Latest news with #Ozarks
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Daily chances of rainfall to end this week
Thankfully, the early summer feel will linger for Monday. Sadly, it will be the only day this week that I can guarantee we will stay dry, as daily chances of rain and thunderstorms kick off on Tuesday. The first major wave of rain is set to arrive Tuesday night and carry into the start of the day Wednesday. A stationary boundary will park roughly over the Ozarks, which will allow additional waves of rain and thunderstorms to track across our area. This week alone, I am forecasting the Ozarks to be under the gun of 3 to 4 inches of rain. In localized pockets, I would not be surprised to see some rain gauges measure closer to 5-6″ by the end of the week. After receiving 13″ of rain in April and more than 7.5″ in May, soils are highly saturated along with elevated river and lake levels. Additional heavy rain will cause major concerns for further flooding damage. For more on recent flooding impacts, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Record setting 20 inches of rain to end spring
Over the past two months, the Ozarks have received more than 20 inches of rain, driven by relentless waves of severe weather. 2025 dethroned an 80-year-old record for the wettest April and May combined. This made me curious about the record for any two months. So I dove into the record books to find out. I found these two months rank as the third-wettest on record for Springfield. Date Total Precipitation 1958 – June & July 23.81″ 1945 – March & April 21.01″ 2025 – April & May 20.86″ 1943 – May & June 20.85″ This recent stretch of heavy rainfall trails only the summer deluge of 1958 and the spring storms of 1945. What makes this especially noteworthy is the frequency and intensity of the storms, many of which brought tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail along with the rain. Missouri is tied for top spot in tornado count by state with a shocking 105 so far this year. Click here to check out the story Chief Meteorologist Jamie Warriner wrote recapping the active tornado season. As we head into June, as most locals know, we will slowly transition away from the stormier pattern into calmer and warmer conditions. This year will be no exception, especially once we get into the middle of the month. Regardless, April and May of 2025 have already secured their place in the weather history books. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Arkansas Storm Team Blog: Solar Flare Incoming
A powerful solar flare hit on May 30 or 31, and it's sending a huge wave of energy our way. This might trigger a G4 geomagnetic storm around June 1 or 2, which could bring the Northern Lights as far south as Missouri or even portions of the northern Ozarks. If you want to increase your luck at catching a glimpse of this, head somewhere dark, far from city lights, and look north between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. The lights might show up as a faint green or red glow near the horizon, not as dazzling as what you'd see in Alaska or Canada. One thing to watch out for, though: wildfire smoke from Canada could make the skies hazy, which might mess with your view. This storm is a big deal, but it's not quite on the level of that wild one in May 2024, when the Northern Lights popped up everywhere, from Florida to Mexico. That event was a G5 level geomagnetic storm. Still, if the skies cooperate and the storm's strong enough, some areas in northern Arkansas might just get a shot at this incredible display. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe geomagnetic storm could shift Northern lights south
A coronal mass ejection, or CME, was observed on Friday, May 30th. This sudden eruption of solar material and magnetic fields has prompted a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Monday, June 2. A severe geomagnetic storm is a 4 out of 5 strength level storm. It's important to note that this is just a watch based on the potential strength of the storm when it reaches Earth. This means it could indeed be a G4-level geomagnetic storm, but it could also be weaker. An observation of the storm coming towards Earth will take place once the storm reaches a solar wind observatory spacecraft 1 million miles away from Earth. Sounds like science fiction, but this technology exists. A storm of this magnitude may shift the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) much farther south than usual. In fact, if the forecasted strength of the storm becomes reality, then parts of Alabama and California could see the aurora! This would mean they would also be visible in the Ozarks Sunday night and Monday night. The aurora rarely shifts this far south, but it does happen on occasion. The last time we saw the Northern lights in the Ozarks was just last year on May 10, 2024, when another G4-level storm watch was issued. Before that? The previous G4-level storm watch was back in January 2005. The current forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center calls for a Kp index of 7.67. The Kp index is an abbreviated form of the German word 'planetarische kennziffer', which translates to 'planetary index' in English. It has a scale from 0 (none) to 9 (most intense) to measure the strength of a geomagnetic storm. A Kp index of 5 or greater indicates a strong geomagnetic storm and can sometimes shift the Northern Lights farther south into the mid-latitudes. It doesn't always pan out in our favor to see the Northern lights in the Ozarks, despite the predicted storm strength. However, it's still fascinating to think that we may be able to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis Sunday night and Monday night. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
'Devil in the Ozarks': FBI offers $20K reward for capture of former Arkansas police chief on the run
Print Close By Audrey Conklin Published May 30, 2025 The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the re-capture of a former Arkansas police chief serving time for murder and rape — dubbed "the Devil in the Ozarks" — who escaped on the afternoon of May 25. Former Gateway Police Department Chief Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison, that Sunday afternoon in Calico Rock , according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC). The FBI said Hardin has ties to Garfield, Eureka Springs, Holiday Island and Huntsville. "The FBI's Little Rock Field Office is assisting the U.S. Marshal Service, the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and the Arkansas State Police with the search for and apprehension of Grant Matthew Hardin," reads an FBI wanted poster. TEXAS ESCAPED INMATE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS AFTER PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL BREAK Former FBI agent Rob D'Amico told "Fox & Friends" Friday morning that Hardin's past as a police chief may give him a unique advantage on the run. "I think it makes it a lot more challenging. He knows how they do it. He knows what they look for, he knows how they follow leads. He knows how they do surveillance," D'Amico said. 'DEVIL IN THE OZARKS' WHO ESCAPED PRISON LIKELY STILL IN ARKANSAS AREA: OFFICIALS The former FBI agent noted that there are likely many unmanned, unlocked cabins and sheds in wooded areas around Stone County, which is located East of the Ozark Mountains. ADC Communications Director Rand Champion said during a Wednesday news conference that authorities are fairly confident in the route they believe Hardin took when he escaped prison and his current location in the region. MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER DISGRACED FORMER POLICE CHIEF CONVICTED OF MURDER, RAPE ESCAPES ARKANSAS PRISON "Based on the information that we have and the experience of our teams, they feel fairly confident that he is still fairly close to this region," Champion said, noting that "all it takes is one vehicle" for Hardin to use to travel elsewhere, though officials have established a perimeter around the area of Stone County. "As of this time, they are still very confident that he is in the area," Champion said. MASSIVE JAIL BREAK IN NEW ORLEANS 'IMPOSSIBLE' WITHOUT STAFF INVOLVEMENT, SAYS EX-FBI FUGITIVE HUNTER Champion said the public should assume Hardin is "a very dangerous individual," and there is a risk he may commit more crimes while he is on the run. It took less than 30 minutes for prison officials to notice that Hardin had disappeared from prison. Photos that the Stone County Sheriff's Office posted to social media show Hardin wearing an ADC-style uniform during his escape through a sally port, though Champion said the uniform he was wearing was not an official uniform. LOUISIANA AG CONFIDENT REMAINING JAILBREAK FUGITIVES WILL BE CAPTURED AFTER OFFICIALS MAKE 14TH ARREST Hardin was sentenced to 30 years for murder plus additional time for rape. He pleaded guilty to the 2017 murder of James Appleton, 59, a city water employee who was found shot in the face inside his work truck, KNWA reported. While Hardin was being booked into the state prison around that time, officials submitted his DNA sample into a database. His DNA ended up linking him to the rape cold case of a teacher in 1997, the outlet reported. Hardin ended up pleading guilty in that case in 2019, according to KNWA. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The former police chief's escape came two days after 10 prisoners escaped a correctional facility in New Orleans, eight of whom have since been re-captured while two remain at large. Hardin is described as a 6 ft. white male, weighing approximately 259 pounds. The FBI is asking tipsters to call 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information concerning the escapee. Fox News' Stepheny Price and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Print Close URL
