Fayetteville, Arkansas – Residents across northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma remain under a Tornado Watch early Saturday as severe storms capable of producing tornadoes move through the region overnight.
According to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Tornado Watch 20 remains in effect until 4 a.m. CST Saturday for parts of northwest and west-central Arkansas along with eastern Oklahoma. The watch includes major population centers such as Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Rogers, Fort Smith, Muskogee, Tahlequah, McAlester, and Sallisaw.
Counties in the watch area include Benton, Washington, Carroll, Crawford, Madison, Franklin, and Sebastian in Arkansas, along with Cherokee, Muskogee, Sequoyah, Adair, Pittsburg, Haskell, Le Flore, Latimer, Choctaw, McIntosh, and Pushmataha counties in Oklahoma.
Storms moving across the region during the overnight hours could produce damaging wind gusts, isolated tornadoes, and intense lightning, particularly along corridors near Interstate 49 in northwest Arkansas and Interstate 40 in eastern Oklahoma.
Emergency managers urge residents to keep phones charged and weather alerts enabled in case warnings are issued. Those living in mobile homes or vulnerable structures should identify a sturdy shelter location immediately.
The tornado watch remains active through 4 a.m. Saturday, and additional warnings could be issued if storms strengthen across the region.
