Snow possible across parts of Arkansas on Wednesday night into Thursday

This map of projected snowfall across Arkansas for Dec. 7 was tweeted by the National Weather Service of Little Rock at 6:12 a.m. A forecaster said later in the morning the updated models show the dusting could extend as far south as Hot Springs.
This map of projected snowfall across Arkansas for Dec. 7 was tweeted by the National Weather Service of Little Rock at 6:12 a.m. A forecaster said later in the morning the updated models show the dusting could extend as far south as Hot Springs.

Parts of Arkansas could experience their first snowfall of the season as chilly air moves into the region Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

The greatest chance for snow is in the Northwest and northern portions of the state, said National Weather Service meteorologist Sean Clarke. Those areas could see up to half an inch, he said.

In the central region, dustings of a tenth of an inch or less could reach as far south as Little Rock and Hot Springs, Clarke added.

“Maybe a few flakes,” Clarke said. “That’ll be it at the most” for central Arkansas.

Snowfall in northern and central Arkansas will likely begin Wednesday evening and possibly continue overnight, he said. No flurries are expected throughout the day Thursday, Friday or over the weekend.

According to National Weather Service data, the pocket of Arkansas north of Fayetteville and west of Harrison typically sees its first measurable snowfall before Dec. 15. Wednesday’s projected forecast in that region is right on schedule.

A large swath of central Arkansas, including Little Rock, tends to see snowflakes for the first time between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15, so tonight’s dusting would come earlier than usual.

Even though the projected snowfall is minimal, people should still take caution while driving on roads and elevated bridges, Clarke said.

“Just continue to go slow and keep an eye on the conditions,” he said.

As for temperatures across Arkansas, Clarke said to expect "quite cold" conditions overnight. By 10 p.m., the northern half of the state will fall below freezing, and conditions for central Arkansans will hover right around that mark, he said.

The cold weather is expected to stretch into Friday and over the weekend. For the northern and central regions of the state, Friday low temperatures will hover in the teens and 20s, Clarke said. With the windchill, it could feel like 0 degrees outside.

After a cold Friday morning, temperatures will rise slightly, Clarke said. High temperatures on Saturday and Sunday will be in the upper 40s and lower 50s. The weekend is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a chance of rain on Sunday.

Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

photo

National Weather Service Little Rock

Average dates of the first measurable snowfall across Arkansas, from 1981 to 2010, as aggregated by the National Weather Service of Little Rock.

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