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| Cold Weather |
| Cold temperatures and high winds wind can create life threatening conditions during the Winter. Read more about it below. |
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About Wind Chill |
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| Winter in Arkansas is generally not harsh...at least not as brutal as in areas farther north. Even so, Arctic fronts make it this far south at times...and it can become cold. The question is: How cold does it get and how should you protect yourself when temperatures plummet? |
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| During the Winter months, temperatures will periodically drop below freezing (32 degrees)...with readings below 0 degrees on rare occasions. Now let's factor in the wind. With increased wind speeds, it feels colder than it actually is. |
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| WIND CHILL INDEX °F |
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WIND SPEED (MPH) |
| TEMP (°F) |
5 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
25 |
30 |
35 |
40 |
| -25 |
-40 |
-47 |
-51 |
-55 |
-58 |
-60 |
-62 |
-64 |
| -20 |
-34 |
-41 |
-45 |
-48 |
-51 |
-53 |
-55 |
-57 |
| -15 |
-28 |
-35 |
-39 |
-42 |
-44 |
-46 |
-48 |
-50 |
| -10 |
-22 |
-28 |
-32 |
-35 |
-37 |
-39 |
-41 |
-43 |
| -5 |
-16 |
-22 |
-26 |
-29 |
-31 |
-33 |
-34 |
-36 |
| 0 |
-11 |
-16 |
-19 |
-22 |
-24 |
-26 |
-27 |
-29 |
| 5 |
-5 |
-10 |
-13 |
-15 |
-17 |
-19 |
-21 |
-22 |
| 10 |
1 |
-4 |
-7 |
-9 |
-11 |
-12 |
-14 |
-15 |
| 15 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
-2 |
-4 |
-5 |
-7 |
-8 |
| 20 |
13 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
-1 |
| 25 |
19 |
15 |
13 |
11 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
| 30 |
25 |
21 |
19 |
17 |
16 |
15 |
14 |
13 |
| 35 |
31 |
27 |
25 |
24 |
23 |
22 |
21 |
20 |
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| A Wind Chill Index Chart is shown above. For an image, click here. |
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The "wind chill index" is considered dangerous when temperature and wind speed combine to make it feel like 0 degrees or lower. For example, using the chart above, a temperature of 15 degrees with a wind speed of 25 mph net a wind chill index of -4 degrees. Other than the chart, try using our meteorological calculator by clicking here.
When temperatures and/or wind chill index values (with a wind speed of at least 10 mph) reach 0 degrees for several hours over a fairly large area, the National Weather Service will usually issue a Cold Weather Advisory.
When temperatures and/or wind chill index values (with a wind speed of at least 10 mph) reach -15 degrees for one hour over a fairly large area, an Extreme Cold Warning may be posted.
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Current Wind Chill (WCI) Values Across Arkansas |
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Hourly Weather Roundup ( )
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| Location |
Temperature |
Wind |
Wind Chill Index |
| Fayetteville |
N/A
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N/A
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| Harrison |
N/A
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N/A
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| Mountain Home |
N/A
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N/A
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| Jonesboro |
N/A
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N/A
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| Fort Smith |
N/A
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N/A
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| Russellville |
N/A
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N/A
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| Mount Ida |
N/A
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N/A
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| Hot Springs |
N/A
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N/A
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| Little Rock |
N/A
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N/A
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| West Memphis |
N/A
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N/A
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| Texarkana |
N/A
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N/A
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| El Dorado |
N/A
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N/A
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| Pine Bluff |
N/A
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N/A
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| Monticello |
N/A
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N/A
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| Note: In the WIND CHILL INDEX column, WCI is "wind chill index" (if shown). For WCI to be displayed, TEMPERATURE and WIND must be available (not "N/A" or "MISG"), and wind speed must be 4 mph or higher. Also, while WCI may meet advisory/warning criteria, the wind speed (excluding gust) must be at least 10 mph or "(!)" will appear in the WIND column. |
| Above Criteria: |
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Near Wind Chill Advisory Criteria: |
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Wind Chill Advisory Criteria: |
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Wind Chill Warning Criteria: |
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Staying Warm/No Overexertion |
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If you must be outside for any length of time, wear several layers of loose-fitting, light-weight clothing. The layers actually trap warm air, and keep the cold air out. |
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| In addition to a coat and scarf, wear a hat and mittens as well (since more than half of your body's heat escapes through your head and hands). Also, you might want to cover your mouth to protect your lungs from the cold. |
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| Don't forget about your pets! If you leave them outdoors, you might consider providing something warm like a blanket or sweater (especially short haired animals with little natural protection). |
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| In addition to dressing for the weather, don't overexert yourself! The cold is already taxing your body. Inhaling cold air is hard on internal organs...and causes the body to work overtime to stay warm. Any added exercise (such as shoveling) will cause the body to break down faster (especially those who are elderly or unfit)...with heart attacks fairly common during Winter. Overexerting yourself during the cold months is not necessary! When you feel tired, stop what you are doing and finish the job later. Or...get help from a neighbor or friend. |
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For more about cold weather (hypothermia and frostbite) and safety information, click here. |
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