Hail in Logan County, Arkansas

With a front positioned along the Missouri border, a few strong storms developed and moved along it during the evening hours April 15th leading to reports of large hail and wind damage. Additional storms developed across eastern Oklahoma later that night into the 16th and moved southeastward across potions of western and southern Arkansas. Large hail was the most common severe weather report, with some spotty wind damage occurring as well.

The cold front that moved through on the 13th (bringing cooler air/a temporary end to active weather) was headed back into the state from the Gulf Coast. The front was the focus for a massive storm toward the Missouri border in the evening. Between 700 pm and 1000 pm CDT, the storm tracked east/southeast along the front through Baxter, Fulton, Sharp, Lawrence, Greene, Craighead, and Mississippi Counties. Along the way, the storm unleashed huge hail that damaged structures and vehicles. Hail was softball size or larger at Cherokee Village (Sharp County) and five miles west of Viola (Fulton County).

The radar detected strong rotation in the storm, and there were indications the storm may be tornadic. Several Tornado Warnings were issued, and Tornado Emergencies were declared given damage reports and sightings of funnels reaching the ground. However, it appears most of the damage was caused by hail, and there were no confirmations of tornadoes during a damage survey.

Early on the 16th, a new cold front approached from the northwest, and triggered more storms across the western counties. Before 700 am CDT, trees and powerlines were downed at Waldron (Scott County), and two to three inches of rain was measured. A barn was damaged, a tree was blown onto a house, and there was golf ball size hail at Oden (Montgomery County). More trees were toppled at Mount Ida (Montgomery County), and the west side of town lost power. Rain came down in buckets, with 1.59 inches of precipitation in only 23 minutes! A tree fell on a car at Silver (Montgomery County), and quarter size hail was reported at Bismarck (Hot Spring County) and Caulksville (Logan County).