Arkansans are anticipating bitterly cold temperatures early next week, and Canada is to blame — or at least their air is.
National Weather Service meteorologist Heather Cross said high pressure to the west will allow a cold Canadian air mass from the northwest to come down Monday night into Tuesday morning.
The coldest temperatures will be early Tuesday, when northern parts of the state dip into the teens, with possible wind chills in the single digits.
Central parts of the state are expected to drop into the 20s, with wind chills in the lower to mid teens. Highs will be in the 30s across the state.
These temperatures are far below normal for this time of year, Cross said, when Arkansas usually sees a daily range from the 40s to the 60s.
Ahead of this drop, there is a chance late Monday for the state to see some wintry precipitation, most likely flurries, Cross said.
A report from the National Weather Service said the chance of wintry precipitation is increasing for northern parts of the state, where a very light snow/sleet accumulation is possible late Monday, but the service does not predict the possible accumulation to cause any issues.
The report also cautioned the precipitation forecast could change in the next few days, and the chance for wintry precipitation could disappear entirely.