041
FXUS64 KLZK 220741
AFDLZK

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
241 AM CDT Wed Jul 22 2026

...New KEY MESSAGES, DISCUSSION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 239 AM CDT Wed Jul 22 2026

-A period of relief from the extreme heat will be present on Wednesday,
 Thursday, and Friday resulting from a cold front that is moving
 through the state of Arkansas today.

-Into the weekend and following workweek, the upper level ridge
 will build back over Arkansas leading to increased temperatures
 and heat index values.

-Heat Products will likely be once again warranted across parts of
 the state beginning this weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 239 AM CDT Wed Jul 22 2026

WEDNESDAY (TODAY) through FRIDAY:

In the upper lvls, the ridge fixated from the Four Corners region of
the CONUS to the Southern Plains region of the CONUS is beginning to
elongate or de-amplify along the eastern flank of the ridge as a
northern-stream shortwave trof digs through the Great Lakes and Ohio
River Valley regions of the CONUS resulting in the driving of the
surface cold front across Arkansas. A transition to northwesterly
flow over the state of Arkansas will allow a slightly cooler,
continental airmass to spill into the state in wake of the surface
cold front. In response, Arkansas will experience a few days in
which air temperatures will be a few degrees below normal to values
which are anticipated as normal for this time of the year.

At the sfc, in tandem with the cold front which is moving across the
state of Arkansas, a region of high pressure will move into the
Central Plains region of the CONUS and result surface winds out of
the northeast to east-northeast across Arkansas. The surface winds
will be critical in allowing the advection of a slightly cooler and
drier airmass into the state over this period. The only appreciable
day for POP chances will be on Friday as the proximity of a
localized surface low pressure center and stationary boundary will
provide a limited, but present chance for scattered rain and a few
thunderstorms, especially across northern and eastern Arkansas.

SATURDAY through TUESDAY:

In the upper lvls, the region of high pressure is progged to expand
back eastward over Arkansas and intensify for the remainder of the
forecast period. The established upper lvl region of high pressure
will lead to subsidence or sinking air over Arkansas which will
promote dry conditions.

At the sfc, the cold front that is currently moving southward across
Arkansas is forecast to become a stationary boundary in northern
Louisiana, but then progress northeastward as a warm front back
across Arkansas over the weekend. In tandem with the strengthening
overhead ridge, the passage of this surface warm front will allow
south-southwesterly winds to become present at the surface across
Arkansas advecting in a combination of warm temperatures and Gulf
moisture that will once again transpire into increased air
temperature values, increased dewpoint temperatures; therefore, high
temperatures across the state are expected to surge again back to
near and above the century mark across most of the state by the
following workweek along with heat indices which will warrant heat
products and likely reach well into the triple digit values between
105 to 115+ degrees across most of the state.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1216 AM CDT Wed Jul 22 2026

Expect VFR flight category during the entire duration of the
forecast period from early Wednesday morning through early Thursday
morning for all TAF sites. Surface winds will gust in excess 20+
knots beginning Wednesday late morning across the central,
southwestern, and southeastern terminals through early Thursday
night.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Batesville AR     90  69  87  68 /   0   0   0   0
Camden AR         96  72  92  72 /   0   0   0   0
Harrison AR       87  67  86  67 /   0   0   0   0
Hot Springs AR    94  72  91  72 /   0   0   0   0
Little Rock   AR  92  72  89  70 /   0   0   0   0
Monticello AR     93  74  91  74 /   0   0   0  10
Mount Ida AR      93  71  90  71 /   0   0   0   0
Mountain Home AR  86  67  84  67 /   0   0   0   0
Newport AR        88  70  86  68 /   0   0   0   0
Pine Bluff AR     91  72  90  72 /   0   0  10   0
Russellville AR   93  72  90  71 /   0   0   0   0
Searcy AR         90  70  88  69 /   0   0   0   0
Stuttgart AR      91  72  90  72 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...74
LONG TERM....74
AVIATION...74