EF1 Tornado — Washington, Arkansas

2025-05-19 · near Summers, Washington, Arkansas

Event narrative

This is the second segment of a two segment tornado. The tornado developed near Snake Mountain and moved east-southeast, and then turned to the southeast crossing Salem Springs Road, Highway 59, Bush Valley Road, and then moved along Highway 45 for a time before dissipating east of Clyde. Trees were uprooted and large tree limbs were snapped along the path. It produced a tornadic debris signature from the KSRX WSR-88D. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 90 to 100 mph.

Wider weather episode

Severe thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma along and ahead of a dry line during the afternoon of the 19th, as an upper level disturbance approached the Southern Plains. These thunderstorms moved northeast off the dry line and across portions of northwestern Arkansas during the evening hours. The atmosphere east of the dry line across northwestern Arkansas became very unstable during the afternoon and evening, and this instability combined with strong deep-layer and low-level wind shear, resulted in the development of a severe squall line. Multiple tornadoes and large hail up to quarter size occurred with these thunderstorms across portions of northwestern Arkansas. Locally heavy rainfall also produced some flash flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.9220, -94.5210)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1264112. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.