Special weather statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
431 AM CDT FRI AUG 3 2012

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-041000-
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
431 AM CDT FRI AUG 3 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 AROUND 102 DEGREES. AS HEATING
OCCURS...SOME DRY AIR ALOFT WILL TEND TO MIX TO THE GROUND...AND
AFTERNOON HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S PERCENT OVER
FAR WESTERN AREAS...WHILE THE 30S TO LOWER 40S PERCENT RANGE AS THE
REST OF THE STATE. THE LOWEST HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL BE ACROSS THE
WEST HALF OF THE STATE CLOSEST TO THE CENTER OF THE HIGH PRESSURE.

IN ADDITION TO THE HOT TEMPERATURES AND LOW HUMIDITY VALUES...
VEGETATION IS BONE DRY IN MOST OF ARKANSAS. MUCH OF THE STATE IS
EXPERIENCING A SEVERE DROUGHT...WITH EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
IN MUCH OF CENTRAL TO NORTHERN AREAS. THE REGION EXPERIENCED THE
DRIEST APRIL THROUGH JUNE ON RECORD...AND BENEFICIAL RAIN WAS SPOTTY
IN JULY. EARLY AUGUST RAINS HAVE HELPED SOME LOCATIONS OVER NORTHERN
TO EASTERN ARKANSAS.

ONLY LOW CHANCES OF RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST...AND WITH DETERIORATING
DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPECTED...DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS WILL BE
NOTED THE REST OF THE WEEK. 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 TODAY WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH AT
5 TO 15 MPH WITH SOME GUSTINESS IN THE AFTERNOON. THE WINDS COULD
HELP CAUSE FIRES TO SPREAD MORE QUICKLY IF THEY BECOME ELEVATED.

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