032
FXUS64 KLZK 180541
AFDLZK
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1241 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2026
..NEW AVIATION
KEY MESSAGES
ISSUED AT 1054 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2026
- TEMPERATURES AT OR JUST A DEGREE OR TWO BELOW NORMAL THROUGH
SUNDAY ACROSS THE STATE.
- A GRADUALLY WARMING TREND TO BEGIN THE WORK WEEK WITH
TEMPERATURES RUNNING SOME 5 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL
- MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ACROSS THE
STATE.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1054 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2026
SATELLITE IMAGERY LATE THIS EVENING SHOWS A SUBTLE SHORT WAVE
EJECTING NORTHEAST FROM NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA INTO SOUTHWEST
MISSOURI. THE SHORT WAVE WILL THEN MOVE INTO THE OHIO RIVER
VALLEY LATER THIS MORNING. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER EASTERN AND NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE SHORTLY AND
PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE STATE DURING THE DAY. AHEAD OF THE
LINE, THE ENVIRONMENT FEATURES UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S DEWPOINTS. A
LOOK AT THE LATEST SPC MESOANALYSIS SHOWS BULK SHEAR VALUES OVER
PARTS OF 30-40KTS OF BULK SHEAR OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH CAPE VALUES IN THE ORDER OF 500-1000J/KG.
A NOTABLE ELEVATED H750 CAP WAS NOTED IN BOTH THE 00Z SGF & SHV
SOUNDINGS THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE HI-RES CAMS/SHORT TERM MODELS
SHOWS SOME STRONGER STORMS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE AS IT
MOVES SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE STATE WITH BULK SHEAR VALUES UPWARD
OF 30-40 KTS OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS WITH BULK
SHEAR VALUES APPROACHING 60 KNOTS NEAR THE ARKANSAS/MISSOURI LINE
DURING THE VERY EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SATURDAY MORNING,. A LOOK
AT HI-RES AND BUFKIT SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOWING THE CAPPING LIKELY TO
PERSIST AND KEEP STORMS ELEVATED AND WEAKENING THROUGH THE MORNING
HOURS AS STORMS MOVES EAST THE STATE. WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, A
FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THE
PRIMARY HAZARDS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND TO A LESS EXTENT LARGE
HAIL WITH THE TORNADO THREAT VERY LOW BUT NOT ZERO.
THE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE ENTIRE STATE BY SATURDAY
EVENING. BEHIND THE FRONT, COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN THE
STATE AS HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE STATE FROM A RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE OVER NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. TEMPERATURES WILL HOVER
AT OR JUST A DEGREE OR TWO BELOW NORMAL THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS THE
STATE. HIGH PRESSURE OVER NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WILL MOVE TO THE
EAST INTO THE LOWER TENNESSEE VALLEY BY SUNDAY NIGHT AND COMBINED
WITH RIDGING OVER THE CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTRY. BY TUESDAY,
THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PREVIOUSLY LOCATED OVER THE LOWER
TENNESSEE VALLEY WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN US AND PERSIST
THROUGH END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS WILL
PREVAIL ACROSS ARKANSAS WITH NO APPRECIABLE RAINFALL WILL ONLY AID
IN WORSENING THE ONGOING DROUGHT CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AVIATION
(06Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 1236 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2026
GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST AHEAD OF THE
APPROACHING COLD FRONT. AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE
STATE, A LINE OF -SHRA/TSRA AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL DROP CIGS DOWN
TO MVFR ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHRA/TSRA WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF IFR
POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL VEER FROM THE S/SW TO N/NW BEHIND THE FRONT
AND REMAIN BREEZES FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER FROPA. OTHERWISE, VFR
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
BATESVILLE AR 64 42 73 47 / 50 0 0 0
CAMDEN AR 72 43 73 44 / 80 30 0 0
HARRISON AR 59 40 71 46 / 20 0 0 0
HOT SPRINGS AR 67 42 74 46 / 60 10 0 0
LITTLE ROCK AR 68 43 72 48 / 60 10 0 0
MONTICELLO AR 73 46 72 47 / 90 50 0 0
MOUNT IDA AR 65 40 74 45 / 40 0 0 0
MOUNTAIN HOME AR 61 39 72 43 / 40 0 0 0
NEWPORT AR 65 43 72 48 / 60 0 0 0
PINE BLUFF AR 71 43 71 47 / 80 30 0 0
RUSSELLVILLE AR 65 41 73 45 / 40 0 0 0
SEARCY AR 67 41 72 44 / 50 10 0 0
STUTTGART AR 70 44 71 49 / 80 20 0 0
LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
DISCUSSION...76
AVIATION...76
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