ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) — 15 years after the historic 2011 heatwave, Arkansas reflects on a summer defined by extreme triple-digit temperatures and record-breaking daily highs across several regions.
During a typical summer setup, a ridge of high pressure is no stranger to the southern half of the United States. In 2011, however, the ridge kept setting up over Arkansas during the summer, bringing a season-long heatwave with temperatures up to the triple digits for consecutive days.
NWS Little Rock stated that the peak of the heatwave was between Aug. 1 and 8, with Aug. 3 and 4 the hottest days during this period. Many Arkansas towns and cities set record highs between those days, so let’s break down some of the numbers.
The hottest temperature from Aug. 3, 2011, was recorded in Silver Hill, AR. The temperature reached 116°F, making it the hottest temperature recorded since 1954 in Ozark (also 116°F). Silver Hill’s record is tied for the 5th-hottest temperature in Arkansas’s record-keeping history.
In Central Arkansas, Little Rock recorded its record high of 114°F on Aug. 3, 2011. On the flip side, they also experienced a high-low temperature of 85°F, which meant no relief from daytime temperatures…