Arkansas heat

Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 75 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 2,651 heat records in Arkansas from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 113 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the August 7, 2007 heat in Pulaski County: 3 deaths. Arkansas ranks 8th of 51 states and territories by count and 12th of 50 per square mile.

Heat in Arkansas, 1996 to 2026

Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

recorded, no damage figure
under $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
a year with a death

Records: 2,6511996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 113average
Deaths: 40791 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: –as filed
Busiest year: 2010345 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are heat records common in Arkansas?

Arkansas averages about 113 heat records a year since 2000, 8th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2010 (345). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Arkansas records 510 heat records since 1996, 12th of 50 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Arkansas have the most heat records?

Per square mile, Lee County leads Arkansas: 133 days with a heat record since 1996, 221.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Lee County has the most heat records (152 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Lee County 221.7 (152)
Cross County 206.1 (131)
St. Francis County 203.2 (133)
Crittenden County 201.0 (127)
Phillips County 198.4 (140)
Greene County 188.8 (112)
Clay County 172.1 (113)
Craighead County 165.4 (120)
Poinsett County 159.6 (124)
Lafayette County 141.7 (77)
Little River County 139.3 (75)
Sevier County 133.1 (75)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the heat season in Arkansas?

80% of its heat records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (1,133 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 2 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 1 · Jun 437 · Jul 1,133 · Aug 999 · Sep 78 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 1 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest heat records in Arkansas?

Arkansas: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2007-08-07	HeatPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski Two heat-related deaths were reported on August 12th, and another on the 13th. On the 12th, a 44 year-old male was found dead in the back yard of a house, about a mile southwest of downtown Little Rock. On the same day, a 57 year-old male was found dead in a house, approximately 3 miles west of downtown Little Rock. ...	3	0	–
2012-08-01	Excessive HeatBenton County · forecast zone Benton One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. This period of excessively hot weather began in late July and continued into early August 2012. Extremely hot temperatures and high humidity combined to produce dangerously hot weather conditions across portions of northwest and west central Arkansas. Daily heat index values climbed into the 105 to 115 degree range ...	2	0	–
1999-08-01	HeatMississippi County · forecast zone Mississippi Two people were found dead in their homes due to heat.	2	0	–
1999-07-26	HeatMississippi County · forecast zone Mississippi Two persons were found dead in their homes in Blytheville due to the heat.	2	0	–
1998-07-20	HeatBenton County · forecast zone Benton A blistering heat wave struck the south-central part of the nation in July 1998, including much of western and northwestern Arkansas. The second half of the month also saw little, if any, rainfall in northwest Arkansas. This was all brought about by a persistent upper level ridge of high pressure over the ...	2	0	–
2010-08-08	HeatJohnson County · forecast zone Johnson One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. After a brief break in the heat, high pressure built back into the area, with a new heat wave beginning on the 8th. At the start of the heat wave, most high temperatures ranged from the mid 90s to around 100. By the time the heat wave peaked on the 14th, most highs ranged from the upper 90s to 108. Throughout the heat ...	1	3	–
2002-07-30	HeatJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson An 83 year old woman was found deceased in her home, in Pine Bluff, as a result of heat-related stress. The woman's 81 year old sister was also found unconscious in the home and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The temperature inside the house was 101 degrees when medical personnel arrived. The house did have ...	1	1	–
2015-07-24	Excessive HeatGarland County · forecast zone Garland A young child was found deceased after being left inside a car during excessive heat on the afternoon of the 24th.	1	0	–
2015-07-10	Excessive HeatLonoke County · forecast zone Lonoke A 73 year old woman died as a result of excessive heat during the afternoon hours of the 10th.	1	0	–
2012-06-24	HeatWashington County · forecast zone Washington A construction worker became ill while working outside in the heat at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He was taken to the hospital where he later died from heat-related issues as a result of his prolonged exposure to the hot weather. Temperatures climbed to near 100 during the afternoon with overnight low ...	1	0	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

Are heat records becoming more frequent in Arkansas?

Arkansas's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Heat: Arkansas and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Arkansas	United States	Arkansas's share
1996-99	26	4,355	0.6%
2000s	98	9,163	1.1%
2010s	1,213	16,445	7.4%
2020-26	1,314	26,796	4.9%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent heat records in Arkansas

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Damage
2026-06-30	HeatSt. Francis County · forecast zone St. Francis	–
2026-06-30	HeatPoinsett County · forecast zone Poinsett	–
2026-06-30	HeatPhillips County · forecast zone Phillips	–
2026-06-30	HeatMississippi County · forecast zone Mississippi	–
2026-06-30	HeatLee County · forecast zone Lee	–
2026-06-30	HeatGreene County · forecast zone Greene	–
2026-06-30	HeatCross County · forecast zone Cross	–
2026-06-30	HeatCrittenden County · forecast zone Crittenden	–
2026-06-30	HeatCraighead County · forecast zone Craighead	–
2026-06-30	HeatClay County · forecast zone Clay	–
2026-06-29	HeatSt. Francis County · forecast zone St. Francis	–
2026-06-29	HeatPoinsett County · forecast zone Poinsett	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.