<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face {font-family:”\@SimSun”; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT
Major winter event continues to unfold across the forecast area this morning with widespread icing expected over the north. A frontal system…located along the gulf coast this morning…will move slowly to the north during the day and be located over the south central part of the state by Tuesday morning.
Southwest winds aloft will develop as a trough of low pressure advances from the west. This will pull gulf moisture up and over the front with precipitation breaking out this afternoon.
The thermal profile of the atmosphere supports freezing rain and some sleet across northern and north central Arkansas with a cold rain to the south. The frontal boundary will remain basically stalled and as the air mass moistens up…precipitation will become likely area wide tonight and into Tuesday.
Freezing rain…possibly mixed with sleet is expected from late
This afternoon and tonight from mainly north of a jasper to Clinton to Heber Springs to Newport line where an ice storm warning is in effect starting at noon today. Rain…occasionally mixed with freezing rain is expected just south of this area… Roughly along a Clarksville to Conway to Searcy to Augusta line. A freezing rain advisory has been posted for this area this afternoon and tonight.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
The winter event will be continuing across northern Arkansas come Tuesday morning and will continue through 6 pm Wednesday. There is the potential for a significant ice storm over northern…parts of north central and especially northeast Arkansas where upwards of a half an inch of an inch of ice or more is possible. Several weak upper level disturbances will travel along the front helping to increase precipitation amounts during the day Tuesday. In the advisory area…upwards of a quarter of an inch of ice will be possible.
The duration of this icing event in the warned area will likely lead to power outages as power lines and trees become ice coated. Traveling will become hazardous to nearly impossible at times. Residents in this area should be prepared for a major icing event and may want to have extra supplies on hand.
Mainly rain is expected over the south early on but some freezing rain or sleet is possible at the onset of the precipitation. The stalled out front will begin to move back to the south Tuesday night and early Wednesday with colder air moving south once again. This could result in freezing rain across central sections of the state Tuesday night and early Wednesday. As such a winter storm watch is in effect for most of central and southwest Arkansas Tuesday evening
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
The precipitation will end from northwest to southeast Wednesday as high pressure builds back in. The precipitation may end as light snow as the colder air pours in.
The warning area may change slightly as the developing winter scenario still remains in flux. A slight shift of where the front lies will impact the area of freezing precipitation.