Tagged: Arkansas Weather

Authorities say a teenager was killed in northwest Arkansas on Monday night when storm debris crashed into his car. 

Arkansas State Police say 19-year-old Austin Deere of Prairie Grove died at about 7:30 p.m. Monday while driving on U.S. 412 in Springdale.

A preliminary report says a street sign that was uprooted by high winds landed on top of Deere's car. Deere was pronounced dead at the scene by the Washington County coroner.

The Storm Prediction Center says a wind gust of 69 mph was recorded in Springdale at the same time as the accident.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of Arkansas on Monday evening, and rain and storms are forecast to last through much of Tuesday. 

Forecasters say the main threat Tuesday will shift to damaging winds and heavy rain, though isolated tornadoes are possible. Parts of west-central Arkansas could get between 4 and 5 inches of rain.

The National Weather Service in North Little Rock says severe weather is possible in north and western parts of the state. 

Forecasters say a weather system that brought devastating tornadoes to the Plains on Sunday was pushing toward northwest Arkansas on Monday. The storms led the way for a cold front, which is meeting a high pressure system that's over Arkansas and other southern states.

The high pressure ridge is causing the front to stall, with storms expected to develop over the northern and western Arkansas.

The National Weather Service in Little Rock says a strong cold front is heading for the state and is expected to bring precipitation and cold temperatures. 

The front is expected to move across the region on Thursday, but meteorologists say no severe storms are in the immediate forecast. Temperatures are forecast to drop by as much as 35 degrees behind the front on Friday.

Some hail and damaging wind can be seen in the south east area of Arkansas Friday and Saturday. 

Meteorologist Julie Lesko, with the National Weather Service, said, “We do expect showers and thunderstorms much of Friday and especially during the overnight hours into Saturday morning.”

“Best chance of anything severe in Arkansas will be Saturday afternoon and that is just chance of maybe larger hail and gustier wind but that mainly south of Little Rock area and south east Arkansas,” said Lesko.