Winter Storm Warning for Arkansas

Winter weather in the form of snowfall and a few days of brutally cold temperatures will soon be upon us. Make needed preparations immediately and have a way to get the latest weather info. Do not wait until the first snowflakes fall or you feel the temperature is cold enough to be a concern, at that point it is too late to begin thinking about preparing. Act now and be ahead of the storm!

Widespread accumulating snow is expected to overspread the state Sunday through Monday. Over a large part of Arkansas, amounts of 2 to 3 inches or less are expected. There could be a narrow corridor of heavier snow which could produce 4 to 6 plus inches. As it stands now, this band is positioned over east-central Arkansas, but could still shift south with time. There is a chance some of the precipitation over southern Arkansas could mix with sleet, if this scenario plays out, actual amounts will be lower. Changes to forecast snow totals are still possible.

Low temperatures are expected to drop overnight and remain well below average for the next several days. Low temperatures are expected to be in the teens to near zero degrees across the state with wind chills feeling much colder.

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM
CST MONDAY...

* WHAT...For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills
  expected. Wind chills as low as 5 below zero. For the Winter
  Storm Warning, heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow
  accumulations of 1 to 2 inches and ice accumulations of a light
  glaze with locally higher amounts possible.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma.

* WHEN...For the Wind Chill Advisory, from 9 PM this evening to
  noon CST Sunday. For the Winter Storm Warning, from noon
  Sunday to 6 PM CST Monday.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous
  conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. The
  cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions
  are not taken.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a
hat, and gloves.

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can
be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

Overnight freezing poses potential damage to Arkansas fruit

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — With the official start to spring less than a week away, winter is throwing one last curveball at fruit growers in Arkansas and the surrounding region.

COVER UP! — Crop covers like those seen here can help protect horticulture crops such as strawberries, blackberries and blueberries during cold weather. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Below-freezing temperatures throughout much of the state made an appearance Monday night and Tuesday morning, with more cold weather on the way, particularly in the northwestern corner of the state.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday forecast temperatures in the 20s for Washington County beginning Thursday night, with an overnight low of 22 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. The plummeting temperatures are part of a major storm front expected to enter the state Thursday.

While below-freezing temperatures are never particularly welcome for many Arkansans, the timing is particularly worrisome for growers of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Amanda McWhirt, extension fruit horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said that blooms are currently visible on many strawberries.

“Strawberry blooms can be damaged at around 29 or 30 degrees, but a lot of growers use row covers, so that gives them a few extra degrees of protection when temperatures dip below that mark,” McWhirt said. “But the other thing that’s happening is that there are blooms on blueberries in some places, and blackberries have broken bud,” making the plants especially vulnerable to freeze damage when temperatures get into the low 20s.

About 200-300 acres each of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are grown in Arkansas annually, McWhirt said. While the extent of damage caused by Monday night’s freeze is largely unknown at this point, growers need to take steps to protect their crops throughout the expected winter storm, she said.

“Producers can use row covers on certain crops,” she said. “In blackberries, they can use covers if they’re using the cross-arm rotating trellises. I’m recommending people put on their row covers now, especially as we’re likely to have rainfall, so growers need to get those on before it starts raining.”

As much as 2 inches of rain is expected in central and southern Arkansas on Thursday, potentially triggering flash flooding in several areas, according to the National Weather Service. Additionally, the likelihood of severe winds of 58 miles per hour or more is projected as high as 44 percent in southwestern Arkansas, with the probability of severe hail reaching 29 percent for the state’s westernmost tier of counties, from Sebastian to Miller County.

McWhirt, who co-authors the Arkansas Fruit, Vegetable & Nut Update Blog with several other Division of Agriculture horticulture specialists, said the key to protecting budding or blossoming fruits from cold weather damage is to know the thresholds of a given plant at a given stage and protect them when temperatures are expected to dip (or plunge) below those respective points. The Division of Agriculture offers many online resources for growers, including a chart of critical temperatures for several popular Arkansas fruit crops.

“In some areas, especially the northwest corner of the state, growers may want to consider double-covering — put two row covers on instead of just one,” McWhirt said.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.