The Climate of Arkansas

By | August 27, 2022

According to Abbreviation Finder, Arkansas (AR) is a state in the southeastern United States of America. Two major rivers flow within Arkansas: the Mississippi and the Arkansas. Geographically, the state can be divided into two zones: the mountainous west and north make up one zone, the lowlands in the south and east the other. Arkansas’s highest point is Magazine Mountain, with a peak that rises to 839 feet above sea level. Arkansas is the home state of Bill Clinton, who was the 42nd President of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001.

Arkansas is located in the transition zone of a warm maritime climate (type Cfa) in the lowlands, which changes in the highlands into a more fickle warm continental climate. In general, Arkansas has hot, humid summers and somewhat drier, cool winters. Thanks to the influence of the Gulf of Mexico, southern and eastern Arkansas have somewhat milder winters, with northern currents leaving room for serious cooling, icing and snowfall. Arkansas is known for its potential for extreme weather events. Arkansas, for example, is located in the so-called Tornado Alley, an area in the US where vortices can occur fairly frequently. There is also a risk of heavy rainfall from the remains of a hurricane moving north as a major depression.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

maximum temperature minimum temperature hours of sunshine per day days of rainfall per month
January 10℃ -2℃ 6 9
February 12℃ 1℃ 7 9
March 18℃ 6℃ 8 10
April 23℃ 10℃ 9 9
May 28℃ 15℃ 10 10
June 32℃ 20℃ 11 9
July 34℃ 22℃ 11 8
August 33℃ 21℃ 10 8
September 29℃ 18℃ 9 8
October 24℃ 11℃ 8 7
November 17℃ 5℃ 6 8
December 11℃ 1℃ 5 9

The climate of Fayetteville

According to Countryaah, Fayetteville is a large city in northwestern Arkansas, in Washington County. The city is located in the Boston Mountains, which are part of the western part of the Ozark Plateau. In and around the city are many parks and game reserves, such as the Wilson Park Historic District. Fayetteville is home to the University of Arkansas.

Fayetteville has a warm continental climate, with clear signs of the warm maritime climate. The winter months are cold here, but certainly not as cold as in the more northerly states of America. Summers are very hot, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. Most precipitation falls in the spring period. Fayetteville is located in Tornado Alley.

The climate of Fort Smith

Fort Smith is a large city in western Arkansas. near the Oklahoma border. Fort Smith is located in Sebastian County, where the Arkansas and Poteau rivers meet. Fort Smith is the largest city in the Arkansas-Oklahoma metropolitan area. The city originated in the 19th century on the site of a military fortress in the 18th century. Just outside the city is Fort Smith Regional Airport.

Fort Smith has a warm maritime climate, with slight signs of the warm continental climate. Due to the influence of the warm continental climate, more extremes occur here than you would expect in a maritime climate. For example, the heat record is 47 degrees Celsius. The cold record is -23 degrees Celsius. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Because Fort Smith is located in Tornado Alley, you should expect a small chance of tornadoes during tornado season.

The climate of Jonesboro

Jonesboro is a medium-sized city in southwestern Arkansas, Craighead County. The city was founded in the early 19th century. Before this time, the region was inhabited by the Osage, Caddo and Quapaw Indians. The town is on the St. Louis Southwestern Railway. The city’s largest employer is Arkansas State University.

Jonesboro has a warm maritime climate, which is influenced by the warm continental climate. The summer months are warm, with temperatures averaging around 30 degrees Celsius. During the winter months, severe frost regularly occurs. The nights can be especially cold. Because the city is located in Tornado Alley, you have to take tornadoes into account.

The climate of Little Rock

Little Rock is the capital of the US state of Arkansas. The city is named after a rock that jutted out of the Mississippi River. Little Rock is located fairly centrally in Arkansas, at an elevation of about 100 feet above sea level.

Little Rock has a warm maritime climate with warm humid summers, a slightly drier autumn with an increased chance of heavy rain showers, moderately mild winters and a fairly short spring, with large temperature differences within 24 hours. The precipitation statistics show a fairly even level within the calendar year. July and August are generally the driest months, while spring and late autumn show slight peaks in monthly precipitation. In winter, a small part of the precipitation falls in the form of snow. On average, it snows two days a year, with a total of about 10 centimeters falling. Sometimes it doesn’t snow for years, while another year is suddenly good for a serious pack of snow.

The climate of Texarkana

Texarkana is a city in southwestern Arkansas, Miller County. Texarkana is on the Texas border. The other side of this state line is the city of Texarkana, Texas. The two cities are about the same size and together have about 75,000 inhabitants. The border between these two cities is the State Line Avenue. Because no liquor is allowed in the Texan part, there are several liquor stores on the Arkansan side of this shopping street.

Texarkana has a warm maritime climate, which is still slightly influenced by the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this influence, the winter months here are slightly less cold than in other parts of Arkansas. Annual precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but peaks during the spring months. Texarkana is located in Tornado Alley, so keep that in mind during tornado season.

Texarkana Arkansas