Two separate rounds of moisture moving into Arkansas this weekend are expected to bring snowfall to parts of the state already chilled by a cold front, although National Weather Service forecasters don't expect much accumulation.
Counties along the northern border of the state are expected to receive about half an inch of snow late Saturday and early Sunday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Julie Lesko of North Little Rock. Areas farther south are predicted to see a dusting of snow or light freezing rain.
An arctic surge of cold air blasted into the state Tuesday, dropping temperatures by 30 to 40 degrees in 12 hours and setting the stage for the wintry precipitation. Although it's early for a snowfall, it's not unusual, Lesko said.
Much of the eastern United States saw temperatures plummet Tuesday as the result of Typhoon Nuri, a tropical storm that bore down into the Bering Strait of Alaska. The storm altered the jet stream -- a fast moving current of cold air -- and forced it into the southern United States.
Minnesota saw up to 16 inches of snowfall, Denver's high was 5 degrees Wednesday and temperatures dropped from 80 degrees to 19 degrees in the Texas panhandle.
Last year, Arkansans saw their first accumulation of frozen precipitation when freezing rain and sleet fell on Dec 5.
Harrison residents reported seeing snow flurries Wednesday, Lesko said.
The forecast calls for skies to remain clear through Friday, and then the first round of moisture is likely to arrive in the state Saturday evening. In northern Arkansas, rain should turn to snow early Saturday; temperatures will likely remain above freezing in central Arkansas on Saturday.
On Sunday, the second wave of precipitation is expected to bring a chance of more snow and light freezing rain overnight.
The National Weather Service in Shreveport issued a freeze warning from Wednesday until this morning for Columbia, Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, Nevada, Miller and Union counties as temperatures dipped below freezing.
The average first freeze in the area occurs Nov. 15, meteorologist Mario Valverde of Shreveport said.
"Fall has kind of disappeared," he said.
Valverde said it's difficult to forecast whether snow will fall in southern Arkansas because temperatures will hover near freezing. The area will actually warm slightly when the forming clouds act as a "blanket," he said.
"The clear nights we'll have Thursday and Friday really allow temperatures to drop," he said. "As the cloud cover comes in, it'll increase temperatures, but will they rise enough to keep precipitation from freezing?
"That's the tricky part of this forecast."
Jim Doherty, manager of the Pittman Garden Center in Magnolia, was monitoring greenhouses Wednesday to ensure they remained warm during the overnight lows.
"We put up plastic, weatherproof sheeting and have heaters that come on when it gets below 53 degrees," he said. "We're OK. We just hope the wind doesn't blow off the plastic on the houses. Then we're in trouble.
"We worked on the houses for the past month," Doherty said. "We know winter's coming."
After the second round of precipitation leaves the state Monday, skies are forecast to clear and temperatures are set climb into the upper 30s in the northern half of the state and upper 40s in the south.
State Desk on 11/13/2014