Northwest Arkansas Favored for Late-Week Rain

Little Rock, AR – Rain chances will increase across northwest Arkansas late Wednesday into Thursday before spreading more broadly across the state during the weekend.

According to the National Weather Service in Little Rock, northwest Arkansas is favored for the most rainfall Thursday and Friday. The rest of the state is expected to see better rain chances over the weekend, though exact amounts remain uncertain.

For the Wednesday-through-Friday period, rainfall chances increase first across northwest Arkansas Wednesday night into Thursday. The NWS said the highest amounts during that window are expected in the northwest.

Farther southeast, the forecast is less certain. The weather service said there is a wide range of possible outcomes, including a lower-end scenario in which parts of central and southeastern Arkansas receive little or no rain through Friday.

Rain chances then increase statewide over the weekend.

The NWS scenario graphics show a reasonable low-end weekend outcome of roughly 0.50 to 0.75 inch across much of Arkansas. Those values represent amounts with about a 75% chance of being exceeded.

At the higher end, rainfall could exceed roughly 2 to 2.5 inches across much of the state. That scenario represents amounts with about a 25% chance of being exceeded, rather than the most likely forecast.

In its Tuesday update, the NWS said most areas should receive at least one-half inch of rain between now and early next week.

Residents should expect the first meaningful rain chances to focus on northwest Arkansas from Wednesday night through Friday, followed by broader coverage this weekend. Forecast updates will narrow the rainfall range and clarify where the heaviest amounts are most likely.