A chance for sleet and freezing rain is forecast for north Arkansas overnight Thursday into Friday morning, and it's possible this weather could be a preview of what’s to come for the rest of the state in the next few weeks.
The National Weather Service predicts Carroll and Madison counties could see sleet or freezing rain overnight as temperatures drop. Accumulation is expected to be light, mainly on elevated surfaces and bridges.
Though there is not yet a chance for wintry precipitation in the rest of state, overall cooler temperatures and higher chances for precipitation are on the way, according to the National Weather Service.
Chris Buonanno, science and operations officer for the National Weather Service bureau in North Little Rock, said changes in the Arctic make it likely that colder air will soon filter down through North America.
Temperatures are predicted to take a sharp dip over the weekend, with lows in the 30s and upper 20s in Little Rock on Sunday and Monday.
Buonanno said Arkansans can also expect overall below-average temperatures in the next 10-14 days.
At the same time, Buonanno said, the chances for precipitation will increase over the next two weeks.
The possibility of cooler and wetter weather comes after a warmer and drier than average start to winter.
From Dec. 1 through Jan. 14, temperatures in Little Rock averaged about four degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service. Buonanno said the first six or so weeks of winter were also drier than average.
As temperatures drop and the weather gets wetter, Buonanno said it's still too early to know whether snow will come to much of the Natural State this year.