Posted daily by the Arkansas Forestry Division. When the meter reads High or above, hold off on outdoor burning and call Central Dispatch at 870-741-9100 before any planned burn.
Checking today’s rating…
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Tap a day for the full write-up and every stat the NWS issues for it.
Hour by hour for the next 48 hours; that’s as far out as the NWS issues an hourly forecast. The Week Ahead above carries the rest of the week.
The radar map couldn’t load. See live radar on the National Weather Service radar.
Live NEXRAD base reflectivity, centered on our district (orange dashes); drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and press play to loop the last hour. Radar from NOAA NEXRAD via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; updates every few minutes. For the official view, open the NWS radar.
Current precipitation data compared with the long-term record for our area.
Statewide burn bans are on the Arkansas burn ban map, and our safe outdoor burning guidelines cover site prep, what never to burn, and when to wait.
How high the atmosphere lets your smoke rise and mix before it stops. When the mixing height is low (roughly under 1,500 feet), smoke can’t climb; it hangs near the ground, stays thick, and settles into hollows and onto roads. The higher the number, the better the smoke lifts and thins out.
The average wind through that mixing layer; it’s what carries your smoke once it rises. Very light transport wind means smoke pools near the burn. Strong transport wind moves smoke far downwind, and a windy layer aloft can also drive a fire harder than the ground-level wind suggests.
Together they describe how well the day ventilates: a decent mixing height with a moderate transport wind clears smoke; a low mixing height with light wind smokes in your neighbors even from a small, well-behaved pile. Both appear day by day under The Week Ahead as “Smoke dispersion.”