Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Distraction
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Weather; Procedure
Approach into XNA from the south; cross east of the field; left turn onto left downwind.  Line of thunderstorms moving in from the southwest[with] winds quite strong at pattern altitude.  [We were] attempting to hustle down and get on the ground prior to the storms' arrival.  Approach cleared [us] to 3;000 on downwind.  Got a turn to base and looking cross cockpit to find field; not where I expected [as] we had been blown further out than expected.  Called field in sight; but slow descent as now we were much further out than expected.  Cleared visual approach and armed LOC/GS.  VMC entire time; runway always in sight.  Captain selects FAF altitude; in a slow descent intending to intercept glideslope from below but reached FAF altitude first; but because of winds further out than expected; Tower asked about a low altitude alert; we went up 200 feet and intercepted glideslope and landed visually.
[Report narrative contained no additional information]
An air carrier on approach to XNA Runway 16 was blown away from the runway by an approaching cell while descending on a left base for a visual. ATC issued a low altitude alert after which the crew climbed to the glideslope.