FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — WOO PIG SOOIE! It’s once again time for Razorback football, and the Hogs will get the 2024 season started in Little Rock against the UAPB Golden Lions! If you’re making the trek to War Memorial Stadium for the game, we’ve got you covered with the weather forecast, which may be a little bit stormy across the I-40 corridor!

Gameday Forecast

As we’ve been mentioning all week long, the ridge of high pressure responsible for our hot and humid weather is beginning to slide off to the east of the area. This is opening the door for subtle pieces of energy to swing into portions of the state, especially in and around the Little Rock area. As we move throughout the afternoon hours on Thursday, temperatures should warm up very quickly into the lower-middle 90s, with muggy dewpoints in the 60s and 70s. This will provide fuel for isolated to scattered storm development, which should get going right around 3 P.M. along and south of the I-40 corridor. While not everyone will see rain, the locations that do could see locally heavy downpours, gusty winds and frequent lightning. If you’re planning on tailgating along the golf course in the afternoon hours, I would suggest bringing plenty of rain gear just in case those storms impact the Little Rock area, especially between 3 – 7 P.M. Once we lose daytime heating right around 7 P.M., most of the thunderstorms will dissipate, though one or two isolated storms could hang around the stadium throughout the game. Temperatures will drop off rather quickly into the upper 70s to lower 80s by the time we hit postgame, with a quiet rest of the night expected across the state!

Friday Travel Outlook

If you’re planning on heading back up to Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley on Friday, be prepared for some soggy conditions as a powerful cold front pushes through the area! Widespread shower and storm development is expected throughout the morning hours Friday, with multiple rounds possible along the I-49 and I-40 corridors. Based on the latest model data, it will be quite difficult to avoid these storms as you’re heading back home, but the best time to be on the roadways will be during the morning hours as heavy rain potential ramps up in the afternoon. Up to 2″ of rain is looking likely, with locally higher amounts possible in the River Valley south of I-40. Drive safe folks!

2024 Razorback Football Forecast!

Before we wrap up this weather blog, I wanted to share my predictions for the upcoming football season! I know it was a tough year for our beloved Razorbacks in 2023, but I feel confident that the Bobby Petrino offense is going to breath new life into the program and carry the Hogs to a bowl game! The Oklahoma State game is by far the most important game of the year for Arkansas, and I think Sam Pittman is already cooking up a gameplan that will help them eek out a win. If the Hogs can get to 4-0 in the non-conference slate, that will set the stage for a much more manageable path to bowl eligibility, despite the insanely difficult conference slate that the SEC gifted the Hogs this year! My two SEC wins include a road victory over Mississippi State and at home against rival LSU. Many forget that the Hogs were a play or two away from beating the Tigers on the road against a Heisman Trophy winning QB, and I think the Hogs will make the plays to get a win in front of a rowdy home crowd! Win, lose or draw, it’s always a great time when football season rolls around the Hill, and I hope everyone has a great time in Little Rock this evening as the Hogs kick off the 2024 season! WOO PIG!

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