ARKANSAS, USA — The first half of January has been warm for much of the U.S., but it's about to turn much colder for the rest of the month as the jet stream dips south; more snow chances are returning to parts of the south.
Tap HERE for our interactive radar to see the approaching storm.
A major cold front is hitting the central U.S. Wednesday and Thursday, bringing snow to the north and severe thunderstorms to the south. This front will usher in much cooler air for the rest of the month. Additional cold fronts, mainly Alberta clippers, will reinforce the colder air. Expect highs in the 40s and 50s across Arkansas for the rest of January.
You can't get snow without colder air. We may finally have some colder air the next couple of weeks.
WEATHER SETUP THIS WEEK
The pink line divides the cold air from the warm air with snow to the north and rain to the south. Severe weather is possible Wednesday afternoon and evening across the Deep South, especially along the Mississippi River. After the storms, colder air will start to move in the rest of the week.
JANUARY PATTERN
Much of the central and western U.S. are looking colder for the rest of January as cold fronts will continue to swing through. Many will not be strong, but they will be strong enough to keep temperatures closer to freezing, especially at night.
The jet stream is dipping south for the next 10 days, which may provide a couple chances for snow even across parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma.
NEXT CHANCE FOR SNOW
This weekend, rain showers are likely to move in Saturday evening. Overnight as temperatures cool off, there may be some snow showers that mix in for northern Oklahoma and northern Arkansas. This is a weak system and not major impacts are expected. There may be a stronger storm with snow chances by next week.
LIKELY SETUP
Weak fronts will move in from the northwest this month. These will likely have less moisture, thus less of a chance for heavy snow. Flurry activity is more promising.
As the clipper systems move in, they will hit warmer air and we can expect a mix of rain and snow across Arkansas and Oklahoma a couple more times this month.
Winter is a tricky time of year to forecast. Stay tuned for updates!
-5NEWS Weather