South Arkansas residents will feel the chill this week as temperatures are expected to drop to the upper 20s, but there is no expectation of a winter wonderland.
Temperatures fell suddenly last weekend as storms moved through the area, but they began to climb back up to the 50s by Monday. Chris Nuttall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, said temperatures will fall again by late Wednesday, when the low is anticipated to be about 27 degrees Fahrenheit.
And though rain is on the way, Nuttall said it is unlikely to transition to any winter weather. Rain is likely tonight and into tomorrow, but Nuttall said the precipitation will be out of the El Dorado area by the time the temperature drops Wednesday night. He said there could be a couple of flurries early Wednesday, but even if the temperature does drop enough for residents to see snowflakes, the ground is still too warm to hold any accumulation.
“The cold air really isn’t going to get here until the precipitation ends,” Nuttall said.
He said the cold will linger a bit more than the last cold front. Nuttall said after Thursday’s low, which is anticipated to be around 27 degrees, the overnight lows will hold at about 30 degrees for a while before warmer temperatures return.
“It’ll be a very slow warming trend,” Nuttall said.
Nuttall said residents should pay attention to the things that are affected by freezing temperatures, such as taking in tender vegetation, leaving faucets dripping overnight and cabinets open, and taking care of any pets who tend to stay outside at all times.