AST Blog: When Spring Froze Over. Rare May 2013 Snow in Arkansas.

Written By Apo May 3, 2025 Add Comment

On this day 12 years ago, snow fell across northwest Arkansas on the night of May 3, 2013, coating lawns and rooftops in a rare May event. Many Arkansans near Maysville reported just over 3 inches, Fayetteville logged a half-inch and Siloam Springs saw up to 2 inches. This event marked for the the first measurable May snowfall in our state’s history.

Observed snow totals from the May 3–4, 2013, storm. Southeast Minnesota and northern Wisconsin topped 15 inches, while northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma logged their first measurable May snow. (NOAA/National Weather Service Des Moines)

The cold snap shattered several records. Tulsa tied its latest measurable snow record and recorded its first May trace since 1953. Fort Smith plunged to 37 degrees on May 3, matching its coldest low for that date in more than a decade, and Fayetteville’s mean lows on May 3 and May 4 were colder than those recorded in the 1950s and 1970s. One Arkansan in Lowell, AR reported a full inch of accumulation on grass, underscoring how unusual the event truly was.

Red contours: 500 mb heights; yellow barbs: 850 mb winds; shaded: 300 mb winds; grayscale: precipitation. A blocking ridge forced a cut-off low over the south-central Plains, and southeasterly Gulf flow produced widespread snow. (NOAA/National Weather Service Des Moines)

What makes the May 2013 snowfall so remarkable is that just days earlier, daytime highs had climbed into the 80s and 5-centimeter soil temperatures hovered in the 70s. Yet intense overnight snow showers overcame the warm ground, allowing accumulation on grassy and elevated surfaces even as roads stayed mostly wet. It remains a vivid reminder that, in Arkansas, spring can still deliver a frosty surprise.

from KARK https://ift.tt/GSPiMDE