Hail in Logan County, Arkansas

As of 100 pm CDT, there were no storms yet. A sounding (temperature and dewpoint profile with height) revealed plenty of instability, and it was just a matter of time before the fireworks began. There was also a lot of dry air aloft, and forecasters knew this would likely lead to very large hail. Low level moisture driven into this dry environment overhead would create a lot of evaporation/cooling, making it easy for ice to form.

Between 230 pm and 330 pm CDT, thunderstorms developed rapidly in northwest and west central Arkansas. South and east, hen egg to tennis ball size hail occurred near Botkinburg (Van Buren County) and south of Joan (Clark County), and golf ball size stones occurred in Shirley (Van Buren County) and northwest of Tag (Pope County).

A 66 mph wind gust was measured at Newport (Jackson County), with a 61 mph gust at McCreanor (Lonoke County), and a gust to 60 mph at Russellville (Pope County). At College City (Lawrence County) and Little Rock (Pulaski County), 56 mph gusts were recorded.

Trees were toppled at Conway (Faulkner County), northeast of Russellville (Pope County), Swifton (Jackson County), Walnut Ridge (Lawrence County), and northwest of Wilburn (Cleburne County). Outbuildings were damaged east of Jerusalem (Conway County).

Much cooler air followed the storms. By 500 pm CST, temperatures were in the 50s and 60s across much of northern and western Arkansas. At Little Rock (Pulaski County), the thermometer showed 81 degrees at 555 pm CST. Fifteen minutes later, the mercury dropped to 60 degrees! In addition, 1.71 inches of rain fell in an hour (ending at 653 pm CST). While this was a lot of precipitation in a short time locally, most locations did not receive nearly this much liquid (quarter to three quarter inch totals were common).