Saturday, March 2, 2019

Sunday Snow

We have officially entered meteorological spring! However, nothing about this weekend resembles spring in any manner. Blustery cold and snow looks likely for Sunday across northern Arkansas, while a cold rain should persist elsewhere. Some of the snowfall could be heavy at times. This will likely cause travel issues on Sunday and some school closings for Monday.




  • We should begin to notice an uptick in isolated and spotty showers late Saturday into Sunday morning. A cold rain could initialize first across northwest Arkansas, but it won't last long. A mixture of sleet and snow will likely take over, before transitioning to all snow.
  • A persistent band of snow could track across northern Arkansas from west to east, before finally moving out Sunday afternoon. Some flurries could linger, before clearing completely Sunday evening.
  • Once the system exits, we will cool down drastically. Temperatures could dip into the single digits or low teens depending on snow pack. Dangerous wind chills could be an issue early Monday.
  • We wouldn't be surprised if a widespread 1-2 inches occur across northern Arkansas. However, some isolated areas could see 2-3 inches dependent on localized heavier banding of snow. This is difficult to forecast.
  • Some light flurries or sleet could mix into the rain across portions of the River Valley and central Arkansas. However, confidence in this is LOW, as temperatures simply look too warm.

Winter Weather Advisory 
The National Weather Service has already issued a winter weather advisory for the counties shaded in purple for Sunday. This advisory will expire at 6 PM on Sunday evening. This advisory will likely be expanded east, we will update accordingly on Facebook and Twitter.


Here is a simulated radar graphic for early Sunday morning. Notice isolated showers and maybe a few thunderstorms are on-going across southern Arkansas. A light winter mix (sleet/snow) will initiate first across far northwest Arkansas. You can clearly see the wide swath of snowfall to the northwest and north across Kansas and Missouri. 



Fast forward a few hours, the mix is still on going across NW Arkansas, but snowfall is beginning to take over. This will eventually spread east across northern Arkansas.



By Sunday mid-morning, most of northern Arkansas will be experiencing the expected snowfall. Notice the darker blue colors across north central Arkansas on this simulated radar graphic. Data is suggesting heavier banding, this could lead to those isolated higher amounts we've mentioned.


By Sunday evening, most of the winter weather activity will be east of Arkansas. Some isolated areas of flurries could linger, but most of the moisture will be gone.


Lastly, we leave you with our thoughts on snowfall accumulations. These sort of forecast graphics are always tough, as one small variable can drastically alter amounts. However, with what data we have, this our thought process. Northern Arkansas, specifically close to the Missouri border will likely see higher amounts. 

Travel conditions could be rough on Sunday, please be careful if you MUST drive. 

-AW

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