Tornado Warning Issued for Crawford and Franklin Counties in Arkansas

Source: NOAA · Northwest Arkansas

This alert is no longer in effect.

NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).

Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for central Crawford and northwestern Franklin counties until 2:15 AM CDT after radar indicated rotation near Rudy.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Tornado Warning
Affected area
Northwest Arkansas
Issued
April 6, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Tulsa OK

Tornado warnings are short-window notices for the named area. The issuing office is the authority on whether the warning remains active or has been replaced.

Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Northwest Arkansas.

Tornado Warning Issued for Crawford and Franklin Counties in Arkansas

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Tulsa, OK, has issued a Tornado Warning for northwestern Franklin County in west central Arkansas and central Crawford County in northwestern Arkansas. The warning is effective immediately following radar-indicated rotation in the area.

Affected Areas

The warning covers central Crawford County and northwestern Franklin County. Specific locations in or near the path include:

  • Alma, Cass, and Shibley
  • Bidville, Concord, and Lake Fort Smith
  • Mountainburg, Piney, and Locke
  • Turners Bend, Fern, and Furry
  • Rudy, Dyer, and Mulberry

This alert includes Interstate 40 in Arkansas between mile markers 8 and 20, as well as Interstate 49 between mile markers 22 and 32.

What You Should Do

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Mobile homes in the path of this storm will be damaged or destroyed.

Expected Conditions

At 1:38 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Rudy, moving northeast at 55 mph. Hazards include a tornado and flying debris. Residents should expect damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles, and tree damage is likely.

Timeline

The Tornado Warning is effective as of 1:39 AM CDT on March 11, 2026. The alert is currently set to expire at 2:15 AM CDT.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for central Crawford and northwestern Franklin counties until 2:15 AM CDT after radar indicated rotation near Rudy.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Northwest Arkansas. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.