Rains easing drought across much of state

Arkansas' drought continues to quickly improve. A fall weather pattern has brought cyclical rain into the state.

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Arkansas is now 63 percent drought-free.

Last week the center, which evaluates drought conditions on the basis of a range of climate data across the United States, said Arkansas was 28.9 percent drought-free.

The report is released weekly on Thursdays but includes weather updates only until about 5 a.m. on Tuesdays. The latest report does not include the heavy rains that soaked the state for most of Tuesday, said drought report author Richard Heim, a meteorologist with the National Center for Environmental Information at Asheville, N.C.

"This year has been an amazing, incredible year," Heim said. "The South saw a flash drought with severe conditions. But by the end of October, there were a series of frontal systems with heavy precipitation that eroded the drought areas."

Heim said 37.5 percent of the state -- mostly in the south-central area -- is considered "abnormally dry," which is the lowest ranking of drought. A thin stretch between Lee County and Grant County is in "moderate drought," meaning the area has a 2-inch deficit of rainfall over a 30-day period.

Last week, much of northeast and Northwest Arkansas were considered abnormally dry. However, heavy rain Sunday through Tuesday relieved those conditions.

During a 72-hour period this week, 5.67 inches of rain fell in Jonesboro, 4.48 inches were recorded in West Memphis and 4.43 inches fell in Russellville.

Next week's report will include all of Tuesday's rainfall.

"I think Tuesday's rain will mean a significant cutback in the drought classification next week," said National Weather Service meteorologist Julie Lesko of North Little Rock.

There is a slight chance of more rain Saturday on the heels of a cold front, Lesko added.

The weather service issued a frost advisory for early this morning in seven northeast Arkansas counties. Temperatures are expected to dip into the low 30s.

A second cold front is expected Sunday, with temperatures dropping into the low 20s in the north and low 30s in the south, Lesko said.

"It'll be the coldest air this season," she said. "We will see a hard freeze."

The state should warm a bit after that. Temperatures could climb into the 50s by Thanksgiving Day, forecasters said.

State Desk on 11/20/2015

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