As a native Arkansan, there are some things I will never forget. Like the first time I sat through a baseball game when it was 107 degrees in the shade or the first ice storm I experienced when we lost power for two straight weeks.
I will also never forget the first time I got in the bathtub with our infant daughter to take shelter from a tornado. My husband and I crouched in our bathtub with a mattress over our heads. We heard the rain hitting our house from all four directions. It would pound against the west side of the house, go completely silent, then pound against the east side of our house.
We woke up the next morning to find out that the tornado had actually destroyed part of the nearby high school on its way past our house. In fact, my grandfather heard the distinct “freight train” sound as the tornado passed his house.
People who aren’t from Arkansas often wonder if we have four distinct seasons.
Let’s break this down.
Does Arkansas have 4 seasons?
The location of Arkansas makes it the perfect place to live if you want four mild seasons with only occasional severe weather.
Spring in Arkansas is beautiful.
It’s currently springtime. Our dogwood trees are blooming, our blueberry bushes have buds, and the song birds have filled our trees. Spring time in Arkansas is beautiful. Don’t miss all the BEST fishing in Arkansas, too!
However, this also happens to be the time when we have plenty of rain and occasional tornadoes. But, around here, we take the good with the bad.
Read: Does Arkansas Get Tornadoes?
Arkansas summers are just hot.
Usually the heat starts in around the middle of May and it will be hot and humid until Fall.
Officially classified by climatologist Wladimir Köppen as having a humid sub-tropical climate, Arkansas is indeed humid, but numerous weather extremes run through the state. Humid sub-tropical is classified generally as a mild climate with a hot summer and no specific dry season. -source
This is my least favorite season in Arkansas. Every time I step outside, I become sweaty and sticky. Mowing the yard can become very laborious in this heat and fighting the mosquitoes can be a constant chore.
Arkansas becomes quite sultry in summertime, as tropical air streams in from the Gulf of Mexico. The statewide average high temperature in the hottest months of the year, July and August, hovers in the low 90s Fahrenheit, and highs can occasionally reach into the triple digits. -source
We have all learned to cope by choosing outdoor activities that help us beat the heat. Around here, one of our favorite activities is swimming in our Arkansas lakes!
Fall is my favorite Arkansas season!
I love Fall. Fall in Arkansas is especially beautiful because of the color changes that happen in our forests. Even driving down the highway is more pleasant because of the gorgeous foliage lining the road.
Many people love to take drives through Northern Arkansas in the Fall just to look at the trees and their color-changing leaves.
Fall is also when the weather starts to turn crisp. For me, it’s the time to start stocking up on hot chocolate and chili “fixin’s” for the weather ahead.
It’s also the season when the grass stops growing and what’s not to love about that?
Arkansas Winters are mild but can still get cold.
I love Winter. I mean, I REALLY love Winter. In fact, I love it so much that we almost named our second daughter Winter! Ultimately, we decided on a name that’s just as beautiful but that just shows you how much this season means to us.
Do you wonder, “What are winters like in Arkansas?” Winter is special in Arkansas because it’s mild with extreme temperatures sprinkled in lightly. Extremely cold weather never lasts long.
There have been plenty of Christmases where we’re all wearing short sleeves!
However, every once in a while, we get thrown a curve ball and something crazy happens.
This might leave you wondering, “Does Arkansas get snow?”
Arkansas has 4 beautiful seasons.
I love that Arkansas has 4 seasons. It keeps life interesting and it also means that if you don’t like one season, it won’t be long until its time for the next one!