Wet spring will likely lead into cooler summer

TEXARKANA — It’s been a wet month for Texarkana and much of Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas.

Texarkana has received 4.18 inches of rain this month as of Friday, said Chris Buoanno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Little Rock.

More than two inches of that rain has occurred since last Sunday.

“It’s been a very wet period,” Buoanno said.

Some isolated areas have received more rain than that and flooding has occurred in low-lying areas.

More rain was expected in Texarkana late Friday. A flash flood watch was in effect until 7 p.m.

Rain was supposed to decrease by this weekend.

“There is not much rain in forecast through the weekend. Maybe a little on Saturday but Sunday should be dry,” Buoanno said.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms could be likely the rest of the month, but there is no heavy rain event in the forecast,

Buoanno said.

Texarkana received 3.52 inches of rain in April which is slightly below level, according to NWS.

The summer months are expected to be cooler and rainier than normal with the hottest period expected in mid-July, according to the National Weather Service’s long range forecast.

Weather patterns are also transitioning from La Niña to neutral conditions.

This means the water was cooler than usual, and is becoming more normal with time. Since La Niña was in effect when the spring began, forecasters were anticipating active weather.

La Niña has been active during some of the largest outbreaks of tornadoes and major flooding.