZERO.  THE HEAVIEST SNOWSTORM DURING THIS PERIOD WAS THE ONE ON DECEMBER 31ST...WITH EIGHT INCHES AT MOUNT IDA...AND 21 INCHES AT MONTICELLO.  THE COLD CONTINUED JANUARY OF 1877...WITH SNOW REMAINING ON THE GROUND. ON THE 3RD...MOUNT IDA FELL TO 1 ABOVE ZERO...WHILE LITTLE ROCK FELL TO -4. THERE WAS ANOTHER SNOWSTORM ON THE 7TH...WITH TWO INCHES AT LITTLE ROCK...FOUR INCHES AT MOUNT IDA...AND ONE INCH AT MONTICELLO. BY THE 8TH...TEMPERATURES WERE ONCE AGAIN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS IN MUCH OF THE STATE.

1885-1886
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY SAW SIGNIFICANT COLD SPELLS IN ALL OF ARKANSAS...AND HEAVY SNOWFALL IN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. THE COLDEST PERIOD WAS JANUARY 8-11TH. WITH AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND...LITTLE ROCK SAW FOUR DAYS WITH LOW  TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW FIVE  DEGREES...CULMINATING IN A -5 READING ON THE 9TH. ON THE SAME DAY...DODD CITY IN MARION COUNTY FELL TO -13 DEGREES.  ANOTHER COLD PERIOD CAME IN EARLY FEBRUARY. IN A 2-DAY PERIOD FROM THE 2ND-3RD...28 INCHES OF SNOW WAS REPORTED AT HARRISON...WHILE 24 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT JUDSONIA...22 INCHES AT NEWPORT...14-15 INCHES FELL AT MORRILTON...AND TEN INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT FORT SMITH. AT LITTLE ROCK...A MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...AND RAIN FELL...WITH ONLY A TRACE OF ACCUMULATION. IN PARTS OF BENTON COUNTY...THE SNOW WAS REPORTED TO BE AS DEEP AS 24 TO 30 INCHES.

1889-1890
LITTLE ROCK SAW THE DRIEST AND WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD. ABSOLUTELY NO SNOW FELL DURING THE WINTER MONTHS...THE ONLY SUCH OCCURRENCE SINCE RECORDS BEGAN.

1898-1899
OF MOST SIGNIFICANCE ABOUT THIS WINTER WAS THE COLD OUTBREAK OF FEBRUARY 11TH-13TH. UNUSUALLY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE MOVED DOWN FROM THE ARCTIC OVER A THREE-DAY PERIOD...AND TEMPERATURES PLUNGED TO RECORD LEVELS IN MUCH OF THE UNITED STATES EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. IN ARKANSAS...NEARLY EVERY STATION THAT WAS REPORTING AT THAT TIME FELL BELOW ZERO. ALSO...NEARLY EVERY STATION SET THEIR ALL-TIME RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD.  WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PINE BLUFF...PRESCOTT...STAMPS...AND TEXARKANA...ALL STATIONS RECORDED A LOW OF -10 OR COLDER. MOST STATIONS REPORTED RECORD COLD HIGH TEMPERATURES AS WELL.  AT  VETTE...ROGERS...FAYETTEVILLE...AND HARRISON... THE TEMPERATURE NEVER ROSE ABOVE ZERO ON THE 12TH. SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCOMPANIED THE COLD. THE COLD WEATHER CAUSED SOME SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE PEACH CROPS.

1917-1918
DECEMBER AND JANUARY WERE SNOWY...AND JANUARY IN PARTICULAR WAS SEVERELY COLD...DUE TO SEVERAL PERIODS OF ARCTIC AIR AND PROLONGED SNOW COVER. SNOW COVERED ALMOST THE ENTIRE STATE FROM THE 10TH OF JANUARY THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH...AND WAS ON THE GROUND IN THE NORTH INTO THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF FEBRUARY. CALICO ROCK RECORDED 48.0 INCHES OF SNOW. MONTHLY SNOWFALL TOTALS RANGED FROM 40-48 INCHES IN THE NORTHEAST...30-40 INCHES IN PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS....AND 20 TO 30 INCHES OVER CENTRAL ARKANSAS.  ON JANUARY 19TH AND 22ND AT MARSHALL IN SEARCY COUNTY...THE SNOW WAS 30 INCHES DEEP. AT LITTLE ROCK...SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND FROM JANUARY 10TH UNTIL FEBRUARY 8TH.  BY LATE FEBRUARY...THINGS HAD COMPLETELY REVERSED...AND THE MONTH ENDED WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S AND 80S. ON THE 25TH...LITTLE ROCK TOPPED OUT AT 87 DEGREES...WITH PINE BLUFF REACHING 92.  ABNORMALLY HOT WEATHER RETURNED ON THE 27TH AND 28TH...WITH PINE BLUFF REACHING 93 DEGREES.

1949-1950
THE WINTER WAS MARKED BY HEAVY RAINS...EXTREMELY WARM TEMPERATURES...AND SEVERAL TORNADOES. ON JANUARY 4TH...AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVED THROUGH THE STATE...AND DROPPED TEMPERATURES FROM THE 60S AND 70S...TO THE 20S AND CAUSING AN ICE STORM IN THE NORTH.  ON JANUARY 13TH...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR COVE...KILLING ONE.  BY JANUARY 14TH...RIVER FLOODING WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT THE ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD WAS ACTIVATED TO HELP RESCUE PEOPLE. ON JANUARY 25TH...TEMPERATURES AROUND THE STATE WERE IN THE MID 70S TO MID 80S. SEARCY REACHED 87 DEGREES THAT AFTERNOON. ON THE 26TH...AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVED THROUGH THE STATE...ENDING THE HEAT WAVE. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 30S IN THE NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT...WHILE READINGS ELSEWHERE WERE IN THE 70S AND 80S. ON FEBRUARY 1ST...THE SECOND SEVERE ICE STORM IN ALMOST A MONTH HIT NORTHERN ARKANSAS. ON FEBRUARY 12TH...TORNADOES HIT MOUNT HOLLY AND NEAR SHERIDAN. BY MID FEBRUARY...THERE WAS ANOTHER ROUND OF RIVER FLOODING AS HEAVY RAINS  CONTINUED. DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY... AT TOTAL OF 20.72 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT BEEBE.

1950-1951
THE MOST NOTABLE PERIOD DURING THIS WINTER SEASON WAS THE ICE STORM AND SEVERE COLD WAVE JANUARY 31ST-FEBRUARY 2ND. THE ICE STORM WAS SEVERE AND WIDESPREAD OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES. NORTHERN ARKANSAS WAS COVERED WITH HEAVY ICE...AND THE SOUTH SAW UP TO SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW. THE ICE STORM SEVERELY DAMAGED FRUIT TREES AND SHRUBS. MANY ROADS WERE IMPASSABLE...AND SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED UP TO A WEEK. ELECTRICITY AND TELEPHONE SERVICE WERE DISRUPTED IN MANY AREAS...AND THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TIMBER DAMAGE. AFTER THE STORM  ENDED...RECORD COLD GRIPPED THE STATE...WITH TEMPERATURES AS COLD AS -5 AS FAR SOUTH AS LITTLE ROCK. MAMMOTH SPRING FELL TO -24.

1982-1983
MOST PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER THE WINTER FOR THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT FELL IN A 2-DAY PERIOD ON DECEMBER 2ND AND 3RD...AND FOR THE TWO TORNADO OUTBREAKS DURING THE MONTH. ON THE 2ND...THE FIRST MAJOR TORNADO OUTBREAK OCCURRED...WITH CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS THE HARDEST HIT. THE SECOND OUTBREAK WAS DURING THE PERIOD DECEMBER 23RD-25TH...WITH 29 REPORTED TORNADOES ACROSS THE STATE. 14.06 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT BIG FORK IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD ENDING ON THE MORNING OF THE 3RD.

1983-1984
DECEMBER AND JANUARY WERE A PARTICULARLY COLD COUPLE OF MONTHS IN ARKANSAS WEATHER HISTORY. AT LITTLE ROCK...TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING FOR 12 STRAIGHT DAYS FROM DECEMBER 19TH-31ST. ICE FORMED ON THE ARKANSAS RIVER...AND MOST OF THE STATE WAS CONTINUOUSLY BELOW FREEZING. THE COLDEST PERIOD WAS ON DECEMBER 24TH AND 25TH...WITH MANY LOWS BELOW ZERO...AND HIGHS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS. MILWOOD LAKE FROZE OVER COMPLETELY. DURING THE COLDEST PERIOD...STRONG WINDS PRODUCED WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES NEAR 60 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THERE WAS WIDESPREAD AGRICULTURAL IMPACT...DUE TO HEADS OF CATTLE FALLING THROUGH THE ICE AND DROWNING LOOKING FOR WATER. ROADS SAW CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DUE TO MELTING AND  EFREEZING.  THE SECOND MAJOR COLD PERIOD CAME DURING JANUARY 19TH-22ND. MANY LOWS IN THE NORTH WERE BELOW ZERO...WITH -16 AT YELLVILLE BEING THE COLDEST. AT LITTLE ROCK...TEMPERATURES FELL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS.

1987-1988
DECEMBER SAW A PARTICULARLY WET PERIOD DURING THE LATTER PORTION OF THE MONTH. FROM THE 24TH-29TH...HEAVY RAINS CAUSED FLASH FLOODING... ESPECIALLY AT WEST MEMPHIS...WHICH WAS RECOVERING FROM A TORNADO THAT HIT THE CITY AND KILLED SIX PEOPLE ON THE 14TH. RIVER FLOODING OCCURRED ALONG THE SALINE AND OUACHITA RIVERS. THE OUACHITA RIVER AT CAMDEN CRESTED AT 42.5 FEET AT CAMDEN ON THE 29TH.   IN JANUARY...SEVERAL SNOWSTORMS HIT THE STATE...WITH THE MOST SEVERE AND WIDESPREAD ONE ON THE 6TH AND 7TH. 12 TO 13 INCHES FELL IN THE LITTLE ROCK AREA...AND MUCH OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS SAW 10 TO 15 INCH TOTALS. THE MOST SNOW FELL IN THE HEBER SPRINGS AREA...WITH 16 INCHES. SEVERELY COLD AIR MOVED INTO THE STATE AFTER THE  SNOWSTORM...WITH SINGLE-DIGIT READINGS AT LITTLE ROCK FROM THE 8TH THROUGH THE 11TH.

2012-2013
ON THE WHOLE...TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL WERE LARGELY ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...THIS WINTER WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THE RECORD SNOWSTORM ON CHRISTMAS DAY. AROUND MID MORNING...RAIN BEGAN...AND MIXED WITH FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET DURING MUCH OF THE DAY. THIS RESULTED IN ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON TREES AND POWER LINES IN A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS. BY LATE AFTERNOON...THE PRECIPITATION TRANSITIONED TO SLEET AGAIN...THEN SNOW. WINDS WERE STRONG AND GUSTY AND SNOWFALL WAS HEAVY...WITH NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS REPORTED OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS.  BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDED...OVER A FOOT OF SNOW HAD ACCUMULATED FROM NORTH OF HOT SPRINGS TO NEAR MOUNTAIN VIEW. NEARLY THE ENTIRE STATE SAW SNOW...AND AT MOST LOCATIONS...THIS ONE STORM MADE DECEMBER THE SNOWIEST ON RECORD.  IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND IN SOME LOCATIONS UNTIL JANUARY 4TH.