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Shaded-relief map of Arkansas City, Arkansas: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ARKANSAS · DESHA COUNTY

Arkansas City

345 people, 140 ft above sea level in Desha County.

140 ftElevation, city center
345People, 2024 estimate
0 sq miLand area
Clear 41°
Clear now Dew point 28° · NNE 6 mph · high 44°
City of Arkansas City River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Arkansas City plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Arkansas City

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 7:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Mid Delta Regional Airport (KGLH) · 7:53 PM
Clear
41° Clear Feels like 37° · high of 44° near 8 PM
WindNNE 6 mphno gusts
Humidity60%rising to 70% by morning
Pressure30.25 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 28° · Dry38° by Monday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAIN—none in 31 days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Desha County
NWS Little Rock and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 8:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:35 AM5:03 PM ↓
10 h 27 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 27% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
21
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
clear night
TEMPERATURE °F
44°
38°
59°
44°
63°
38°
65°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
7
6
8
8
9
10
12
8
8
8
8
8
9
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10
8
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7
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 28 to 38°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 65° / 42°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
44° 38°
0% rain — NE 7 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
60° 39°
0% rain — ENE 10 B
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
64° 34°
0% rain — ENE 9 A
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
66° 37°
0% rain — ENE 7 B
WED Nov. 18 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
70° 43°
0% rain — E 6 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
73° 46°
0% rain — ENE 6 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
75° 46°
0% rain — ESE 6 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Arkansas City about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Ozarks three days ago, about 520 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. Near the ground the air came from Alabama and Mississippi; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific Northwest. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO Nov. 13, 2019

The coldest this week has been

17° on Nov. 13, 2019, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1903. Next is 20° in 1940.

20°
17°
19402019
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Greenville Area threaded record since 1903.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Arkansas City stands on

Arkansas City’s center stands about 140 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 100 ft to 180 ft, a difference of 80 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Alluvium - Alluvial deposits of local streams or of overbank flow of major streams (coarse-detrital, fine-detrital), from the Holocene, less than 12,000 years old.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

Arkansas City, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
100 ft200 ft ARKANSAS CITY140 ftBoggy Bayouabout 130 ftMississippi Riverabout 100 ftHigh point of the line220 ft ← SWNE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Alluvium - Alluvial deposits of local streams or of overbank flow of major streams

Coarse-detrital, fine-detrital. Age: Holocene, less than 12,000 years old. About 13 mi of the line.

Alluvium - Alluvial deposits in major stream channels or in mappable meanders of major streams

Coarse-detrital, fine-detrital. Age: Holocene, less than 12,000 years old. About 6 mi of the line.

Alluvium

Fine-detrital, coarse-detrital. Age: Holocene, less than 12,000 years old. About 5 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Arkansas City’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Arkansas City reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Bayou Macon, the Tensas, the Black River, the Red River, the Atchafalaya and the Lower Atchafalaya: about 450 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Arkansas City≈ 450 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF ARKANSAS CITY ≈ 450 mi to the Gulf of America Bayou Macon → Tensas → Black River → Red River → Atchafalaya → Lower Atchafalaya

200 miles of the trip are on the Bayou Macon.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Arkansas City; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Arkansas City’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1903 · Greenville Asos, 15 mi east-southeast

Arkansas City has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 93° in July; winter nights fall to about 35° in January. About 49 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

53°35°58°38°66°45°74°54°83°62°89°69°93°72°92°71°88°64°77°53°65°42°55°37° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY 49.0 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month
July, average93° / 72°high / low, the warmest month
January, average53° / 35°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year49.0 inwettest months: December and April
Hottest on record110°FJuly 29, 1930
Coldest on record−2°FFebruary 2, 1951
Wettest day on record8.95 inSeptember 3, 2008
Snowiest day on record10.0 inDecember 22, 1929
90° days a year83about 2 of them 100° or more
Nights at or below 32°40and 2 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Nov. 8, to the last in spring, about March 10 (median dates)
2Highs of 90° and upJune 15 to Sept. 10; normal highs reach 90°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Arkansas City normally reaches 65° and falls to 42°. The record high is 87°, in 1955; the record low 24°, in 2013. The most rain on this date, 3.22 in, fell in 1957.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high53°58°66°74°83°89°93°92°88°77°65°55°
Normal low35°38°45°54°62°69°72°71°64°53°42°37°
Rain, inches4.494.724.715.013.793.323.182.833.624.224.015.10
Record high90° (1950)91° (1950)91° (1929)96° (1987)100° (1977)107° (1914)110° (1930)107° (1935)107° (1925)99° (2023)88° (2023)85° (1924)
Record low−1° (1918)−2° (1951)15° (1943)29° (1924)36° (2013)49° (1966)53° (1947)50° (2004)37° (1942)25° (1917)16° (1950)1° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1903 from the Greenville Area threaded record (Greenville Asos, 15 miles east-southeast). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Arkansas City on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Greenville MS · 18 MI 18 miles southeast Little Rock AR · 102 MI 102 miles northwest Jackson MS · 106 MI 106 miles southeast Conway AR · 124 MI 124 miles northwest Memphis TN · 125 MI 125 miles northeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Arkansas City, Arkansas. Explore the plate
ARKANSAS · DESHA

Arkansas City

345 people, 140 ft above sea level in Desha County.

140 ftElevation
345People
0 sq miLand
Clear 41°
ClearDew point 28°
1

Today in Arkansas City

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 44° 0%
11p partly cloudy night 41° 0%
2a mostly cloudy night 40° 0%
5a partly cloudy night 39° 0%
8a partly cloudy day 44° 0%
11a mostly sunny 54° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
38
44
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
39
60
B
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34
64
A
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
37
66
B
Wed0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
43
70
B
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
46
73
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
46
75
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO · NOV. 13, 2019

17°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1903.

2

What Arkansas City stands on

Arkansas City’s center stands about 140 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 100 ft to 180 ft, a difference of 80 ft: gently rolling country.

Arkansas City, southwest to northeast Arkansas City140 ftBoggy Bayouabout 130 ftMississippi Riverabout 100 ftHigh point220 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center140 ft
Within 3 miles100 to 180 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (80 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceAlluvium - Alluvial deposits of local streams or of overbank flow of major streams
Its ageHolocene, less than 12,000 years old
5

Arkansas City’s year

Arkansas City has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 93° in July; winter nights fall to about 35° in January. About 49 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 49.0 in
July, average93° / 72° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average53° / 35° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year49.0 in · wettest months: December and April
Hottest on record110°F · July 29, 1930
Coldest on record−2°F · February 2, 1951
Wettest day on record8.95 in · September 3, 2008
Snowiest day on record10.0 in · December 22, 1929
90° days a year83 · about 2 of them 100° or more
Nights at or below 32°40 · and 2 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Nov. 8, to the last in spring, about March 10 (median dates)
2Highs of 90° and up · June 15 to Sept. 10; normal highs reach 90°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Arkansas City normally reaches 65° and falls to 42°. The record high is 87°, in 1955; the record low 24°, in 2013. The most rain on this date, 3.22 in, fell in 1957.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1903 from the Greenville Area threaded record (Greenville Asos, 15 miles east-southeast). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 450 mito the Gulf of AmericaBayou Macon → Tensas → Black River → Red River → Atchafalaya → Lower Atchafalaya

A raindrop that lands in Arkansas City reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Bayou Macon, the Tensas, the Black River, the Red River, the Atchafalaya and the Lower Atchafalaya: about 450 river miles.

200 miles of the trip are on the Bayou Macon.