Heavy rain, storms expected across state Saturday, Sunday

This National Weather Service graphic shows the rainfall forecast for Arkansas this weekend as of Saturday morning.

This National Weather Service graphic shows the rainfall forecast for Arkansas this weekend as of Saturday morning.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Scattered thunderstorms and rain are expected to increase across the state starting Saturday afternoon, forecasters said Saturday.

Warning Coordination Meteorologist John Robinson said in an email that while chances for widespread severe weather are low, some isolated storms with hail and damaging winds are possible in western and southern parts of the state.

The northwest half of Arkansas should see an average of 1 1/2 to 3 inches of rainfall, while the southeast half is expected to receive about 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches through Sunday, Robinson said.

Sunday will be colder and windy — wind speeds will average between 20 and 30 mph with some stronger gusts of up to 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Little Rock.

In northern Arkansas, Robinson said, rain will likely turn into snow starting Sunday afternoon and evening in "mainly the northern two or three rows of counties," which could cause hazardous driving conditions.

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National Weather Service

This graphic shows more than a 40 percent chance of at least an inch of snow in northern Arkansas during the late afternoon and evening Sunday. The forecast, made on Friday, is courtesy of the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. — National Weather Service in Little Rock

While it's possible that a mix of rain and snow may push further south into parts of central Arkansas Sunday evening, it's not expected to accumulate, according to Robinson.