State in for few days of biting cold

A cold front blew into Arkansas late Wednesday, dropping wind-chill values into the single digits.

It will warm up during the day today, but most of the state will remain below freezing.

Then the single-digit, wind-chill band will have an encore tonight.

Wind-chill values could bottom out at minus-1 to minus-3 degrees tonight in some of the higher elevations of north Arkansas, said Justin Condry, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.

“We’re looking at wind chills of probably 8 to 10 de

grees in Little Rock,” he said.

Little Rock is forecast to have a low of 16 degrees tonight, after a high of about 31 degrees during the day.

Fayetteville is forecast to have a low of 11 degrees tonight, after a high of about 27 degrees during the day. Wind-chill values tonight in Fayetteville are forecast to be between 3 and 8 degrees.

“Strong north winds and arctic air will surge into the region tonight, dropping wind chills to between zero and 5 below zero by late tonight near the Kansas and Missouri borders,” the National Weather Service in Tulsa said late Wednesday. The Tulsa office monitors the weather in seven Arkansas counties.

On the leading edge of the front, sleet, snow and plummeting temperatures snarled traffic in Northwest Arkansas late Wednesday afternoon.

“Roads have become slick in spots, especially along I-49 in Washington County where wintry precip has been heavier,” the weather service said in a “hazardous weather outlook” at 4:37 p.m. Wednesday.

The snow had tapered off by sunset, and skies were expected to clear Wednesday evening. Snow and sleet accumulation was predicted to be less than half an inch in Northwest Arkansas.

Rain was expected across much of Arkansas before the cold front moved in.

In Jonesboro, the low tonight is forecast to be 16 degrees, but the wind-chill values will be as low as 4 degrees, according to the weather service.

It won’t be much warmer in south Arkansas.

In Monticello, the low tonight will be about 19 degrees with a wind chill as low as 10 degrees, according to the weather service.

A warming trend is forecast for the weekend.

“Cold wind chills can be expected on Friday morning, though values will not be as cold due to lighter winds,” according to the weather service.

The high Friday is projected to be 36 degrees in Fayetteville, followed by a high of 42 degrees Saturday and 48 degrees Sunday.

Little Rock is forecast to have a high of 34 degrees Friday and 42 degrees Saturday. The forecast calls for a balmy 51 degrees in the capital city Sunday.