The thing about summer thunderstorms is that they are often slowly paced and if there is any sort of larger scale forcing, the storms can really dump the rain. That happened in Fort Smith, which was ultimately brought the misfortune of constant clouds and steady thunderstorms through the day on July 8th. Not only did this soak the city, but the highs in the 90s were nowhere to be found. Highs in the 80s were nowhere to be found, for that matter. The steady threat of storms allowed highs only to reach 78 on that Tuesday. It was a much cooler day than expected, and particularly cooler than most of Arkansas, but they did get an inch and a half for rain. It a a tough forecast overall, but NWS came through the best, having the coolest numbers for the 8th. Actuals: July 7th, .18″ of rain High 95, Low 75 July 8th: 1.67″ of rain, High 78, Low 72
We’ve made it through the Holiday weekend, and are ready for wherever the road may take us. In this case, it is taking us to Arkansas. The drive will last 12 hours, the longest we are allowed to travel in one day during these trips, and we will cover 863 miles. On average, that is a pace of almost 72mph. Hard to stick your nose up at that.
Fort Collins, Colorado
This afternoon, a weak trough sweeping through the Front Range will touch off an area of thunderstorms in the Canadian Prairies, moving towards western Kansas. This will ensure that the atmosphere settles out a bit as we start out on Tuesday. We’re going to see sunny skies in Colorado and western Kansas, but will eventually reach the back end of the instability around Wichita. The bulk of any moisture or storm activity will be seen in Missouri, and we are going to be swinging south through Oklahoma. There will be some lare storms in northern Oklahoma, but by the time it really fires up, I suspect we will already be waiting in Fort Smith when it gets more showery in Oklahoma and across the border in Arkansas.
It’s a hot on this holiday weekend, with a few scattered showers and storms across the middle of the country. It’s hard to produce a forecast for anywhere right now without giving a thought to the devastating floods in Kerrville, Texas over the weekend. My heart aches for all the families that have lost in Texas. It’s another reminder that, while the strength of a storm is always a factor, often just as impactful is the time and the place the storm occurs. Donate here.
At 753PM, Fort Smith was reporting a temperature of 91 degrees with clear skies. A trough moving through the middle of the country is triggering a band of thunderstorms through southern Missouri, but the southward progression of the system was not expected to bring that activity as far south as Fort Smith this evening. Tomorrow afternoon, the heat and humidity of the region will provide enough instability for some showers and storms in the afternoon. A ripple in the lower levels of the atmosphere along the US-Canadian border will touch off a new band of showers and thunderstorms in the plains. This more organized band of storms will be a threat for Fort Smith on Tuesday evening, but not before another hot humid day transpires. Tomorrow – Mostly cloudy, with showers and storms in the evening High 92, Low 72 Tuesday – Scattered clouds with some increasing showers and storm, High 90, Low 73
TWC: Tomorrow – Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92, Low 73 Tuesday – Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly in the morning High 87, Low 73
AW: Tomorrow – Humid with variable cloudiness; a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon High 91, Low 75 Tuesday – Mostly cloudy and humid with a thunderstorm in parts of the area High 90, Low 74
NWS: Tomorrow – A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Mostly sunny, High 93, Low 75 Tuesday – Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny High 90, Low 74
WB: Tomorrow – Mostly sunny. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon High 92, Low 76 Tuesday – Mostly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. High 88, Low 75
WN: Tomorrow – Partly cloudy with isolated showers and isolated storms, High 93, Low 75 Tuesday – Partly cloudy with light showers and scattered storms, High 90, Low 74
CLI: Tomorrow – Thunderstorm, High 95, Low 75 Tuesday – Thunderstorm, High 91, Low 75
It’s strange having this much thunder activity but so little in motion aloft. Indeed, we are in the summer season!
You may have been a party to the nasty Thanksgiving Day weather from the Great Lakes to the New England, but Fort Smith got in on the action before it was cool — Quite literally. The feature originated in the middle of the country, and in it’s infancy, only ha a weak cold pool that barely stirred things up in the Ozarks on Monday. There iwas a splash of rain, but the high on Monday was nearly exactly the same as it was on Tuesday. Of course, the overnight lows shifted by a dozen degrees (Keeping in mind that the low listed for Monday was at the end of the day, rather than at dawn as it usually is), and it was in the 70s on Sunday, so there was a bit of a sea change for Fort Smith. It didn’t get as cold as it would elsewhere, and the moisture was much less than it was for points northeastward. Victoria-Weather had a pretty good forecast to take home the victory Actuals: Monday .01 inches of rain, High 58, Low 39 Tuesday – High 58, Low 32
Western Arkansas, just south of the Ouachita Mountains is where Fort Smith lies. It’s an interesting place to forecast for at any time of year, but particularly with the holidays on the way.
At 953PM, CT, Fort Smith was reporting a temperature of 57 degrees with clear skies. Temperatures were dropping precipitously in Oklahoma and Arkansas, but Fort Smith found itself to be the cool spot of the region, even among the more recently reporting spots. The jet has shifted to the middle of the country, a sure indicator of the looming winter season, and an opening for the threat of particularly chilly air in Fort Smith. Surface low pressure is analyzed south of the Quad Cities, and a cold front is stretched through Kansas, poised to drop through Arkansas tomorrow. The cold front may touch off a few showers in and around Fort Smith about midday tomorrow, setting the stage for a breezy and cool afternoon. Tuesday will be cool, but dry as a weak ridge sets up, anticipating a busy holiday travel week. Tomorrow – Drizzle around midday, cloudy and getting cooler, High 60, Low 40 Tuesday – Mostly sunny, High 58, Low 34
TWC: Tomorrow – Cloudy early with partial sunshine expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 59, Low 43 Tuesday – Mostly sunny skies. High 59, Low 34
AW: Tomorrow – Cloudy most of the time, breezy and cooler High 61, Low 43 Tuesday – Partly sunny High 57, Low 34
NWS: Tomorrow – Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, High 61, Low 44 Tuesday – Mostly sunny, High 58, Low 36
WB: Tomorrow – Mostly sunny, high 59, Low 42 Tuesday – Sunny, High 57, Low 37
WN: Tomorrow – Partly cloudy, High 61, Low 43 Tuesday – Mostly Sunny, High 58, Low 36
CLI: Tomorrow – Mostly cloudy, High 67, Low 41 Tuesday – Mostly cloudy, High 59, Low 35
As you may have established, the low on Monday will come at midnight, leading into Tuesday. The cold front is not active, but you should still be able to find it on the satellite imagery.
