PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR   
   909 PM CST FRI NOV 16 2012   
      
   ...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...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.   
      
   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.   
   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.   
      
   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...WHICH WAS A RECORD   
   JANUARY TEMPERATURE FOR THE STATE. 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. 25.82 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT DANVILLE DURING THE   
   MONTH.   
      
   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 REFREEZING.   
      
   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.   
      
      
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