Winter Storm — Cross, Arkansas

2026-01-23 to 2026-01-25 · Cross, Arkansas

Event narrative

Sleet and snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches.

Wider weather episode

A significant winter weather event impacted the Mid-South from January 23rd through January 25th, 2026, driven by a classic southern-stream cyclone interacting with entrenched Arctic air across the region. A broad, positively tilted trough extending from the Central Plains into the Desert Southwest emerged on January 23rd. Downstream, strong surface high pressure was centered over the Midwest and Ohio Valley, promoting persistent cold air advection into the Lower Mississippi Valley and reinforcing a shallow subfreezing airmass.

Isentropic ascent intensified across the Mid-South beginning late January 23rd, as warm, moist air overran the shallow Arctic dome. This resulted in widespread precipitation developing from southwest to northeast across eastern Arkansas.

Thermal profiles across eastern Arkansas favored predominantly snow north of Interstate 40, however, with the development of the surface low, a shallow warm nose aloft overspread the area, causing a changeover to sleet. Poor road conditions continued for nearly two weeks after the storm, causing difficult travel and widespread school cancellations.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1314653. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.