Thunderstorm Wind — Desha, Arkansas

2020-01-11 · near Watson, Desha, Arkansas

Event narrative

Power lines were downed along Hwy 1 at Watson.

Wider weather episode

The month started off with a bang on the 10th. It felt like spring in Arkansas, with high temperatures in the 60s to lower 70s. As the day began, a powerful storm system was looming to the west in New Mexico. Moisture levels were on the rise ahead of the system. It was a perfect setup for severe weather and flash flooding.

By late afternoon and into the overnight hours/early on the 11th, a massive damaging wind episode unfolded. Wind gusts from 60 to 90 mph pounded parts of the state. Trees and/or power lines were downed at Yellville (Marion County), Henderson (Baxter County), Elizabeth (Fulton County), Melbourne (Izard County), Leslie (Searcy County), a few miles west of Arkadelphia (Clark County), Malvern (Hot Spring County), Judsonia (White County), Fordyce (Dallas County), Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), Cotton Plant (Woodruff County), Monticello (Drew County), St. Charles (Arkansas County), and Watson (Desha County). Some fallen trees landed on homes. Wind recording equipment measured a 74 mph gust at Fargo (Monroe County), and a 71 mph gust at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (Drew County).

There were also isolated tornadoes. At 740 pm CST on the 10th, a tornado (rated EF2) was spawned southwest of Midway (Logan County). The tornado cut close to a fourteen mile path before dissipating northeast of Scranton (Logan County).

Nine other mostly weak tornadoes (eight rated EF1/one rated EF2) were confirmed across the state through the wee hours of the 11th. Two of these tornadoes were in the Little Rock County Warning Area near Seaton (Lonoke County) and Jerome (Drew County). The former tornado blew in a grain bin and tossed a shed into nearby trees. The latter tornado mangled a silo. Trees were uprooted or snapped, and utility poles were taken out.

A few places reported sleet or snow on the back side of the system.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.8900, -91.2600)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 871405. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.