Little Rock records coldest temperatures in 20 years; warming, thunderstorms in weekend forecast

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN --1/16/18--
Bailey Williams, a valet for the Little Rock Marriott, scrapes snow off the windshield of a vehicle left overnight in the hotel parking lot as he goes to retrieve it for a guest on Tuesday morning.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN --1/16/18-- Bailey Williams, a valet for the Little Rock Marriott, scrapes snow off the windshield of a vehicle left overnight in the hotel parking lot as he goes to retrieve it for a guest on Tuesday morning.

Little Rock saw colder conditions than Anchorage, Alaska, on Tuesday, according to National Weather Service data.

Arkansas’ capital city recorded a low of 9 degrees. Meanwhile, nearly 4,000 miles northwest, the temperature was reported to be 20 degrees higher.

Wednesday morning, the Little Rock low dropped to 7 degrees, the coldest temperature the city has seen since Feb. 4, 1996, when the mercury dropped to 5 degrees.

“This signifies the severity of this cold spell, but we’ve had more intense and longer duration cold spells,” meteorologist Jeff Hood said.

The city's all-time coldest temperature on record took place Feb. 12, 1899: 12 degrees below zero.

Little Rock saw about 1 inch of snow as it fell Monday and Tuesday, while about 1.6 inches fell in North Little Rock. The southern and eastern parts of the state received the highest totals, with the highest accumulation — 6 inches — recorded in Camden and Palestine.

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Little Rock's five warming shelters for those in need opened at 10 a.m. and will be accessible until 6 p.m., according to a news release from the city.

Those include four community centers located at 1001 W. 16th St., 4521 John Barrow Road, 2500 E. 6th St. and 6401 Baseline Road. Warmth, water and snacks will also be available at the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center at 300 S. Monroe St.

But the cold isn't expected to stay. The National Weather Service in Little Rock predicts highs in the 50s and 60s over the weekend, with Sunday weather some might find strange for this time of year, Hood said — thunderstorms.

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