Extreme heat continues across the Fort Smith area this week. National Weather Service Tulsa graphic.
Hey Fort Smith — there's a meaningful late-night change to the heat alert we posted earlier, especially for people around Mansfield, Huntington, Hartford and the southern end of Sebastian County.
At 10:38 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Tulsa expanded Thursday's Heat Advisory to include Southern Sebastian County.
NWS also revised the timing for the Fort Smith and Van Buren side of the advisory from the previously announced 10 a.m.–8 p.m. window to noon–7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.
That means one part of our earlier weather update is now outdated.
Earlier Wednesday, Southern Sebastian County was not included in Thursday's advisory.
It is now.
The newest NWS alert specifically lists Mansfield, Hartford, Huntington, Liberty and Patterson in the added Southern Sebastian zone.
The Weather Service says heat-index values up to 107 degrees are expected there Thursday afternoon.
For North and Central Sebastian County and Southern Crawford County — including Fort Smith, Arkoma and Van Buren — NWS now says the advisory runs from noon until 7 p.m., with heat-index values up to 108 degrees possible across the broader advisory area.
So essentially, all of Sebastian County's National Weather Service forecast zones are now under Thursday's Heat Advisory, along with Southern Crawford County.
The advisory got broader geographically but shorter by three hours.
The first version issued Wednesday afternoon had Fort Smith and Van Buren under an advisory from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The late-night NWS update changed that to:
Thursday, Sept. 17
Noon–7 p.m.
For the main Fort Smith and Van Buren advisory area, NWS now lists heat-index values up to 108.
For Southern Sebastian County, the separately added alert lists heat-index values up to 107.
That's slightly below the 109-degree maximum in Wednesday afternoon's earlier advisory.
But nobody should read that as Thursday suddenly becoming comfortable.
Fort Smith's updated National Weather Service point forecast still calls for a high near 103 degrees Thursday with a heat index as high as 107.
There's also a small chance of an afternoon thunderstorm.
The biggest change is for Southern Sebastian County.
When we posted the earlier advisory update Wednesday afternoon, the alert covered North and Central Sebastian County and Southern Crawford County.
Southern Sebastian County was left out of Thursday's advisory.
At 10:38 Wednesday night, NWS added it.
The newly included Arkansas zone covers Southern Sebastian County, with the alert specifically naming:
Mansfield
Hartford
Huntington
Liberty
Patterson
The advisory there runs from noon until 7 p.m. Thursday.
That's a genuine change, not simply the Weather Service reposting the same warning.
Does the later noon start mean the morning is safe?
It means the Weather Service now expects the most hazardous combination of temperature and humidity later in the day than it did in the earlier forecast.
It doesn't mean 11:30 a.m. is going to feel nice.
Thursday is still forecast to be around triple digits in Fort Smith.
If you've got outdoor work that can be done early, morning is still the better option.
Roofing, landscaping, construction, mowing, unloading trucks, outdoor practices and anything involving heavy physical work become a completely different job once the heat index gets above 100.
The Weather Service continues to recommend limiting strenuous activity to the morning or evening, taking frequent breaks and responding quickly to signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
There's still a small thunderstorm chance too.
Fort Smith's latest NWS forecast has about a 20% chance of showers or thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Thursday.
That might cool down one neighborhood for twenty minutes.
It doesn't mean the entire River Valley is getting a widespread afternoon break from the heat.
NWS Tulsa's latest regional outlook says dangerous heat continues Thursday across eastern Oklahoma and west-central Arkansas, while low thunderstorm chances remain mainly around far eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.
Hey Fort Smith — here's the corrected Thursday forecast without making you sort through three different versions of the alert.
Fort Smith — Heat Advisory.
Van Buren — Heat Advisory.
Mansfield — now included.
Huntington, Hartford, Liberty and Patterson — now included.
Thursday advisory time: NOON–7 P.M.
Heat index: up to about 108 across the main advisory area; up to 107 in Southern Sebastian County.
So if you saw our earlier update saying Southern Sebastian wasn't included, scratch that part.
NWS changed the alert at 10:38 Wednesday night.
And while the advisory window is now shorter, Thursday is still forecast to be brutally hot.
If you can knock outdoor work out early, do it.
If you've got somebody working outside for you, make breaks part of the plan instead of something they have to ask for after they already feel sick.
And if you've got family around Mansfield or the southern end of Sebastian County, let them know they're officially under the advisory now too.
Community takeaway: The National Weather Service updated Thursday's Heat Advisory at 10:38 p.m. Wednesday. Southern Sebastian County has now been added, including Mansfield, Hartford, Huntington, Liberty and Patterson. North and Central Sebastian County and Southern Crawford County remain included. The advisory now runs from noon until 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. Heat-index values up to 108 degrees are possible across the main advisory area, while Southern Sebastian County could reach 107.
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Sources: National Weather Service — latest official Heat Advisory text and 10:38 p.m. update · National Weather Service — current Fort Smith forecast · National Weather Service Tulsa — current regional outlook
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