Thunderstorm Wind in Benton County, Arkansas

Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted trees, one of which fell through a home. A man was killed by the fallen tree.

Thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma during the early evening of the 20th, along and just ahead of a cold front moving into the area. The atmosphere ahead of the front was very unstable. Wind fields across the region strengthened with the approach of a strong upper level storm system, and very strong wind shear developed over northwestern Arkansas by late evening. The thunderstorms moved across eastern Oklahoma during the evening, and organized into a solid line of thunderstorms before they moved into northwest Arkansas. The thunderstorms produced very strong downburst wind as they moved through the region. Several tornadoes developed along the leading edge of the thunderstorm line, one of which was long-track and strong.