[Aptor hours]

What is the climate like?

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Aptor hours

What is the climate like?

Currently? Over all?

Currently it's in the upper 60's, 15 mph wind, cloudy. Gonna be in the 60's/70's all week.

Over all, the summers are hot, with quite a bit of humidity. Less in the north, more in the south naturally,

We see what we consider "cold" days briefly during the period of November-February. By cold, I mean we'll see a few nights of single digit temps.

A little bit of snow, but it doesn't stay. Usually gone in a day to a few days.

However, I can't remember a single winter month that I haven't had a few days of coffee in a t-shirt on the deck.

There are days in the summer when crews that work outside will work early morning until 11, then maybe return about 4 or 5.

Hope that helps.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Aptor hours

What is the climate like?

what part of AR?

the NW corner is a little cooler in both the summer and the winter.

Nita

[slingshot]

In Mena, in town, last year we had 3 snowfalls. 2", 4", 10". This year, so far, we've had nothing other than snow flurries but we've had 3 ice storms.

[Fasder]

Well, in general, using City Data, you can break things out pretty well. I have always found that if you check the Dallas Metro area forecast, you can basically expect same weather patterns to roll through central Arkansas. Certainly if you check Shreveport and Dallas, you can see inbound weather radar heading for central Arkansas.

http://www.city-data.com/states/Arkansas-Climate.html

For Hot Springs, which I know best, off the City Data site:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Hot-Springs-Arkansas.html

50F to 95F range on high
30F to 70F range on lows
80% avg humidity
Low snow

Against US City Avg's
Slightly Higher than avg Sunshine
Slightly Higher than avg Precipitation

[SwinerBock]

In the southern part of the state (El Dorado), we are lucky to get ANY snow at all during a winter. Typically one snow event every year or two. Only one in, say, five of those actually stick to the ground in enough of an amount to make it worthwhile for the kiddos. Matter of fact, we are more likely to get freezing rain / sleet / icing than we are snow. Probably get those once a year to the extent that it may affect schools or getting to/from work for a day. Major icing events occur once every 5 or 6 years.

Right now (early March), we are experiencing highs around mid 60's to mid 70's, with an occasional 80 thrown in. The pine trees are tossing out their yellow pollen all over everything, so anybody with allergies... heck, even those without allergies... are having their yearly bout with sinus problems. The bradford pear trees just spit out their blooms a couple of weeks ago. It was absolutely gorgeous to drive around town looking at them.

March starts the spring afternoon thunderstorm season down here. Once it gets up to the high 70's / mid 80's on a consistent basis, the afternoons are just about guaranteed a thunderstorm somewhere around here. This will continue on until, oh, late June / mid July.

July, the heat starts tapping you on the shoulder with some low to mid 90's to let you know its there, whereas August puts you in a month-long head-lock of heat and humidity. 100's are not uncommon. September likes to tease you and pretend it is your friend with some mid 90's, but as soon as you think you are in the clear, it will drop another couple of 100's on you.

October, the heat starts to let up a little, but more often than not, we still torture our kids by making them sweat in long-sleeved / long-legged costumes come Halloween.

November is a crapshoot. One year, you'll be breaking the long-sleeves out by the first week. The next year, you'll still be wearing tshirts and shorts come Thanksgiving.

December, you usually are pretty much wearing long-sleeves all the time. There is the occasional freakish tshirt/shorts day that pops up though, as someone else alluded to. The bummer is, if you like white Christmases, this ain't the place for you. Jackets and coats are really only used up til now to keep the kiddos dry rather than for warmth.

January to mid-February is typically the coldest time of year. There will be a few weeks worth of days ... not all at once ... where the high temperature does not get above freezing. There will be a few days where the low temperature may ... MAY ... get to single digits.

Usually by February, the weather develops a bipolar disorder. It will be cold for a few days (30's and 40's), then warm for a few days (50's and 60's). A cold front blows through and starts the cycle over again.

The thing about Arkansas... get used to the terms 'supercell', 'dryline', 'afternoon heating', 'tornado'. You will become intimately familiar with the weather in Dallas and Tulsa, because chances are, whatever they are getting, you will get within 6-12 hours.

[Dozier]

its HOT in the summer .. if you are from a climate that is not HIGH humidity, it will take getting used to. I moved there in 99-2000 ish from Central coast CALI and the heat about killed me.
Central heat and air is a must for me in ark. I wouldnt even look at a houe that doesnt have it. I lived inthe Fort Smtih area. They get a few tornados but not too bad. it isnt nearly as bad as oklahoma. It gets fairly cold in the winter, but nothing like here in Colorado. The Summer is what will gt you. it is very hot and very muggy.
BTW .. there are a lOT of bugs in ark. The bugs are everywhere.

[sunluvin]

In NW Ark it's hot and humid with highs in the 90's to occasionally low 100's. The winter is 40's one day ice or snow the next. sometimes highs in the teens, but not for longer than a few days.

[bchris02]

Cold snaps with lows going well into the teens can occur as late as mid-April as we are about to see. Unfortunately, there is a pretty good chance it could kill off all the tree-vegitation, and spring will have to "re-spring". Things should start greening up again in early June based on what happened a couple years ago when we had the same type of late-season extreme cold snap.

[nmnita]

I have noticed the OP hasn't come back to tell us what part of AR. Even here in the NWest area the temps can be all over the place, Ft Smith is different than Bentonville and BV. I do not think we had a day last year where the temps got to 100 degrees, we had some mid 90s, but not 100. Well I take that back, one day the car thermamator (outside) showed 103 when I was coming up 71. By the time I got closer to the highlands it was about 97 I think..I would say, as for winters, we didn't have a single day this year where the temps stayed in the teens all day. Of course lots of mornings in the teens and a few in the single digits, but not the entire day. Of course there are always going to be that strange year, like anywhere in the country, where we have something really freaky...

It does appear we are in for a couple of really cold mornings this week. Thank goodness I haven't planted my seends yet or put out my tomatoes. I hope to get them in next weekend..They I will pray for nights to stay in the 40s or higher.

We have found the humidity to be higher than in California and certainly higher than NM but nothing like Washington DC, Fl or Dallas.

As for bugs, yes, they come in all sizes and varieties, just like they do in most places.. The secret is to have the house sprayed every few months, especially from April to Novermber..We rarely see any inside and the ones we do see are either about to attend their own furneral or hoping for life support.

Nita