National Weather Service Shreveport, Louisiana
12:19pm CST, Thursday, January 5, 2017
January 5, 2017 - The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a hazardous weather outlook for portions of South Central Arkansas, Southwest Arkansas, North Central Louisiana, Northwest Louisiana, Southeast Oklahoma, East Texas and Northeast Texas including Sevier, Howard, Little River, Hempstead, Nevada, Miller, Lafayette, Columbia, Union, Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Lincoln, De Soto, Red River, Bienville, Jackson, Ouachita, Sabine, Natchitoches, Winn, Grant, Caldwell, La Salle, McCurtain, Bowie, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Wood, Upshur, Marion, Smith, Gregg, Harrison, Cherokee, Rusk, Panola, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Angelina, and San Augustine.
This afternoon and tonight, a reinforcement of colder arctic air will begin to surge south into the region this afternoon and evening with temperatures expected to fall to near or below freezing late mainly over Southwest Arkansas, Northeast Texas, and Southeast Oklahoma.
With the approach of an upper level disturbance that will emerge late tonight over the Rockies and near the upper Red River Valley, areas of light snow are expected to develop over Oklahoma late this evening and quickly advance east across the state into Western and Central Arkansas after midnight. Snowfall accumulations of up to one half inch will be possible late tonight mainly across McCurtain County, Oklahoma and across the northern sections of Southwest Arkansas which may result in light accumulations on elevated objects such as bridges and overpasses. Given the warm ground temperatures, road surfaces should see little if any impacts.
Farther south across the Interstate 20 Corridor of East Texas and North Louisiana, a few pockets of snow flurries will be possible late tonight but no snow accumulations are expected.
Across the southern sections of Northcentral Louisiana, temperatures should remain near or just above freezing late tonight with the potential for light rain possibly mixing with sleet. However, no ice accumulations are expected.
Days two through seven, Friday through Wednesday, scattered areas of light snow will remain possible Friday across Northeast Texas, Southeast Oklahoma, and Southwest Arkansas as the upper level disturbance continues to advance east along and north of the Red River Valley with the potential for light snow flurries across portions of extreme Northern Louisiana Friday afternoon. Little if any snow accumulations are expected Friday but any residual water that has melted on the ground will quickly freeze Friday evening possibly creating areas of black ice especially on bridges and overpasses resulting in hazardous driving conditions. Temperatures will climb back above freezing around midday Saturday thus melting any ice that may form.
A slow warming trend will commence late this weekend and early next week with scattered showers and a few thunderstorms possible Tuesday night ahead of the next cold front.
Spotter Information Statement - Activation of Emergency Managers, Storm Spotters, and Amateur Radio Operators may be needed late tonight across Southeast Oklahoma and the northern sections of Southwest Arkansas for the potential for snowfall reports.
