textproduct: Little Rock

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 248 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

-Patchy dense fog will be possible again this morning, favoring central to southern Arkansas.

-Dry conditions with warming temperatures nearing record levels by Thursday.

-Rain chances will return to the forecast late week and into the weekend.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 149 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

Early morning satellite depicts some low cloud decks meandering northward across central Arkansas, with some higher level clouds circulating around a building ridge across the region. Some dense fog may develop once again for similar areas that had fog last night, although this low-level cloud deck may delay or prevent fog from forming where those ceilings persist. Otherwise, expect breezy to windy southerly flow gusting 20-30 mph late this morning and through the afternoon hours, with highs reaching into the middle to upper 60s, which is 10-15 degrees above normal.

Not much change is anticipated going through the middle of the week, as temperatures warm well into the 70s, peaking on Thursday. Southerly flow will continue with afternoon breeziness continuing through this period as well.

Low end rain chances return late in the week and into the weekend as a mid-level impulse may advect enough low to mid-level moisture into the region to produce some rainy conditions. The best dynamics continue to remain east of the region, so NBM PoP's and probabilities for certain amounts favor central to eastern Arkansas at this time. After this troughing feature exits to the east going into next week, drier conditions should be favored as ensembles show good agreement on mid-level ridging in place.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1110 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

The forecast period will begin on Tuesday midday with several terminals across central and southern Arkansas with MVFR flight category CIGS. Surface winds will begin to gust across all sites in excess of 25+ knots at times from Tuesday afternoon through early Wednesday morning; additionally all sites can expect low level wind shear over this period as well. MVFR CIGS will begin to impact sites into Wednesday early afternoon and remain MVFR across central and southern Arkansas.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Batesville AR 57 73 58 76 / 10 0 10 20 Camden AR 57 73 59 77 / 0 10 0 10 Harrison AR 56 74 54 75 / 10 0 10 10 Hot Springs AR 57 73 59 76 / 10 10 10 10 Little Rock AR 57 73 59 76 / 10 0 10 10 Monticello AR 59 74 61 79 / 0 0 0 10 Mount Ida AR 57 75 57 77 / 10 0 10 10 Mountain Home AR 54 75 53 76 / 10 0 10 10 Newport AR 57 72 59 74 / 10 0 10 20 Pine Bluff AR 57 73 59 77 / 0 0 10 10 Russellville AR 56 76 57 78 / 10 0 10 10 Searcy AR 54 73 56 76 / 10 0 20 10 Stuttgart AR 57 71 60 75 / 10 0 10 10

LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.