Thunderstorm Wind — Craighead, Arkansas

2025-05-16 · near Rector Muni Arpt, Craighead, Arkansas

Event narrative

Broken power poles along CR 812 on the north side of the tornado track.

Wider weather episode

A mid-level jet moved across the region during the overnight hours, enhancing lift and weakening the capping inversion. Robust development occurred overnight in a very unstable airmass with plentiful shear. These storms moved east of the region by mid-morning.

The airmass was able to quickly recover as warm, moist air, quickly advected into the region. A cold front moved into the region, triggering storms ahead of the front during the late afternoon. Plentiful shear, helicity, and steep lapse rates supported severe storms that produced all hazards.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.7600, -90.4500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1260271. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.