ARKANSAS, USA – The next big impact is coming later this week. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Thursday and Friday. The 5NEWS weather team has issued a weather warning for both days.

The National Weather Service issued the weather forecast for Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Sebastian, Logan, Scott, Le Flore and Sequoyah counties, beginning at noon Thursday and continuing through noon Friday.

Tap here for an hour-by-hour forecast.

The timing of the snowfall appears to be between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon, with heavier accumulation south of I-40. The River Valley and central Arkansas will most likely see the highest accumulation in the state as most parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma will experience some type of winter weather impact. There is still some uncertainty about how much accumulation to expect in northwest Arkansas.

There is a strong area of ​​low pressure in the south this week. As it moves through Central Texas, it will pull a lot of moisture into the Gulf of Mexico, so we should be prepared for some very wet snow. The good news is that freezing rain or sleet is unlikely as the freezing mark is further south.

Wet snow is great for the kids! Expect lots of snowmen, snowball fights and tobogganing on Friday.

There is a high chance that this Winter Storm Warning will eventually become a warning as the system approaches the areas issued.

The 5NEWS weather team will have a detailed specific accumulation total the next day as models provide better data ahead of the winter storm.

At this point in time, impacts on travel, school closures and business closures are expected at least for Friday.

Stay with 5NEWS for updates.