Severe storms moving through Arkansas Tuesday include a risk of hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.
Storms are possible across all of Arkansas Tuesday, with a greater chance of severe weather in the afternoon and evening hours, according to a hazardous weather briefing from the weather service.
A tornado watch was issued for much of southern and Central Arkansas, including Conway, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Camden, Fort Smith and El Dorado, the weather service said. The watch will remain in effect until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
A tornado watch means people in the affected areas should be prepared for a tornado, review and discuss emergency plans, take inventory of supplies, and check on a safe place to shelter, if needed.
[ Check out our severe weather guide for more information. ]
Parts of north Arkansas, including Benton, Carroll, Fulton, Independence, Marion, Stone and Washington counties, are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The main threats for the areas will be large hail and gusty winds, the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock said on a social media post Tuesday morning.
A severe thunderstorm watch is issued when severe thunderstorms are possible near the watch area, according to the weather service. Forecasters use the watch to tell residents to “stay informed and be ready to act.”
This is the second day of severe weather this week, with a likely tornado hitting Stone County Monday night.
Tuesday’s storms are expected to have a 30% or higher chance for large hail and damaging winds. Wind gusts could be up to 85 mph, with hail larger than two inches and up to EF2 tornadoes, the briefing stated.
Almost all of Arkansas, mainly excluding some areas in the northeastern part of the state, is under an enhanced risk to see severe weather
An enhanced risk, a level three out of five, is defined by the weather service as conditions where numerous severe storms are possible. The storms are predicted to be more persistent and widespread, compared to a slight risk, and a few storms could be intense.
Arkansans might see rain start in the western half of the state during the late morning and early afternoon hours, but more severe storms could develop in the afternoon and move eastward across the state, forecasters said..
“A few severe storms possible late evening into the early overnight hours,” the briefing stated.
Little Rock is most likely to see severe storms develop around 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Carter Bentley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock said.
Large hail and tornadoes are possible. “We might get more widespread reports of hail, but the environmental conditions further south in the area are more favorable for tornadoes,” he said Tuesday morning.
Bentley said that those traveling in the area around that time should have multiple ways to get weather alerts. He also advised travelers to avoid parking under overpasses.
“We do not recommend that,” the forecaster said. “The best thing to do if you need to take shelter is pull over to a gas station or any other business and shelter inside.”
As for parents of students, Bentley said that if a tornado warning is issued during a normal pick-up time, it is better for parents to shelter and let their students shelter at their school.
“It’s better to not have that many cars on the road during a situation like that,” he said.
Tuesday is the last day with a severe weather forecast this week, the rest of the week should return to a calm weather pattern, the forecaster added.
“If y’all can just bear with us one more day, we’ll see calmer weather soon,” Bentley said.
Remington Miller
Remington Miller mainly writes about weather, breaking news and mental health. She is a Little Rock native who joined the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2022, shortly after graduating from UA Little Rock with degrees in journalism and English.
