Northwest Arkansas can expect more heat after recent rain

At least one location in Northwest Arkansas has had about 2 feet of rain since the beginning of May.

Drake Field in Fayetteville got 13.01 inches of rain in May, 6.77 in June and 4.55 inches of rain as of July 9, according to data from www.srh.noaa.gov. This totals 24.33 inches of rain.

The amount of rainfall in Northwest Arkansas recently is not typical this time of year, said Joe Sellers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Tulsa, Okla., office. That's because there's an El Nino weather pattern in place involving a change in ocean temperatures and jet stream positions. Jet steam moves south, taking with it low pressure and moisture, creating rain.

Sellers said the 13.01 inches of rain Drake Field in Fayetteville received in May was a "pretty substantial" amount.

An online ranking found through www.srh.noaa.gov shows the wettest Mays for Fayetteville dating back to 1950. May 2015 ranks third wettest just behind 13.27 inches in 1950 and 13.39 inches in 1957.

Seller said El Nino patterns last two to three years and occur about every two to seven years. Seller said he thinks the current El Nino has been in place for about a year.

Recent rainfall has had recent effects on lake levels and caused minor flooding.

Beaver Lake

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers' Beaver Lake office have opened the spillway gates multiple times recently because of the rain, said Sean Harper, operations project manager. The rain caused the lake level to rise, which resulted in the need to release water.

The spillway has seven gates, and each was open 1 foot on Friday, Harper said. They release 7,500 cubic feet of water per second. Corps officials were also using hydropower turbines, which release another 7,500 cubic feet of water per second.

The hydropower turbines produce electricity and are more commonly used than the spillway to release water, Harper said. Officials open the spillway gates only when not enough water can be released through the turbines.

The Engineers describe the lake as having three levels: the inactive pool at the bottom, the conservation pool in the middle and the flood pool at the top, Harper said. The Engineers' goal is to empty the flood pool as soon as possible when it is holding water, because it's unknown when the next rain will come.

The top of the flood pool is at the top of the spillway gates, Harper said. Corps officials want to avoid having water going over the top of the dam, because that could damage it.

Officials also have to consider water levels downstream before releasing water, Harper said. Released water flows into the White River and other lakes.

"Once you've released it, it's gone and you can't get it back," he said.

Emergency Issues

Despite heavy rainfall, fire departments in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Bella Vista have had few rain- and flood-related calls, according to officials. Emergency departments covering Washington and Benton Counties have responded to a few rescue calls.

Benton County had about three flood-related rescues in the past couple months, said Mike Dixon, director of Benton County Emergency Management Agency. The agency provides coordination for responding parties, resource support and preparation for potential disasters.

The last time there was major flooding in Benton County was 2013, when the agency saw more flood-related rescues, Dixon said. As of Friday, Benton County has had no flood-related injuries or deaths this year.

Washington County Department of Emergency Management had seven water rescue calls about two weeks ago, said Director John Luther. The department coordinates communications between different agencies and has three search and rescue groups, each with a different emphasis.

Six of the seven rescue calls were related to cars in water, while the other was related to a home, Luther said. When cars are involved, it's usually an issue of someone driving into water or getting caught in it.

"If water is rushing across the roadway, just don't risk it," he said.

Flood water normally recedes quickly when the rain lets up, Luther said. As of Friday, Washington County has had no flood-related injuries or deaths this year.

Tom Good, assistant fire chief in charge of field operations with the Fayetteville Fire Department, said the department had a couple of flood related calls a few months ago. He didn't have details, but said they weren't serious.

Mike Irwin, fire chief for the Springdale Fire Department, said it hadn't had many issues with flooding this summer. There aren't many areas in the city that flood, he said.

The Rogers Fire Department hasn't had any recent rain-related calls, but there is sometimes a bit of flooding on the city's border, said Fire Chief Tom Jenkins. The flooding will begin in the county or a bordering smaller city and then encroach into Rogers, such as on a street that goes from the county into Rogers.

Bentonville Fire Department hasn't received any calls for flood-related rescues in the past three months, said Fire Chief Brent Boydston. Most of creeks that have water in them year-round are outside city limits, he said.

Bella Vista Fire Department responded to a water related call on Tuesday, said Fire Chief Stephen Sims. A woman was trying to walk across the dam at Lake Bella Vista when the water started to rise and she ended up on a log.

Sims said the department hasn't received many recent flood related calls but there have been a couple of road closed temporarily because of flooding. Some trees have fallen over because of the wet ground, he said.

Building Projects

Recent rain has also put some building projects in the region behind schedule.

In Springdale, at least two road projects and the construction of C.L. "Charlie" and Willie George Park are behind schedule because of the rain, said Mayor Doug Sprouse. The way the rain has been spaced out has also made some work difficult.

"We have had an unusual amount of rain," he said.

In Bentonville, rain slowed work on the new North Walton Trail, said Mayor Bob McCaslin. The work, however, was not slowed down significantly.

People in Northwest Arkansas can prepare for sunny skies and hotter weather immediately ahead.

Seller said the system bringing rain to the region tapered off overnight Friday, and forecasters projected temperatures in in the low 90s today and in the low to mid 90s during the early part of this week. There is a chance for more rain later this week.

"The heat is about to return at full force," he said.

As far as a long-term weather forecast, Sellers said there are above normal chances for rain in the far northwest corner of the state during July, August and September. There is no clear prediction for rain for the rest of Northwest Arkansas and the state during that time period.

NW News on 07/12/2015