Special weather statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
518 AM CDT WED AUG 1 2012

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-021000-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALTHEIMER...AMITY...ARKADELPHIA...
ARKANSAS CITY...ASH FLAT...AUGUSTA...AVILLA...BATESVILLE...
BAUXITE...BEARDEN...BEE BRANCH...BEEBE...BENTON...BISMARCK...
BONNERDALE...BOONEVILLE...BRINKLEY...BRYANT...BULL SHOALS...
CABOT...CALICO ROCK...CAMDEN...CAVE CITY...CENTER RIDGE...
CHIDESTER...CLARENDON...CLARKSVILLE...CLINTON...CONWAY...
COTTON PLANT...DANVILLE...DARDANELLE...DE VALLS BLUFF...DE WITT...
DEER...DES ARC...DONALDSON...DRASCO...DUMAS...EL PASO...ENGLAND...
FAIRFIELD BAY...FLIPPIN...FORDYCE...FOURCHE JUNCTION...
GASSVILLE...GEORGETOWN...GILLETT...GLENWOOD...GOULD...GRADY...
GRAVELLY...GREENBRIER...GREERS FERRY...GURDON...HAMPTON...HARDY...
HARRISON...HASKELL...HAZEN...HEBER SPRINGS...HECTOR...HERMITAGE...
HORSESHOE BEND...HOT SPRINGS...HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE...HOUSTON...
HUMNOKE...HUMPHREY...JACKSONVILLE...JASPER...JESSIEVILLE...
KINGSLAND...LACEY...LEAD HILL...LEOLA...LESLIE...LITTLE ROCK...
LONOKE...MALVERN...MAMMOTH SPRING...MARSHALL...MAUMELLE...
MAYFLOWER...MCCRORY...MCGEHEE...MELBOURNE...MENA...MONTICELLO...
MORO BAY...MORRILTON...MOUNT IDA...MOUNT MAGAZINE...
MOUNTAIN HOME...MOUNTAIN VIEW...MURFREESBORO...NEWPORT...
NORFORK...NORMAN...NORTH LITTLE ROCK...OIL TROUGH...OKOLONA...
OLA...OMAHA...OXFORD...OZONE...PARIS...PARON...PELSOR...
PERRYVILLE...PINE BLUFF...PINE RIDGE...PLEASANT PLAINS...POYEN...
PRATTSVILLE...REDFIELD...RISON...ROHWER...ROSE BUD...
RUSSELLVILLE...SALEM...SEARCY...SHERIDAN...SHERWOOD...STAR CITY...
STEPHENS...STUTTGART...SUMMIT...SWIFTON...THORNTON...TUCKERMAN...
VILONIA...VIOLA...WALDRON...WARREN...WESTERN GROVE...WICKES...
WRIGHTSVILLE...Y CITY...YELLVILLE
518 AM CDT WED AUG 1 2012

...DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS CONTINUE IN ARKANSAS...

HIGH PRESSURE IN THE PLAINS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT FEW
DAYS. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE WILL CONTINUE
TO BE FROM THE UPPER 90S TO OVER 100 DEGREES...WITH SOME AREAS
SEEING READINGS RANGE FROM 105 TO 110 DEGREES. AS HEATING
OCCURS...DRY AIR ALOFT WILL TEND TO MIX TO THE GROUND...AND
AFTERNOON HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL DROP BELOW 35 PERCENT...AND BELOW 30
PERCENT IN SOME LOCATIONS. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE ACROSS THE
WEST HALF OF THE STATE CLOSEST TO THE CENTER OF THE HIGH PRESSURE.

IN ADDITION TO VERY HOT TEMPERATURES AND LOW HUMIDITY VALUES...
VEGETATION IS BONE DRY IN MOST OF ARKANSAS. NINETY SIX PERCENT OF
THE STATE IS EXPERIENCING AT LEAST SEVERE DROUGHT...WITH EXTREME
TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT IN THREE QUARTERS OF THE STATE. THE REGION
EXPERIENCED THE DRIEST APRIL THROUGH JUNE ON RECORD...AND BENEFICIAL
RAIN WAS SPOTTY IN JULY.

WITH LITTLE TO NO RAIN IN THE FORECAST...AND DETERIORATING
DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPECTED...DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS WILL BE
NOTED IN THE COMING DAYS. FIRES WILL TEND TO START EASILY...AND
THEY WILL SPREAD QUICKLY GIVEN LITTLE MOISTURE IN THE GRASS AND
TREES. SOME LIGHTNING WILL BE SEEN WITH THE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
AND COULD SET OFF A WILD FIRE. WINDS WILL BE LOWER TODAY AND BE FROM
THE SOUTH AT 5 TO LESS THAN 15 MPH. THE WINDS COULD HELP CAUSE FIRES
TO SPREAD MORE QUICKLY.

THE ARKANSAS FORESTRY COMMISSION HAS THE STATE IN A HIGH TO EXTREME
FIRE DANGER. MOST COUNTIES ARE UNDER BURN BANS...EXCEPT FOR COUNTIES
MAINLY IN THE SOUTH AND EAST.

OUTDOOR BURNING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED IN ARKANSAS UNTIL
WIDESPREAD SUBSTANTIAL RAIN FALLS. ANY UNCONTROLLED OR ACCIDENTAL
FIRE COULD QUICKLY GROW OUT OF CONTROL. EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE
TAKEN.