171  
FXUS64 KLZK 181120  
AFDLZK  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR  
620 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
 
 
(12Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 613 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2026  
 
PATCHY IFR AND MVFR CEILINGS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MONRING HOURS  
ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN ARKANSAS THROUGH THE MORNING  
HOURS, THEN LIFT TO VFR WITHIN AN HOUR OR TWO AFTER THE FRONT AND  
SHRA/TSRA. A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER NORTHWEST AND WESTERN  
ARKANSAS WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE MORNING  
INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS ACROSS THE STATE. AHEAD OF THE FRONT,  
GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 10-15KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25KTS,  
BEHIND THE FRONT, WINDS ARE N/NW WITH 10-15KT WITH SOME GUSTS UP  
TO 25 KTS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS BEHIND THE FRONT.  
LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED AFTER SUNSET. OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS  
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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