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Storm Reports |
Are you interested in what happened during a recent event? Check out the
report below. |
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507140917im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/lcorner.gif) |
Severe Weather on February 5, 2008 (Pg1) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507140917im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/rcorner.gif) |
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A
Tragic Event/A Record Event |
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Tornadoes claimed the lives of 14 Arkansans on
the 5th. Two parent storms spawned two tornadoes in a
nine county area in northern and central sections of the state. The tornadoes
caused extensive damage. This was the deadliest severe weather event in the
state since March 1, 1997 when 25 people were killed. It was also an
historic event. One of the tornadoes tracked 122 miles, which is the
longest track on record in Arkansas since 1950. |
Longest
Tracks in Arkansas Since 1950 |
When |
Length |
February 5, 2008 |
122 miles (see Note2 below) |
February 20, 1951 |
112 miles |
April 30, 1954 |
92.4 miles |
March 20, 1955 |
89.4 miles |
December 24, 1982 |
63 miles |
Note1: This
includes tracks that remained entirely in Arkansas, as well as tracks
that entered from or exited into neighboring states. Note2: The track on
February 5, 2008 was originally 123 miles. However, the official length (122 miles) was
determined by adding starting and ending points of the tornado in each county
it crossed. Where the tornado deviated from a straight line (or curved slightly)
was omitted. |
There were ten additional tornadoes counted elsewhere in
the state (a total of twelve tornadoes). These tornadoes were generally
weak. |
Links of Interest |
Stories About This Event (A
Reflection) |
A Day for Emmy |
Coordinate Files of Tornado Tracks:
KMZ | ZIP |
Note:
These files are for use with GIS software. The "KMZ" (compressed "KML")
file is intended for applications such as Google Earth. The "ZIP" file
contains several shapefiles for applications such as ArcView. Right click on the link(s)
of your choice and "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" to your computer.
View using the appropriate application(s). |
What
Happened |
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Early on the 5th, a strong storm system approached from the Plains. Ahead of the system, breezy southerly winds
provided well above normal temperatures (record high readings in some areas) and abundant moisture from the
Gulf of Mexico. Warmth and moisture destabilized the atmosphere and fueled developing thunderstorms. |
High
Temperatures |
Site |
Feb 4th |
Feb 5th |
Fayetteville (NW AR) |
76°(R) |
69° |
Harrison (NC AR) |
76° |
72° |
Jonesboro (NE AR) |
74° |
73°(R) |
Fort Smith (WC AR) |
79°(R) |
75° |
Little Rock (C AR) |
78°(R) |
75°(R) |
North Little Rock (C
AR) |
76°(R) |
74°(R) |
West Memphis (EC
AR) |
E75°(R) |
E77°(R) |
Texarkana (SW AR) |
78°(R) |
75° |
El Dorado (SC AR) |
76°(R) |
77°(R) |
Monticello (SE AR) |
73°(R) |
75°(R) |
R - Record
high temperature was tied or broken. E - Estimated high temperature. |
![The pattern at 6 am CST on 02/05/2008.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507140917im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/images2/jet020508.gif) |
Storms began popping up from northeast Oklahoma into
southwest Missouri and extreme northwest Arkansas during the morning of the 5th. Winds aloft
picked up markedly...which created a lot of lift. Unstable air was drawn
quickly upward...leading to the precipitation. |
In the picture:
The pattern at 6 am CST on 02/05/2008...with an interaction between the
Polar and Subtropical Jets (wind speeds are in knots) creating a lot of
lift in northern and western Arkansas. Thunderstorms become likely, with areas
of heavy rain. |
By afternoon, the system in the Plains dragged a cold
front into the state. Thunderstorms became more numerous, with severe
weather likely (especially between 2 pm and 10 pm CST). Winds turned with height, and caused some storms to
rotate. Two killer tornadoes were spawned, with one of them on
the ground for 122 miles! |
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In the picture:
Helicity (representing the potential for rotating winds) was high
(over 500 m2/s2) and CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy...or a
measure of instability) was ample enough (over 1000 J/kg) for severe
weather during the afternoon and evening of 02/05/2008. |
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This long track tornado caused extensive damage
from Atkins (Pope County) to Clinton (Van Buren County),
Mountain View (Stone County) and Highland (Sharp County). |
In the picture:
WSR-88D (Doppler Weather Radar) Storm Relative Velocity Map (SRM) images indicated strong rotation from east
of Russellville (Pope County), or around Atkins (Pope County), to Clinton (Van Buren County) between 502
pm and 536 pm CST on 02/05/2008. |
Five people were killed near Atkins (Pope County), and there were
three deaths in Van Buren County. |
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In the picture:
Two deadly tornadic supercells (storms with rotating updrafts) moved
across northern Arkansas on 02/05/2008. Storm #1 produced one long track
tornado (122 miles). There was one tornado with Storm #2 as well. Fourteen
people were killed (5 deaths in Pope County, 3 deaths in Van Buren
County, 2 deaths in Conway and Izard Counties and 1 death in Baxter and
Stone Counties). |
The other tornado was spawned farther north from near Rea Valley
(Marion County) to Gassville (Baxter County). One death was reported in
the Gassvile (Baxter County) area. In all, 14 fatalities
were reported. |
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There is more concerning the storms of
February 5th. To check out the rest of the story, click
here. |
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