History of Snowfall and Arctic Air Masses at Little Rock, Arkansas...

History of Snowfall and Arctic Air Masses at Little Rock, Arkansas...


Written by: 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
Feb. 06, 2014

...SNOWFALL AT LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS...


 Snowfall records for Little Rock began in 1875.
 Snow falls at Little Rock every year. Snow has fallen in the months of October, November, December, January, February, March, and April. Going by the 1981-2010 climate normals, the most snow tends to fall in January (average of 2.1 inches), followed by February (0.5 inches), March (0.1 inches), and December (0.1 inches).
 The earliest that snow has ever fallen was October 28, 1925, and the latest was on April 19, 1983. The earliest measurable snow to ever fall was November 2, 1951 (0.4 inches), and the latest measurable snow was on March 30, 1987 (0.8 inches).
 The most snow to ever fall in one day was 12.0 inches on March 6, 1875, and the highest 24-hour snowfall amount was 13.0 inches on January 17-18, 1893. The most snow to fall in one month was 20.0 inches, in January of 1918.
 The longest time measurable snow has been on the ground was 27 days, from January 10, 1918 through February 5, 1918. The deepest that snow has ever been was 15 inches, on January 21, 1918.
 In 138 years of snowfall observations at Little Rock, there has never been a calendar year with no snowfall. However, occasionally, some years go without measurable snowfall, but over all this tends to be rare. Since 1875, the only years without measurable snow have been 1890, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1938, 1953, 1961, 1981, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, and 2001.
 There has only ever been one winter season (December 1-February 28) with absolutely no snowfall. This was the winter of 1889-1890.
 There have been long periods of consecutive years with measurable snowfall, the longest of which has been 36 years, from 1891 through 1926. With the snow that fell yesterday, 2014 marks the 13th consecutive year with measurable snowfall, with this streak beginning in 2002.
 Snowfall in Little Rock was excessive from the 1960s through the 1980s (from 1958 through 1989 to be more exact). Snowfall averaged 6.7 inches per year from 1960 through 1989 and there were nine years during that period with at least 10 inches of snowfall. There was measurable snowfall every year from 1962 through 1980, or 19 consecutive years.
 In contrast...there were no years with at least 10 inches of snowfall from 1930 to 1959, which leads us to 1960. Snowfall in the year of 1960 alone (32.6 inches) was more than the total snowfall for the decade of the 1950s.
 There was a big drought in snowfall during the 1990s. Only one year had at least five inches of snow and only three years had more than two inches of snowfall. Six years had no measurable snowfall.
 No measurable snow fell from March 6th 1989 through January 6th 1994, which was the longest period without measurable snowfall at Little Rock, a total of 1768 days, or 4 years, 10 months, and 1 day. However, measurable snow did fall in other parts of Little Rock.
 The next longest measurable snow drought was from February 14th 1997 through January 27th 2000, a total of 1078 days or 2 years, 11 months, and 14 days.
 The longest time between any snowfall, measurable or not, was from February 6th 1907 through February 19th, 1908, or 378 days.
 The total snowfall in Little Rock from 1875 through 2014 so far has been 713.2 inches...or 59.4 feet. When considering all years of observations, that is an annual average of around 5.2 inches.
 The snowiest decades, from greatest to least, have been...
 1. 1960-1969 90.5 inches
 2. 1890-1899 75.8 inches
 3. 1910-1919 71.3 inches
 4. 1880-1889 59.9 inches
 5. 1970-1979 55.9 inches
 6. 1980-1989 55.2 inches
 7. 1920-1929 47.5 inches
 8. 1940-1949 46.1 inches
 9. 1900-1909 31.9 inches
 10. 2000-2009 30.7 inches
 11. 1950-1959 27.2 inches
 12. 1930-1939 24.5 inches
 13. 1990-1999 14.9 inches
 In four short years, from 2010-2014, 37.5 inches of snow has fallen so far. This is more snow that what fell in the 1900s, 2000s, 1950s, 1930s, and 1990s.

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NOUS44 KLZK 100354
PNSLZK
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-101500-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
955 PM CST THU JAN 9 2014

...ARKANSAS AND SEVERE ARCTIC OUTBREAKS...

THE MOST RECENT SEVERE ARCTIC OUTBREAK OVER THE REGION BROUGHT
TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE...
WITH WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGITS IN THE CENTRAL PORTION AND LOWER TEENS
IN THE SOUTH. WHILE THIS WAS NOT...BY FAR...A RECORD-SETTING
OUTBREAK ON THE STATEWIDE SCALE...SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES
WERE SEEN IN A NUMBER OF YEARS AT CERTAIN SITES.
FOR EXAMPLE...THE TEMPERATURE AT LITTLE ROCK AND NORTH LITTLE ROCK
FELL TO 9 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE COLDEST READING AT BOTH LOCATIONS
SINCE FEBRUARY 4TH 1996.
AT MANY LOCATIONS...HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE AMONG THE COLDEST EVER
RECORDED IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY. AT THESE LOCATIONS...HIGHS WERE
THE COLDEST SINCE JANUARY 1988...1985...1982...OR 1962. AT HARDY...
THE HIGH OF 9 DEGREES ON THE 7TH WAS THE COLDEST JANUARY HIGH
TEMPERATURE SINCE 1918...AND THE 2ND COLDEST ON RECORD AT THAT
LOCATION.
WIND CHILL VALUES WERE AS COLD AS -20 TO -25 DEGREES IN PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
SEVERE ARCTIC OUTBREAKS CAN OCCUR IN ARKANSAS ANYWHERE FROM MID TO
LATE NOVEMBER TO MID MARCH. THESE CAN OFTEN BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY
SNOWFALL AND BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES. ON RARE OCCASIONS...THESE COLD
TEMPERATURES CAN BE REACHED IN SOME AREAS WITHOUT A SNOW COVER...
SUCH AS WAS THE CASE IN LITTLE ROCK THIS YEAR. SINGLE DIGIT LOWS
HAVE OCCURRED AT LITTLE ROCK WITHOUT A SNOW COVER IN OTHER YEARS AS
WELL...SUCH AS 1984...1976...1943 TO NAME A FEW. IN ONLY TWO
DOCUMENTED CASES...THE TEMPERATURE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ACTUALLY
FALLEN TO ZERO OR COLDER WITHOUT A SNOW COVER...DECEMBER 23RD 1989...
AND JANUARY 19TH 1940.


SOME OF THE MOST SEVERE ARCTIC OUTBREAKS TO EVER AFFECT ARKANSAS
HAVE BEEN...


FEBRUARY 14-16 1823...
AT THE OUTBREAKS PEAK...TEMPERATURES FELL BELOW ZERO IN AT LEAST
WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS...WITH -4 AT FORT SMITH ON THE 15TH AND
16TH...AND -11 AT LITTLE ROCK ON THE 15TH. MANY LIVESTOCK PERISHED...
AND ROADS HAD BEEN 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.
FEBRUARY 1 1834...
THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO -10 AT LITTLE ROCK.
MARCH 17 1838...
WITH FOUR INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND...THE TEMPERATURE AT LITTLE
ROCK PLUNGED TO -3.
NOVEMBER 25 1839...
A SEVERE ICE AND SLEET STORM OCCURRED...CAUSING WIDESPREAD TIMBER
DAMAGE...DESTRUCTION OF FRUIT TREES...AND ANIMALS KILLED BY FALLING
LIMBS. ICE COVERED TREES TO THE EXTENT OF 3/4 OF AN INCH IN
DIAMETER. AT FORT SMITH...THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO 2 DEGREES ABOVE
ZERO...WITH A LOW OF 8 DEGREES AT LITTLE ROCK.
MARCH 16 1843...
ARCTIC AIR ON TOP OF A SNOW COVER PLUNGED THE TEMPERATURE TO 6
DEGREES AT WASHINGTON AND -3 AT FORT SMITH.
NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1 1845...
AN EARLY-SEASON ARCTIC OUTBREAK BROUGHT LOWS TO NEAR ZERO AT FORT
SMITH...WITH SINGLE DIGITS AT LITTLE ROCK. WASHINGTON RECORDED A LOW
OF -6...WITH 4.5 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND.
FEBRUARY 3-4 1856...
THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO -4 AT LITTLE ROCK AND -3 AT FORT SMITH.
LATE DECEMBER 1863-EARLY JANUARY 1864...
BITTER COLD GRIPPED THE STATE...WITH -12 AT FORT SMITH. TEMPERATURES
IN THE STATE RANGED FROM -10 TO -15. SIX INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT FORT
SMITH. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS OUTBREAK MAY HAVE BEEN THE COLDEST
IN THE STATE UNTIL 1899.
FEBRUARY 23 1869...
THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO 0 AT LITTLE ROCK.
DECEMBER 21-24 1870...
AFTER A SNOWSTORM...ARCTIC AIR MOVED INTO THE STATE. TEMPERATURES
FELL TO -3 AT FAYETTEVILLE ON THE 21ST...-10 AT FAYETTEVILLE AND 0 AT
LITTLE ROCK ON THE 23RD...-12 AT FAYETTEVILLE...4 AT HELENA...8 AT
WASHINGTON...AND 10 AT LITTLE ROCK ON THE 24TH.
JANUARY 28-30 1872...
SEVERE COLD WAS SEEN ACROSS THE STATE. THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO 0 AT
FAYETTEVILLE ON THE 28TH...-6 AT FAYETTEVILLE...0 AT LITTLE ROCK AND
MINERAL SPRINGS /HEMPSTEAD COUNTY/...4 AT CLARKSVILLE...AND 8 AT
WASHINGTON ON THE 29TH...AND 0 AT FAYETTEVILLE AND 10 AT LITTLE ROCK
ON THE 30TH.


JANUARY 29-30 1873...
A SEVERE ARCTIC OUTBREAK AFFECTED THE STATE...WITH A LOW OF 4 AT
FORREST CITY AND 10 AT LITTLE ROCK ON THE 29TH...0 AT HELENA ON THE
30TH...AND -11 AT MOUNT IDA ON THE 30TH.
DECEMBER 25 1876-JANUARY 8 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.
JANUARY 5-6 1878...
HEAVY SNOW FELL IN PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS ON THE
4TH...WITH THE LOW FALLING TO 2 AT JUDSONIA...-5 AT LITTLE ROCK AND
-10 AT MOUNT IDA ON THE 5TH.
NOVEMBER 18 1880...
AFTER A HEAVY SNOWSTORM THE DAY BEFORE...BITTER COLD SETTLED INTO
THE STATE. THAT MORNING...THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO 10 DEGREES AT
LITTLE ROCK...AND -6 AT MOUNT IDA. THE -6 AT MOUNT IDA REMAINS THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN ARKANSAS IN THE MONTH OF
NOVEMBER. IN PORTIONS OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY...LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS REPORTED TEMPERATURES COLDER THAN -10 DEGREES.
JANUARY 8-11 1886...
ARCTIC COLD SETTLED INTO THE STATE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. LITTLE ROCK
RECORDED THREE DAYS OF BELOW ZERO WEATHER. MOUNT IDA RECORDED A LOW
OF -4 ON THE 8TH...-2 ON THE 9TH...AND -1 ON THE 11TH. HELENA FELL
TO -4 ON THE 9TH...AND 0 ON THE 11TH AND MALVERN FELL TO -2 ON THE
8TH.

JANUARY 24-26 1894...
LIGHT SNOW WAS FOLLOWED BY SEVERELY COLD TEMPERATURES...OF WHICH THE
COLDEST WERE IN WESTERN AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. LOWS WERE -22 AT
ROGERS...-17 AT FAYETTEVILLE...-14 AT WINSLOW...AND -7 AT FORT
SMITH. LITTLE ROCK RECORDED A LOW OF 1 ON THE 25TH.
FEBRUARY 7-8 1895...
THERE WERE BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES AT LITTLE ROCK WITH -7 ON THE
7TH. PINE BLUFF FELL TO 0 ON THE 7TH AS WELL.
FEBRUARY 11-13 1899...
THIS WAS LIKELY THE COLDEST OUTBREAK ON RECORD IN ARKANSAS AND THE
CENTRAL U. S. MOST STATIONS THAT EXISTED THEN HAD THEIR ALL-TIME
RECORD LOWS...WHICH STAND TO THIS DAY. FAYETTEVILLE AND HARRISON
EACH FELL TO -24...FORT SMITH FELL TO -15 AND LITTLE ROCK FELL TO
-12. LITTLE ROCK RECORDED A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 5 DEGREES...WHILE
HARRISON TOPPED OUT AT 4. THE HIGH AT FAYETTEVILLE ON THE 12TH ONLY
REACHED -2.
FEBRUARY 13 1905...
THOUGH IT WAS SHORT-LIVED...TEMPERATURES WERE AT OR BELOW ZERO IN A
LARGE PART OF THE STATE. DURING THIS TIME...THE STATE RECORD LOW
TEMPERATURE OF -29 WAS RECORDED AT BROOK FARM POND...NEAR GRAVETTE.
THE TEMPERATURE AT LITTLE ROCK FELL TO 0.
JANUARY 7 1912...
THE TEMPERATURE AT MAMMOTH SPRING FELL TO -16...WITH LITTLE ROCK
BOTTOMING OUT AT -2.
DECEMBER 9 1917...
AFTER HEAVY SNOWFALL...TEMPERATURES FELL TO BETWEEN -10 TO -20 OVER
NORTHERN ARKANSAS. MAMMOTH SPRING AND GRAVETTE FELL TO -21.
JANUARY 1918...
NORTHWEST WINDS BROUGHT SEVERAL ARCTIC BLASTS TO THE STATE. THE
ARCTIC AIR COMBINED WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND PRODUCED HEAVY
SNOWFALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE MONTH...
THE HEAVIEST BEING DURING THE SECOND AND THIRD WEEK OF JANUARY. SNOW
COVERED ALMOST THE ENTIRE STATE FROM JANUARY 10TH THROUGH THE END OF
THE MONTH...AND WAS ON THE GROUND IN MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
ARKANSAS WELL INTO THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. ALL OF THE SNOW ON
THE GROUND PRODUCED TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW ZERO AT ALL REPORTING
STATIONS THAT WERE IN OPERATION IN ARKANSAS AT THAT TIME.
THE MOST SEVERE OF THE COLD WAVES CAME ON THE 12TH AND 13TH...AFTER
A STORM SYSTEM DUMPED ANYWHERE FROM ALMOST 14 INCHES OF SNOW AT
CALICO ROCK TO NEARLY THREE INCHES AT PORTLAND IN FAR SOUTHERN
ARKANSAS. ON THE MORNINGS OF THE 12TH AND 13TH...LOW TEMPERATURES
ACROSS THE STATE RANGED FROM 0 AT HUTTIG TO -23 AT MAMMOTH SPRING.
AT MOST SITES...LOW TEMPERATURES THOSE MORNINGS RANGED FROM -10 TO
-20 DEGREES. ALL-TIME RECORD LOWS FOR JANUARY WERE SET AT CALICO
ROCK...LITTLE ROCK...CONWAY...PINE BLUFF...BRINKLEY...AND CAMDEN.
THE READING -23 ON THE MORNING OF THE 13TH AT MAMMOTH SPRING HELD AS
THE STATE RECORD LOW FOR JANUARY UNTIL 1930...WHEN LEAD HILL
RECORDED A LOW OF -28 ON THE 22ND.
THIS WAS LIKELY THE STRONGEST ARCTIC OUTBREAK DURING THE 20TH
CENTURY. AT LITTLE ROCK...FUEL WAS IN SHORT SUPPLY...SCHOOLS WERE
DISMISSED...AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS WERE KEPT OPEN FOR SHELTER. TRAINS
WERE 10-12 HOURS LATE...AND TROLLEY SERVICE WAS AT A STANDSTILL FOR
SEVERAL DAYS. ON JANUARY 21ST 1918...THE ICE ON THE ARKANSAS RIVER
WAS 5.5 INCHES THICK. THAT DAY...SNOW DEPTH IN THE NORTHERN PART OF
THE STATE WAS WELL OVER TWO FEET...WITH THE HIGHEST AT MARSHALL IN
SEARCY COUNTY...WHICH HAD 30 INCHES ON THE GROUND.
JANUARY 18-22 1930...
A SEVERE COLD WAVE AFFECTED THE STATE. TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW ZERO
WERE RECORDED AT EVERY STATION EXCEPT CROSSETT. LOWS WERE -4 AT
LITTLE ROCK AND -18 AT BATESVILLE...AND -28 AT LEAD HILL...WHICH WAS
THE SECOND COLDEST ON RECORD IN THE STATE.
JANUARY 19 1940...
WITH NO SNOW COVER...THE TEMPERATURE AT LITTLE ROCK FELL TO 0.
PROLONGED COLD CAUSED THE ARKANSAS RIVER TO FREEZE AT LITTLE ROCK
THROUGH THE LAST PART OF THIS MONTH.
M
ARCH 1948...
AFTER A GENERAL SEVEN TO 12 INCH SNOWFALL IN MUCH OF NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS ON MARCH 10TH AND 11TH...TEMPERATURES PLUNGED TO -14 AT
GRAVETTE AND LEAD HILL ON THE MORNING OF THE 12TH...WHILE
BENTONVILLE FELL TO -12.
FEBRUARY 2 1951...
A SEVERE COLD WAVE AFFECTED THE STATE. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE THE
LOWEST IN FEBRUARY SINCE 1905...AND THE COLDEST IN ANY MONTH SINCE
JANUARY 1930. THE COLD SEVERELY DAMAGED FRUIT TREES AND SHRUBS. AN
ICE AND SLEET STORM THAT BEGAN IN LATE JANUARY AND LASTED THROUGH
FEBRUARY 1ST RENDERED MANY ROADS IMPASSABLE. MANY SCHOOLS...
PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS WERE CLOSED UP TO A WEEK. ELECTRICITY
AND TELEPHONE SERVICE WERE DISRUPTED IN MANY AREAS...AND THERE WAS
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO TIMBER. LITTLE ROCK RECORDED A LOW OF -5 AND
MOST STATIONS HAVE LOWS OF -10 OR LESS...MAMMOTH SPRING FELL TO -24.
JANUARY 10-12 1962...
LOWS WERE BELOW ZERO IN MOST OF THE STATE WITH HIGHS IN SINGLE
DIGITS OR TEENS.
DECEMBER 23-24 1963...
AFTER WHAT WAS THEN A RECORD-SETTING SNOWSTORM ON THE 22ND...MANY
STATIONS HAD LOWS BELOW ZERO...AND SOME WERE THE COLDEST IN DECEMBER
SINCE 1917. LITTLE ROCK FELL TO -1 AND FAYETTEVILLE WAS THE COLDEST
WITH -14.

JANUARY 30 1966...
AFTER A NEAR-BLIZZARD THE DAY BEFORE...ARCTIC COLD SETTLED INTO THE
STATE...AND TEMPERATURES FELL BELOW ZERO IN A LARGE PART OF THE
STATE...WITH THE COLDEST READINGS ACTUALLY IN SOUTHERN ARKANSAS.
LEOLA AND SPARKMAN WERE THE COLDEST WITH -10.
JANUARY 10-11 1977...
MANY LOWS WERE BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE NORTH...FAYETTEVILLE FELL TO
-13...GILBERT FELL TO -18...AND YELLVILLE -20.
JANUARY 10-12 1982...
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ON THE 10TH WERE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS IN MOST
AREAS. LOWS WERE BELOW ZERO ON THE 11TH. NORTH LITTLE ROCK REACHED
-1 WITHOUT A SNOW COVER. PIPES FROZE AND BURST IN MANY HOMES AND
BUILDINGS...AND RESULTED IN TREMENDOUS WATER DAMAGE. GAS PRESSURE
WAS BRIEFLY TOO LOW TO OPERATE CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS IN MANY
PLACES. ONE PERSON DIED DUE TO THE COLD.

JANUARY 17 1982...
THE NEXT SEVERE ARCTIC OUTBREAK LESS THAN ONE WEEK LATER BROUGHT
LOWS OF -14 AT BLYTHEVILLE AND PARAGOULD.
DECEMBER 15-31 1983...LITTLE ROCK STAYED BELOW FREEZING FOR 12
STRAIGHT DAYS. ICE FORMED ON THE ARKANSAS RIVER...AND MOST OF THE
STATE WAS CONTINUOUSLY BELOW FREEZING. THE COLDEST WEATHER WAS ON
THE 24TH AND 25TH WITH MANY LOWS BELOW ZERO AND HIGHS IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS AND TEENS. MILWOOD LAKE FROZE OVER COMPLETELY. DURING THE
COLDEST PART OF THE OUTBREAK...STRONG WINDS PRODUCED WIND CHILL
TEMPERATURES NEAR 60 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THERE WAS WIDESPREAD
AGRICULTURAL IMPACT...DUE TO HEADS OF CATTLE FALLING THROUGH ICE AND
DROWNING LOOKING FOR WATER. ROADS SAW CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DUE TO
MELTING AND REFREEZING.
JANUARY 19-21 1985...
ON THE 19TH...MOST LOCATIONS REPORTED HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S
AND 60S. THAT EVENING...A STRONG ARCTIC FRONT PASSED THROUGH THE
STATE...USHERING IN BLOWING SNOW AND VERY COLD TEMPERATURES. BY THE
MORNING OF THE 20TH...MOST LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
ARKANSAS HAD SEEN A 24-HOUR TEMPERATURE DROP OF AS MUCH AS 50 TO 60
DEGREES...WITH MANY STATIONS AT OR BELOW ZERO. SINGLE DIGITS WERE
NOTED IN MUCH OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. WITH THE STRONG
WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM.....WIND CHILLS WERE AS COLD AS -25
DEGREES IN PORTIONS OF THE STATE.
AT LITTLE ROCK...THE TEMPERATURE A LITTLE BEFORE 3 PM ON THE 19TH
WAS 60 DEGREES. AFTER THE FRONT PASSED BY...THE TEMPERATURE FELL
RAPIDLY...AND BY 8 PM IT WAS 26 DEGREES...WITH WINDS OF 23 MPH AND
BLOWING SNOW. BY 9 AM THE NEXT MORNING...THE TEMPERATURE HAD FALLEN
TO -2...WITH A WIND CHILL OF -22.

DECEMBER 22-23 1989...
ONE OF THE STRONGEST ARCTIC OUTBREAKS IN ARKANSAS HISTORY HIT THE
STATE. THE COLD BROKE PIPES ACROSS THE STATE. PROPANE SUPPLIES RAN
SHORT...AND ELECTRICAL AND NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS WERE PUSHED TO THE
LIMIT TO MEET RECORD DEMANDS. MANY AREAS HAD LOWS BELOW ZERO. LITTLE
ROCK HIT -1 DEGREES WITHOUT A SNOW COVER.
FEBRUARY 9-11 2011...
HEAVY SNOW FELL OVER THE OZARKS... WITH 24.5 INCHES AT SILOAM
SPRINGS...24 INCHES AT SPRINGDALE...18 INCHES AROUND FAYETTEVILLE...
14.5 INCHES AT DEER...11 INCHES AT GILBERT...AND 10 INCHES AT
HARRISON. FURTHER SOUTH...SIX TO EIGHT INCHES FELL OVER CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...WITH A GENERAL TWO TO FOUR INCH SNOWFALL IN THE SOUTH.
AFTER THE SNOW ENDED...HIGH PRESSURE CLEARED OUT CLOUDS...AND
TEMPERATURES FELL BELOW ZERO IN MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST...WITH SINGLE
DIGITS IN MUCH OF THE WEST...NORTH AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE
STATE. HIGHFILL WAS THE COLDEST...WITH -21. FAYETTEVILLE RECORDED A
LOW OF -18...WITH GILBERT AT -12... LEAD HILL AT -9...MARSHALL AT
-5...AND HARRISON AT -2. MOST LOCATIONS RECORDED THEIR COLDEST
FEBRUARY TEMPERATURES SINCE 1951 OR 1996. PINE BLUFF RECORDED THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURE SINCE DECEMBER OF 1989. JACKSONVILLE RECORDED A
LOW OF 2 ABOVE ZERO...WHICH WAS THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE IN THE
LITTLE ROCK METRO AREA SINCE DECEMBER 1989.
BELOW IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE OUTBREAKS...AND COLDEST TEMPERATURES
RECORDED.


OUTBREAK               COLDEST TEMPERATURE
-----------------      ----------------------------------------------
DEC 1876-JAN 1877       -8 AT MOUNT IDA
JAN 1878               -10 AT MOUNT IDA
NOV 1880                -6 AT MOUNT IDA
JAN 1886                -7 AT FORT SMITH
JAN 1894               -22 AT ROGERS
FEB 1899               -25 CORNING
FEB 1905               -29 GRAVETTE
JAN 1912               -16 AT MAMMOTH SPRING
DEC 1917               -21 AT GRAVETTE AND MAMMOTH SPRING
JAN 1918               -23 AT MAMMOTH SPRING
JAN 1930               -28 AT LEAD HILL
JAN 1940               -14 AT WHITE ROCK
MAR 1948               -14 AT GRAVETTE AND LEAD HILL
FEB 1951               -24 AT MAMMOTH SPRING
JAN 1962               -12 AT BENTON...GILBERT...GRAVETTE...NASHVILLE
DEC 1963               -14 AT FAYETTEVILLE
JAN 1966               -10 AT LEOLA AND SPARKMAN
JAN 1977               -20 AT YELLVILLE
JAN 1982 /1/           -11 AT EVENING SHADE
JAN 1982 /2/           -14 AT BLYTHEVILLE AND PARAGOULD
DEC 1983               -17 AT NEWPORT
JAN 1985               -20 AT DEER
DEC 1989               -16 AT GRAVETTE
FEB 2011               -21 AT FAYETTEVILLE DRAKE FIELD
JAN 2014                -6 AT KINGSTON 2S
$$
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