The National Weather Service in Little Rock’s latest forecast model shows fewer amounts of precipitation for Arkansas’s mid-section as Tropical Storm Francine will likely head in a more eastward path than originally projected.
Rainfall amounts of 0.5-1 inch are forecast for the Arkadelphia area Wednesday through Friday. While the chances for precipitation come during the height of the Clark County Fair, the area is in need of rainfall as the Arkansas Forestry Division’s latest wildfire danger map places seven of the state’s southwestern-most counties under a “high” risk for wildfires.
As of early Tuesday morning Francine had developed in the Gulf of Mexico and was tracking slowly across the Gulf of Mexico toward the Louisiana coast.
For Arkansas, the latest forecast puts any heavy rainfall in the Delta region of the state. The NWS notes that its map is likely to change, and that rainfall amounts will be highly dependent on the future track of Francine.
Tuesday’s clear skies will turn cloudy later in the day. The latest forecast for Arkadelphia calls for a 40% chance of rain Wednesday afternoon. The Clark County Fair Parade is set to begin at 5 p.m., and event organizers said the parade will happen rain or shine.
The greatest likelihood for showers and a possible thunderstorm comes Thursday morning, with a 60% chance before 1 p.m. Clear skies should return Friday and remain through the weekend, with highs in the 80s and nighttime lows in the 60s.