Drought in Madison, Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas experienced only one rainfall event during the month of February. During this mid-month event, rainfall across the region ranged from one tenth to one half inch across portions of Benton and Carroll Counties to as much as two to three inches across portions of Sebastian and Crawford Counties. The rainfall that fell across northwest Arkansas in February was below average monthly amounts for the region, with much of Benton and Carroll Counties only receiving between 10 and 25 percent of average monthly precipitation. These dry conditions, compounding on several months of dry weather, allowed the drought that developed across portions of the region in January to expand in February. Severe (D2) drought conditions developed across all of Benton and Carroll Counties and into portions of Washington and Madison Counties. Extreme (D3) drought conditions developed into portions of Benton and Carroll Counties during the month. Monetary damage estimates as a result of the drought were not available.