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Weather alerts in Arkansas today: does anything affect me?
National Weather Service
Official Red Flag Warning in effect for Arkansas.
What it means
- Red Flag Warning: critical fire weather. Avoid anything that can spark a fire outdoors and follow local burn bans.
Always follow your local National Weather Service office and local officials. Details below.
Official weather alerts for Arkansas
Red Flag Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 PM CDT
Red Flag Warning issued October 16 at 8:07PM CDT until October 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Jackson MS
Ashley; Chicot; Morehouse; West Carroll; East Carroll; Richland; Madison; Franklin; Catahoula; Tensas; Concordia; Bolivar; Sunflower; Leflore; Grenada; Carroll; Montgomery; Webster; Clay; Lowndes; Choctaw; Oktibbeha; Washington; Humphreys; Holmes; Attala; Winston; Noxubee; Issaquena; Sharkey; Yazoo; Madison; Leake; Neshoba; Kemper; Warren; Hinds; Rankin; Scott; Newton; Lauderdale; Claiborne; Copiah; Simpson; Smith; Jasper; Clarke; Jefferson; Adams; Franklin; Lincoln; Lawrence; Jefferson Davis; Covington; Jones; Marion; Lamar; Forrest
Full text from the National Weather Service
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS, NORTHEAST LOUISIANA, AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
* WIND...North winds around 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. * HUMIDITY...Minimum relative humidity between 30 to 35 percent. * FUELS...Critically dry. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
Instructions: A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures will create favorable weather for rapid fire growth and spread. Avoid activities that promote open flames and sparks.
Official NWS page · NWS Jackson MS
Red Flag Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 1:00 AM CDT
Red Flag Warning issued October 16 at 11:41AM CDT until October 17 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA
Sevier; Howard; Little River; Hempstead; Nevada; Miller; Lafayette; Columbia; Union; Caddo; Bossier; Webster; Claiborne; De Soto; Red River; Bienville; Sabine; McCurtain; Red River; Bowie; Franklin; Titus; Camp; Morris; Cass; Wood; Upshur; Marion; Smith; Gregg; Harrison; Cherokee; Rusk; Panola; Nacogdoches; Shelby; Angelina; San Augustine; Sabine
Full text from the National Weather Service
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT SATURDAY
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 7 PM CDT SATURDAY DUE TO GUSTY WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND CRITICALLY DRY FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA... ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT SATURDAY DUE TO GUSTY WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND CRITICALLY DRY FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL, NORTHWEST LOUISIANA, PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL, SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS, NORTHWEST LOUISIANA, SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA, EAST, AND NORTHEAST TEXAS... * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of south central and southwest Arkansas, northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, and east and northeast Texas. * TIMING...Until 1 AM CDT Saturday. * WINDS...North winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Minimum Relative Humidity between 25 to 35 percent. * FUELS...Critically to Extremely Dry. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
Instructions: Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning. Follow all fire restrictions. One less spark, one less wildfire. A Red Flag Warning is issued when we identify weather conditions that promote rapid spread of fire which may become life-threatening. This does not mean there is a fire. These conditions are either occurring now or will begin soon. It is important to have multiple ways to receive information from authorities.
Official NWS page · NWS Shreveport LA
1 advisory or statement
Wind Advisory until Sat, Oct 17, 1:00 AM CDT
Wind Advisory issued October 16 at 4:48AM CDT until October 17 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA
Sevier; Howard; Little River; Hempstead; Nevada; Miller; Lafayette; Columbia; Union; Caddo; Bossier; Webster; Claiborne; Lincoln; Union; De Soto; Red River; Bienville; Jackson; Ouachita; Sabine; Natchitoches; Winn; Grant; Caldwell; La Salle; McCurtain; Red River; Bowie; Franklin; Titus; Camp; Morris; Cass; Wood; Upshur; Marion; Smith; Gregg; Harrison; Cherokee; Rusk; Panola; Nacogdoches; Shelby; Angelina; San Augustine; Sabine
Full text from the National Weather Service
WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...North winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * WHERE...Portions of south central and southwest Arkansas, north central and northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, and east and northeast Texas. * WHEN...Until 1 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Instructions: Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. Secure outdoor objects.
Official NWS page · NWS Shreveport LA
Storm Prediction Center · today's severe-storm outlook · issued 1 h ago
None of these cities are inside today's thunderstorm or severe-storm areas.
Official SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook (NOAA), valid until Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 AM CDT. It shows the chance of severe storms in the area, not a warning for your street. SPC outlook
U.S. Drought Monitor · map of October 13
95% of Arkansas is in drought, including 65% in extreme or exceptional drought.
Share of the state's area. Updated every Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA and NOAA). Drought builds over weeks and months: one rainy day rarely ends it.
Weather in Arkansas now
What is normal in October in Arkansas
changing season Usually the driest stretch of the year. A second severe-weather season starts in late fall.
El Niño is under way, and NOAA expects it to be strong (NOAA, October 8, 2026).
In the Mid-South it tends to bring a wetter winter.
These are general tendencies: every year is different, and your local forecast comes first.
Typical climate per NOAA and regional weather services. It describes the season, not the forecast for a given day.
Where will it rain most? Forecast by city
Total rain each day, in inches. Wettest cities first.
| City | Tomorrow | Sunday | Monday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fayetteville | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fort Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonesboro | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hot Springs | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Automatic forecast from a computer model (MET Norway, data CC BY 4.0). Not an official alert: for watches and warnings, follow National Weather Service.
What do the inches mean?
As a rough guide: under a quarter inch in a day is light rain; 1 to 2 inches is a heavy downpour; more than 2 inches in a day is very heavy rain that can flood low-lying areas and roads.
Several rainy days in a row saturate the ground: even a modest storm can then cause flash flooding and rising rivers.
Cities in Arkansas
Official sources for Arkansas
Emergency: 911