LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Some scattered showers will gradually build across northwest Arkansas during the day Tuesday. But it’s not until after midnight going into Wednesday that our heaviest rain and storms arrive.

That said, your Wednesday morning commute is going to be quite messy. Widespread rainfall is likely with pockets of heavy thunderstorm activity in parts of central and south Arkansas. This will lead to ponding on roadways, increasing the chances of hydroplaning. Visibility will likely be affected as well.

Heavy rain will continue to come in waves through the midday and early afternoon hours. This will increase our risk for flash flooding, especially where the heaviest storms linger.

Most models agree that most of Arkansas will see 2 to 4 inches of rain. But in some cases, where those heavier storms are most repetitive, we could see 4 to 6 inches.

If you encounter flooded roadways, please be sure to turn around and avoid driving through it. You never know how deep the water is or if it has washed the pavement away underneath. The best way to guarantee safety in a flash flood is to avoid driving through it at all.

In addition to the flash flood risk, there is a slight chance that some of these storms become severe. The main severe threat comes in the form of wind. But the tornado and hail risk is not zero, so we will be keeping a close watch for any storms that could cause damage.

Rain and storms will slack off some later in the afternoon. But a few trailing showers and storms could still be around through most of the evening. We’ll dry out even more after midnight, leading up to a sunny, mild Thursday.