textproduct: Little Rock

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 252 AM CDT Sun Sep 6 2026

- Heat Advisories are in effect for entire CWA today

- Scattered showers/storms are possible this afternoon/evening

- Backdoor cold front may bring lower heat indices Monday and Tuesday

- Upper ridge ensures hot/dry wx persists through middle of next week

DISCUSSION

Issued at 252 AM CDT Sun Sep 6 2026

Summer-like weather pattern will continue across AR beneath an expansive upper ridge. This ridge is expected to strengthen heading through early part of next week which should increase large scale forcing for subsidence over the Srn MS Valley. This will serve to inhibit widespread organized convection through middle part of next work week. Having said that, PoP chances remain the forecast today (20%-30%) due to the approach of a backdoor cold front; additional information on this will be provided below.

As the ridge intensifies and a surface boundary approaches the state from the NE today, temps are expected to climb into the upper 90s to around 105 degrees. Given this, a heat advisory is in effect through this evening for the entire Little Rock County Warning Area (CWA) where heat index values between 105 and 110 are expected. If early afternoon precip does not develop as expected or stalls by just a few hours, heat index values could exceed 110 in places before clouds, precip, and rain cooled outflow boundaries develop.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon/evening associated with backdoor cold front pushing into the state from the OH Valley. Compressional warming and moisture pooling ahead of the front should aid in convective initiation between 12PM and 4PM. Damaging winds would be the main hazard with any of the stronger storms. Despite better PoP chances than this time yesterday, little to no appreciable rainfall expected to occur in an particular location.

A brief reprieve from apparent T's is expected on Monday and Tuesday with the arrival of NE surface winds behind a weak frontal boundary. Relief should be temporary as winds are forecast to switch to the S/SW on Wednesday with the retreat of aforementioned front. The good news for now is heat index values are anticipated to fall short of advisory criteria for Monday and Tuesday across the Little Rock CWA.

Long range ensemble guidance is depicting a potential weakening/retrograding of the ridge in the Thursday through Saturday time frame which could open the door for weather systems to move towards the state. Beyond this period, the ridge is expected to slowly build back into the region with rain chances dwindling.

Outdoor burning is highly discouraged across the state with all counties now highlighted by "high" wildfire danger. Burn bans occupy all but 3 of 75 AR counties. These 3 counties were mainly confined to N-Cntrl/Cntrl AR where some beneficial rainfall occurred in the last one to two weeks. With little to no appreciable rainfall in the forecast through at least middle part of next week, decreasing soil moisture will increase the statewide wildfire threat.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 629 AM CDT Sun Sep 6 2026

VFR conds are expected to prevail through the TAF period. Mid- clouds are expected to develop today ahead of a backdoor cold front which will move from NE to SW through evening/ overnight period. Mentioned low-end PoP chances at a Nrn/Cntrl/SErn sites where SHRA could develop during the afternoon. Precip should slowly diminish in coverage after sunset. Winds will generally be E at 10 kts or less today.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Batesville AR 104 71 96 66 / 20 10 0 0 Camden AR 103 73 100 69 / 20 20 20 10 Harrison AR 102 71 95 67 / 30 20 0 0 Hot Springs AR 104 75 100 70 / 30 20 10 0 Little Rock AR 101 76 98 72 / 30 20 0 0 Monticello AR 101 75 98 73 / 30 20 10 0 Mount Ida AR 104 73 101 68 / 30 20 20 10 Mountain Home AR 102 70 94 66 / 30 20 0 0 Newport AR 101 72 96 69 / 10 0 0 0 Pine Bluff AR 102 73 97 69 / 30 20 0 0 Russellville AR 104 75 98 70 / 30 20 0 0 Searcy AR 103 72 97 68 / 30 10 0 0 Stuttgart AR 103 74 98 72 / 30 10 0 0

LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for ARZ004>008-014>017- 024-025-031>034-039-042>047-052>057-062>069-103-112-113-121>123- 130-137-138-140-141-203-212-213-221>223-230-237-238-240-241-313- 340-341.