Arkansas Faces Large Hail, Strong Winds and Tornadoes Tuesday Afternoon and Evening With Storms Tracking From Fort Smith Through Russellville to Jonesboro by 9:30 PM
ARKANSAS — The entire state of Arkansas is facing a noteworthy severe weather threat on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with large hail, strong winds and a few tornadoes expected to occur during the late afternoon and evening hours. The threat is conditional on storm development but concern is growing heading into Tuesday.
Storms Expected to Fire Late Afternoon and Track Northeast by Evening
Futurecast radar valid at 9:30 PM Tuesday shows a line of intense storms tracking across a corridor from Mena and Fort Smith through Russellville, Batesville and Jonesboro in the northern half of the state, with a separate storm cluster pushing northeast near De Queen and Arkadelphia in the south.
The most intense storm activity on the futurecast is concentrated near Mena, Russellville and the Batesville to Jonesboro corridor, where the deepest red and purple reflectivity values are indicated by 9:30 PM.
Hazards Confirmed for Tuesday Afternoon and Evening
- Hail — large hail expected with stronger storm cells
- Wind — strong damaging winds possible
- Tornado — a few tornadoes will occur during the late afternoon and evening
What to Expect Across Arkansas Tuesday
The risk covers the entire state of Arkansas but remains conditional on storm initiation and development. Some areas will see the evening pass with no significant issues. Others will encounter thunderstorms with large hail, strong winds and tornado potential as storms fire and organize through the late afternoon hours.
Cities in the primary storm corridor include Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Mena, Russellville, Clinton, Little Rock, Batesville, Jonesboro, Hot Springs and Searcy.
Residents across Arkansas should have multiple ways to receive weather alerts active before Tuesday afternoon arrives and have a shelter plan ready before storms develop.
Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for live Tuesday severe weather updates across Arkansas.
