Today's special weather statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
429 AM CDT THU AUG 2 2012

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-031000-
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
429 AM CDT THU AUG 2 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 AROUND 105 DEGREES. AS HEATING OCCURS...DRY AIR
ALOFT WILL TEND TO MIX TO THE GROUND...AND AFTERNOON HUMIDITY LEVELS
WILL DROP INTO THE 30 PERCENT RANGE...AND POSSIBLE BELOW 30 PERCENT
IN SOME LOCATIONS OVER WESTERN ARKANSAS. 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. 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.

LITTLE TO NO 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 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 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 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.