A severe storm northwest of Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) strongly leaned with height at 754 pm CST on 03/10/2018 (as viewed in a cross section). How much did it lean? At 2,000 feet (as viewed in a two panel display), the storm was at Jefferson (Jefferson County), but was over White Hall (Jefferson County) at 29,000 feet. The towns are eight miles apart! Powerful updrafts (feeding moisture into the storm) kept the storm erect, and also suspended hailstones aloft where it was subfreezing (above 8800 feet). This allowed the hailstones to grow and become huge (bigger than baseballs in some cases).
Cross Section at 754 pm CST (03/10)  |  Two Panel View at 754 pm CST (03/10)
In the pictures: A severe storm northwest of Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) strongly leaned with height at 754 pm CST on 03/10/2018 (as viewed in a cross section). How much did it lean? At 2,000 feet (as viewed in a two panel display), the storm was at Jefferson (Jefferson County), but was over White Hall (Jefferson County) at 29,000 feet. The towns are eight miles apart! Powerful updrafts (feeding moisture into the storm) kept the storm erect, and also suspended hailstones aloft where it was subfreezing (above 8800 feet). This allowed the hailstones to grow and become huge (bigger than baseballs in some cases).
 

During the late afternoon and evening of March 10th (mainly between 400 pm and 1000 pm CST), scattered strong to severe thunderstorms mushroomed along the Arkansas River between Fort Smith (Sebastian County) and Little Rock (Pulaski County).

Initially, stones were as large as golf balls and hen eggs north of Charleston (Franklin County), a few miles northeast of Lavaca (Sebastian County), near Uniontown (Crawford County), and at Bauxite (Saline County). As storms progressed into southeast Arkansas, hail got even bigger! Stones reached baseball to almost softball size at White Hall and Pine Bluff (both in Jefferson County).

There were 31 reports of large hail (quarter size or bigger). This was one of only 28 events with at least 25 instances of large hail since 1980.

 

How Rare is Huge Hail?

With the exception of 2005 and 2013, baseball size or larger hail was observed in Arkansas at least once a year since 1980 (through 2017). Hail at least softball size occurred once every other year (19 of 38 years). As far as numbers of reports, of the roughly 5,400 instances of quarter size or larger hail, 2,346 were at least golf balls (43.5% of reports), 233 were at least baseballs (4.3% of reports), and 46 were at least softballs (0.9% of reports). The largest hailstones were five inches in diameter (slightly larger than a DVD) on January 21, 1999 and April 2, 2006. 

 

There was a swath of large hail from around Fort Smith (Sebastian County) to just south of Little Rock (Pulaski County) to Monticello (Drew County) during the afternoon and evening of 03/10/2018.
In the picture: There was a swath of large hail from around Fort Smith (Sebastian County) to just south of Little Rock (Pulaski County) to Monticello (Drew County) during the afternoon and evening of 03/10/2018.
 

Hail damage was extensive, especially where the largest stones were observed in Jefferson County. Car windows were busted out, auto bodies were dented (beyond repair in many cases), and roofs of homes and businesses were pelted. Damage will undoubtedly be in the millions of dollars.