Strong to severe storms will be possible Sunday night into Monday morning as a cold front moves through Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley.
The latest update from the Storm Prediction Center has most of Northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma in a level 1/5 (marginal) risk for strong storms. The Arkansas side of the River Valley, southern Madison County, and Newton County (AR) was placed in a level 2/5 (slight risk) for severe storms.
In terms of timing, showers and thunderstorms will begin to develop in Northwest Arkansas around 9 P.M. CDT Sunday night and move southeast as the cold front advances through the region. Storms will enter the River Valley region a little bit later, around midnight before moving out by 2 A.M. Monday morning.
As storms develop and move through, they will be able to tap into ingredients and produce straight-line damaging winds and hail up to quarter-size in the strongest storms. Localized areas of rotation will also be possible as the cold front moves through, potentially leading to a few quick spin-up tornadoes. However, the risk is relatively low compared to straight-line damaging wind gusts.
This system will move out by 2 A.M. Monday so your Monday morning commute will not be impacted by severe weather. You will notice a big difference in temperatures as we will see 30s to start things off Monday morning and wind gusts up to 30 MPH will help make tomorrow a breezy & cool day. Afternoon highs on Monday will be in the upper-40s for NW Arkansas and low-50s in the River Valley.
In conclusion, remember to have at least 3 ways to get severe weather alerts tonight in case a warning is issued for your area. You can also receive the latest severe weather updates from our NWA Weather Authority app and by following us on social media. Have a great night & stay safe!
