Record high temperature 69 degrees in Fayetteville on Friday

The Morning News

Local News for Northwest Arkansas


Record High Temperature Set

By Anna Fry The Morning News
Warm temperatures Friday set a record at 69 degrees, said Pete Snyder, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla.

The previous record of 66 degrees was set on Dec. 26, 1971, said Chuck Hodges, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The average temperature for the day over the past 30 years is 45 degrees.

The service records temperatures for Fayetteville but not Bentonville, Springdale and Rogers, Hodges said.

Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico started flowing through the area Thursday, Hodges said. A strong cold front will approach from the northwest today.

As the weather changes, there’s a chance of severe weather, including tornadoes, hail and wind, Hodges said.

Hodges expected storm watches and warnings to be issued overnight. The National Weather Service forecasts possibly severe thunderstorms into noon today.

Mike Dixon, the deputy director of the Benton County Department of Emergency Management, said it’s good to remember the difference between a watch and warning.

“A watch means the weather is probable and a warning means the weather is imminent or happening,” he said.

If a thunderstorm warning is issued, people should stay indoors and away from windows, Dixon said. If a tornado warning is issued, people should get on a lower level room without windows such as a closet or bathroom.

“We would encourage people if they have a weather radio, check it and make sure it’s working,” Dixon said.