The National Weather Service has said that freezing rain will be possible in parts of the state Thursday as a frontal boundary moves into Arkansas from the north.
Some light freezing drizzle will be possible after midnight in the state’s north as temperatures drop below freezing. The part of Arkansas affected is “about the northern two rows of counties,” the weather service said.
"The probability of this occurring is low, generally only 10-20% in any given location," wrote John Robinson, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service in North Little Rock, in a statement later Wednesday morning.
The advisory covers Baxter, Boone, Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Logan, Marion, Newton, Pope, Searcy, sharp, Stone, Van Buren, White and Woodruff counties.
The effects should be “minimal,” the advisory said, though icy patches will be possible on bridges and overpasses.
As the storm system stalls Thursday night, light rain should cover south Arkansas, with some freezing rain hitting the north and central parts of the state, the weather service said.
“Icing is expected to be a little more substantial north of Little Rock ... but accruals should stay under a tenth of an inch,” forecasters said.
The affected area "looks to be along and north of a line from Fort Smith to Greenbrier to Searcy to Wynne," Robinson wrote.
Robinson emphasized that a ice storm is not expected.
Precipitation should taper off Friday morning, and temperatures should rise well above freezing by the afternoon.