textproduct: Little Rock

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 224 AM CDT Wed May 13 2026

- High pressure results in quiet conds over the next several days

- Breezy conds are expected to return into the weekend

- Temps should top out above average through the weekend

- Better rain chances return Monday into Tuesday

DISCUSSION

Issued at 224 AM CDT Wed May 13 2026

Scattered low/mid stratus was moving into portions of NW AR this morning associated with an advancing cold front. Elsewhere, skies were clear. Temps were in the lower 50s to lower 60s. Today, this advancing cold front will push across the state bringing little more than an increase in clouds and a wind shift to the N/NE. Highs today are expected to climb into the upper 70s to mid 80s.

Synoptically, NW flow aloft will reside over the region between an amplified ridge near the Srn Rockies and subtle trough along the FL to Carolina Coast. Compact upper ridging will advance Ewrd across the Rockies/Plains today into Thursday. This pattern will promote continued dry conditions across AR.

By Friday, the pattern in anticipated to become more zonal, with deepening surface lows out over the Plains. Increasing PGF should encourage breezy conds Saturday through Tuesday, especially during the afternoon hours. Upper level energy is expected to pass over the region from time to time through the weekend bringing slight chance PoPs correlated with peak daytime heating. Overall, PoPs are anticipated to be sparse with no appreciable QPF expected.

Better PoP chances return across the region Monday into Tuesday. A shift from quasi-zonal pattern to more meridional component will result from a deepening upper trough over the Four Corners region. Short wave energy is anticipated to eject out over the region on Monday. Given the duration of return flow in place, moisture should be adequate for showers and thunderstorms across AR. Additional showers and thunderstorms will be possible on Tuesday into Tuesday night the with approach of a cold front. Aloft, the trough out W should eject into the Cntrl/Nrn Plains. A good amount of uncertainty remains to the momentum of the cold front and will it push through AR before stalling. If the front stalls over the state, this could lead to sustained higher rain chances lingering beyond the end of the forecast period.

Temps through the period should be in the upper 70s to mid 80s for highs and lows in the 50s and 60s. The warmest temps are expected Friday through Sunday where highs may top near 90 in places with lows in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1217 PM CDT Wed May 13 2026

VFR conditions to persist through the period. A weak cold front is making progress southward across the state which will provide N winds in its wake through the afternoon hours. Winds will become light/variable overnight before turning out of the E/SE at 7-10 kts on Thursday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Batesville AR 51 78 60 86 / 0 0 0 0 Camden AR 56 84 64 89 / 0 0 0 0 Harrison AR 49 80 63 87 / 0 0 10 10 Hot Springs AR 56 82 63 87 / 0 0 0 0 Little Rock AR 55 81 62 88 / 0 0 0 0 Monticello AR 57 83 63 88 / 0 0 0 0 Mount Ida AR 56 81 65 86 / 0 0 0 0 Mountain Home AR 48 79 61 87 / 0 0 0 10 Newport AR 53 80 60 88 / 0 0 0 0 Pine Bluff AR 55 83 62 89 / 0 0 0 0 Russellville AR 54 81 62 87 / 0 0 0 0 Searcy AR 51 79 58 87 / 0 0 0 0 Stuttgart AR 55 80 63 89 / 0 0 0 0

LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.