Editing Hot Springs, Arkansas (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas (aerial).jpg|thumb|Downtown Hot Springs, as seen from mountain overlook]]
Hot Springs is located in southeastern Garland County. It sits at the southeastern edge of the [[Ouachita Mountains]] and is {{convert|55|mi}} southwest of [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]].
[[File:Hot Springs National Park, AR.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Hot Springs National Park]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city of Hot Springs has a total area of {{convert|91.0|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|90.7|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.3|km2|order=flip|1}}, or 0.35%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0533400| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hot Springs city, Arkansas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=November 10, 2016}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
{{Further|Hell's Half Acre (Hot Springs, Arkansas)}}

===Natural springs===
The city takes its name from the natural thermal water that flows from 47 springs on the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain in the historic downtown district of the city. About {{convert|1000000|USgal|ML}} of {{convert|143|F|C}} water flow from the springs each day.<ref>{{ cite journal |last1= Bedinger |first1= M.S. |last2= Pearson |first2= F.J. Jr. |last3= Reed |first3= J.E. |last4= Sniegocki |first4= R.T. |last5= Stone |first5= C.G. |title= The waters of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas; their nature and origin |year= 1979 |url= http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1044c/report.pdf |publisher= United States Geological Survey |journal= Geological Survey Professional Paper 1044-C |location= Washington D.C. |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163110/http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1044c/report.pdf |archive-date= April 2, 2015 }}</ref> The flow rate is not affected by fluctuations in the rainfall in the area. Studies by National Park Service scientists have determined through [[radiocarbon dating]] that the water that reaches the surface in Hot Springs fell as rainfall 4,400&nbsp;years earlier.<ref>{{ cite journal |last1= Kresse |first1= T.M. |last2= Hays |first2= P.D. |title= Geochemistry, comparative analysis, and physical and chemical characteristics of the thermal waters east of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas |url= http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5263/downloads/SIR2009-5263.pdf |orig-year= First published 2009 |journal= Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5263 |publisher= United States Geological Survey |date= February 2011 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130720203747/http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5263/downloads/SIR2009-5263.pdf |archive-date= July 20, 2013 }}</ref> The water percolates very slowly down through the earth's surface until it reaches superheated areas deep in the crust and then rushes rapidly to the surface to emerge from the 47 hot springs.

Hot Springs Creek flows from Whittington Avenue, then is underground in a tunnel beneath Bathhouse Row (Central Ave). It emerges from the tunnel south of Bathhouse Row then flows through the southern part of the city before emptying into [[Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine|Lake Hamilton]], a reservoir on the [[Ouachita River]].

===Climate===
Hot Springs lies in the [[humid subtropical climate]] zone ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''). The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of {{convert|93.1|°F|1}} and an average low of {{convert|72.1|°F|1}}. The city's highest temperature was {{convert|115|°F|1}}, recorded in 1936 and 1986. The lowest temperature recorded was {{convert|-11|°F|1}} in 1930.

Precipitation is weakly seasonal, with a bimodal pattern: wet seasons in the spring and fall, and relatively drier summers and winters, but plentiful rain in all months. The spring wet season is more pronounced than fall, with the highest rainfall in May. Hot Springs' precipitation is affected by the [[Orographic lift|orographic effect]] of the Ouachita Mountains.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Hot Springs 1 NNE, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1887–present)
|single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 81
| Feb record high F = 87
| Mar record high F = 93
| Apr record high F = 97
| May record high F = 103
| Jun record high F = 112
| Jul record high F = 114
| Aug record high F = 115
| Sep record high F = 112
| Oct record high F = 99
| Nov record high F = 88
| Dec record high F = 82
| year record high F = 115
| Jan high F = 51.7
| Feb high F = 56.3
| Mar high F = 64.9
| Apr high F = 73.7
| May high F = 80.4
| Jun high F = 88.3
| Jul high F = 93.1
| Aug high F = 93.0
| Sep high F = 86.2
| Oct high F = 74.8
| Nov high F = 62.5
| Dec high F = 53.4
| year high F = 73.2
| Jan mean F = 41.8
| Feb mean F = 45.6
| Mar mean F = 53.6
| Apr mean F = 62.2
| May mean F = 70.4
| Jun mean F = 78.3
| Jul mean F = 82.6
| Aug mean F = 82.0
| Sep mean F = 75.0
| Oct mean F = 63.5
| Nov mean F = 52.3
| Dec mean F = 44.1
| year mean F = 62.6
| Jan low F = 32.0
| Feb low F = 34.9
| Mar low F = 42.3
| Apr low F = 50.6
| May low F = 60.4
| Jun low F = 68.4
| Jul low F = 72.1
| Aug low F = 71.0
| Sep low F = 63.9
| Oct low F = 52.2
| Nov low F = 42.0
| Dec low F = 34.7
| year low F = 52.0
| Jan record low F = -9
| Feb record low F = -11
| Mar record low F = 7
| Apr record low F = 24
| May record low F = 31
| Jun record low F = 44
| Jul record low F = 51
| Aug record low F = 45
| Sep record low F = 35
| Oct record low F = 20
| Nov record low F = 14
| Dec record low F = -5
| year record low F = -11
|Jan avg record high F = 70.4
|Feb avg record high F = 75.1
|Mar avg record high F = 82.7
|Apr avg record high F = 87.1
|May avg record high F = 90.8
|Jun avg record high F = 96.6
|Jul avg record high F = 102.4
|Aug avg record high F = 102.3
|Sep avg record high F = 97.8
|Oct avg record high F = 89.6
|Nov avg record high F = 78.2
|Dec avg record high F = 70.8
|year avg record high F = 104.6
|Jan avg record low F = 14.8
|Feb avg record low F = 19.7
|Mar avg record low F = 25.6
|Apr avg record low F = 34.1
|May avg record low F = 45.6
|Jun avg record low F = 57.8
|Jul avg record low F = 63.1
|Aug avg record low F = 60.8
|Sep avg record low F = 49.4
|Oct avg record low F = 35.7
|Nov avg record low F = 26.2
|Dec avg record low F = 19.9
|year avg record low F = 11.8
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.76
| Feb precipitation inch = 4.64
| Mar precipitation inch = 5.53
| Apr precipitation inch = 5.86
| May precipitation inch = 6.51
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.33
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.52
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.60
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.18
| Oct precipitation inch = 5.10
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.94
| Dec precipitation inch = 4.99
|year precipitation inch = 57.96
| Jan snow inch = 0.6
| Feb snow inch = 0.4
| Mar snow inch = 0.1
| Apr snow inch = 0.0
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.0
| Nov snow inch = 0.0
| Dec snow inch = 0.0
| year snow inch = 1.1
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 9.6
| Feb precipitation days = 9.8
| Mar precipitation days = 10.9
| Apr precipitation days = 9.5
| May precipitation days = 11.1
| Jun precipitation days = 8.3
| Jul precipitation days = 8.7
| Aug precipitation days = 8.0
| Sep precipitation days = 7.6
| Oct precipitation days = 7.9
| Nov precipitation days = 9.0
| Dec precipitation days = 9.6
| year precipitation days = 110.0
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.2
|Feb snow days = 0.3
|Mar snow days = 0.1
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.0
|year snow days = 0.6
|source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lzk
| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = June 10, 2021
| archive-date = May 9, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210509021411/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lzk
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00033466&format=pdf
| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = June 10, 2021
}}</ref> }}