You’ve got to love weather to love Arkansas.
People have told me the weather in Arkansas is very unpredictable. Until now I’d known great weather in Arkansas and bad weather in Arkansas, but not until last Friday had I witnessed the weather change so quickly.
Whilst out in my Brother-in-laws back yard building a dog fence the sky had been clear and the temperature pleasant. It was only on turning to look behind me that I noticed the angry sky, the dark black clouds looming just on the horizon. The wind started to pick up and as it did my Brother-in-law suggested we only had a minute or so before some sort of weather arrived.
I worked frantically to secure the section of fence I’d been working on, and as if on cue the clouds swirled overhead and the first golfball sized hailstone struck my Brother-in-law on the head within the minute. That first strike was only the start of more to come and by now we’d downed tools and dived headlong into the house with the dogs hot on our heels. The hail became heavier and heavier with golf ball sized hail bouncing around everywhere. The wind became so strong within seconds. It had come from out of nowhere. Only five minutes earlier there’d been no wind at all and now here I stood in the house with swirling seventy plus mile an hour winds and hail the size of golf balls falling from the sky. As we stood and looked on in disbelief thick tree branches were hurled off the trees, smashing into the fence we’d just been building.
It was at this point we realized a tornado could be forming overhead.
I went from room to room looking out the windows to see if I could see a funnel cloud. It was only earlier in the day I’d been told that in Arkansas it’s ok if the wind is blowing and it’s raining or thundering, but if the hail comes and if that hail becomes golf ball sized or bigger then the conditions are perfect for a tornado to form. At this point you’re supposed to go for cover immediately.
Thankfully within another five minutes the wind subsided and the sun came out. Within just those few minutes several large limbs had come off the trees and several trees in the local area had been toppled.
Listening to the local news we were able to hear as the weather moved to a town nearby. You could hear the tornado warning sirens sounding in the background as witnesses spoke about seeing a funnel cloud forming. It transpired in this case that a small tornado formed and touched down briefly not too far north of where we’d been in the house. The cloud rotation had certainly passed over our heads, but it wasn’t until it reached the town further north that it turned into a funnel cloud and tornado.
It made me realize the power in these storms and you need to stay alert and ready to duck for cover.
Reports are suggesting the weather this year is more fierce in Arkansas due to a phenomena called La Nina which is a cooling of water along the equator. La Nina is making the southern branch of the jet stream stronger than it is normally. Forecasters with the National weather service believe this is the cause of nearly double the number of tornadoes in the state and country in 2008 than in an average year. As of recently 905 tornadoes had been reported nationwide.
Weather experts have already confirmed 14 tornadoes in Northwest Arkansas since January, the area I’d stayed for a month.
Watch the video to learn how tornadoes form.
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