ARKANSAS, USA — Finally, rain is back into the forecast after almost two months with little to no rainfall. Unfortunately, it's coming with a storm threat.
Here's a look at current radar across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley.
The timeline has been pretty consistent over the past few days, between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday morning. This will be an overnight storm threat, so it's important that phones are charged and you have a way to wake yourself up in the event of severe weather.
The main threat will be the potential for damaging wind gusts near 60 mph. Winds this strong pose a threat for damage to trees and potential power outages. Another concern threat is the chance for hail cores up to the size of quarters, which could cause property damage.
The chances for an isolated tornado will be possible, but the chances are low. A larger threat for tornadoes will be possible further northwest in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
Storm threats
Rainfall
Isolated flooding will be possible, not necessarily due to the amount of rainfall, but rather giving the water time to seep into a very dry surface. Similar to the tornado threat, the overall chances are low.
Estimated rainfall varies anywhere between 0.5 to 1 inch of rainfall, which will help with our drought concern but not by much. The good news is that more rain chances will be possible over the weekend and throughout much of early November.
Risk in our area
The Storm Prediction Center has placed Northwest Arkansas, the River Valley, and Eastern Oklahoma under a slight risk (level 2 out of 5) for severe weather. An enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) has been placed north of the Tulsa metro and reaching into parts of the Midwest.
Will this impact Halloween?
Halloween evening looks much cooler and drier after the cold front pushes through. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the 50s and 60s during trick-or-treating hours.
The 5NEWS Weather Team will be providing updates on live-streaming platforms during any severe weather threats. For more information on how to download our 5+ app for smart TVs, click here.