 |
| Abnormally Dry Conditions |
| At times, below normal precipitation will lead to a lack of ground water and worsening drought conditions in Arkansas. Check out the latest conditions below. |
|
|
 |
Monitoring Drought in Arkansas |
 |
| |
| Drought Status |
| |
|
|
|
There was no drought across Arkansas in mid-January. Next Page Update: February 1, 2025
|
| |
| Drought Conditions (Percent Area) |
| Category |
Coverage |
| None |
97.67% |
| D0-D4 |
2.33% |
| D1-D4 |
0% |
| D2-D4 |
0% |
| D3-D4 |
0% |
| D4 |
0% |
|
| In the picture: There were no drought conditions across Arkansas on 01/14/2025. |
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| In the picture: Drought conditions as of 01/14/2025. |
|
| |
|
Across the country, the worst drought conditions (at least D3) were in the Desert Southwest, Rockies, parts of the Plains, Tennessee Valley, and the Northeast.
Here at home in January (through the 16th), precipitation was mostly below average, but not by much (less than an inch at most locations).
|
| Precipitation in January, 2025 (Through the 16th) |
| Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
| Fayetteville (NW AR) |
0.56 |
1.58 |
-1.02 |
35% |
| Harrison (NC AR) |
0.76 |
1.48 |
-0.72 |
51% |
| Jonesboro (NE AR) |
1.18 |
1.98 |
-0.80 |
60% |
| Fort Smith (WC AR) |
0.81 |
1.57 |
-0.76 |
52% |
| Little Rock (C AR) |
1.25 |
1.99 |
-0.74 |
63% |
| West Memphis (EC AR) |
1.16 |
2.10 |
-0.94 |
55% |
| Texarkana (SW AR) |
1.82 |
2.00 |
-0.18 |
91% |
| El Dorado (SC AR) |
2.11 |
2.35 |
-0.24 |
90% |
| Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
1.64 |
2.06 |
-0.42 |
80% |
 |
| In the picture: Precipitation across Arkansas in December, 2024. |
|
| |
|
In December, rain was a little subpar in far northwest Arkansas. Otherwise, there was more rain than usual (by one to more than three inches) across the remainder of the state.
|
| Precipitation in December, 2024 |
| Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
| Fayetteville (NW AR) |
2.87 |
3.07 |
-0.20 |
93% |
| Harrison (NC AR) |
3.97 |
2.94 |
+1.03 |
135% |
| Jonesboro (NE AR) |
6.90 |
4.45 |
+2.45 |
155% |
| Fort Smith (WC AR) |
4.43 |
3.48 |
+0.95 |
127% |
| Little Rock (C AR) |
6.29 |
5.08 |
+1.21 |
124% |
| West Memphis (EC AR) |
5.86 |
4.88 |
+0.98 |
120% |
| Texarkana (SW AR) |
7.84 |
4.68 |
+3.16 |
168% |
| El Dorado (SC AR) |
8.17 |
5.61 |
+2.56 |
146% |
| Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
7.58 |
5.30 |
+2.28 |
143% |
 |
| In the picture: Ground water/soil moisture on 01/15/2025 was the most depleted from the northern Rockies to northern Plains, the Desert southwest to the southern Plains, and the mid-Atlantic states to New England. The wettest conditions were in the Pacific Northwest, and the central Plains to the mid-South. |
|
| |
|
It was a very wet period from November 1, 2024 to January 16, 2025, especially in the northwest half of the state. There was a surplus of liquid by more than four inches at Fayetteville (Washington County), Fort Smith (Sebastian County), Harrison (Boone County), and Texarkana (Miller County). Conditions were not so wet farther south/east, but precipitation was close to normal at many locations. Overall, there was more soil moisture/ground water than usual across the region.
|
| Precipitation (November 1, 2024 to January 16, 2025) |
| Site |
Amount |
Normal |
+/- |
% of Normal |
| Fayetteville (NW AR) |
12.79 |
8.33 |
+4.46 |
154% |
| Harrison (NC AR) |
19.13 |
8.38 |
+10.75 |
228% |
| Jonesboro (NE AR) |
10.00 |
10.83 |
-0.83 |
92% |
| Fort Smith (WC AR) |
16.26 |
8.90 |
+7.36 |
183% |
| Little Rock (C AR) |
11.18 |
11.79 |
-0.61 |
95% |
| West Memphis (EC AR) |
10.95 |
11.48 |
-0.53 |
95% |
| Texarkana (SW AR) |
14.79 |
10.59 |
+4.20 |
140% |
| El Dorado (SC AR) |
12.71 |
11.79 |
+0.92 |
108% |
| Pine Bluff (SE AR) |
11.50 |
11.33 |
+0.17 |
102% |
 |
| In the pictures: Drought outlook through April, 2025. |
|
| |
|
Looking ahead, a weak La Niña (cooler than normal water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean) will continue through the winter/early spring. Given this, there is a wet signal from the Great Lakes through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys into Arkansas during this time frame. A dry signal is found along the Gulf Coast, and this is where drought is favored to develop/persist. We will monitor the situation closely.
|
| Streamflow and Soil Moisture |
|
|
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on YouTube
LZK RSS Feed