Winter Storm Warning for Arkansas

Winter weather in the form of snowfall and a few days of brutally cold temperatures will soon be upon us. Make needed preparations immediately and have a way to get the latest weather info. Do not wait until the first snowflakes fall or you feel the temperature is cold enough to be a concern, at that point it is too late to begin thinking about preparing. Act now and be ahead of the storm!

Widespread accumulating snow is expected to overspread the state Sunday through Monday. Over a large part of Arkansas, amounts of 2 to 3 inches or less are expected. There could be a narrow corridor of heavier snow which could produce 4 to 6 plus inches. As it stands now, this band is positioned over east-central Arkansas, but could still shift south with time. There is a chance some of the precipitation over southern Arkansas could mix with sleet, if this scenario plays out, actual amounts will be lower. Changes to forecast snow totals are still possible.

Low temperatures are expected to drop overnight and remain well below average for the next several days. Low temperatures are expected to be in the teens to near zero degrees across the state with wind chills feeling much colder.

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM
CST MONDAY...

* WHAT...For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills
  expected. Wind chills as low as 5 below zero. For the Winter
  Storm Warning, heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow
  accumulations of 1 to 2 inches and ice accumulations of a light
  glaze with locally higher amounts possible.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma.

* WHEN...For the Wind Chill Advisory, from 9 PM this evening to
  noon CST Sunday. For the Winter Storm Warning, from noon
  Sunday to 6 PM CST Monday.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous
  conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. The
  cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions
  are not taken.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a
hat, and gloves.

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can
be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

Winter storm moving into Arkansas this weekend

The National Weather Service in Little Rock advises:

• As colder air moves in this morning, rain will continue transitioning to light snow across west/northwest Arkansas, with less than an inch of accumulation at most locations.

• Beginning mid-morning, sustained wind speeds between 25 and 30 mph will be common across the state, with gusts over 45 mph.

• Precipitation will exit the state by Friday evening, with winds settling down by late Friday night.

• By late Saturday, Arctic air will begin to surge into the region from the northwest. This will result in below to much below average temperatures through early next week. Once cold air is in place, it appears that wintry precipitation will become more likely Sunday night into Monday. There is potential for warning criteria snow (several inches or more). Stay tuned for specifics.

After Bracing for Winter Storms, Arkansans Now Brace for Upcoming Utility Bills

By ZUZANNA SITEK

After back to back winter storms two weeks ago dropped temperatures to as much as negative 20 degrees along with several inches of snow, Arkansans are now bracing for their upcoming utility bills. Energy company representatives told lawmakers in a hearing this week that high demand and short supply dramatically drove up the price of natural gas and all modes of energy production performed less than optimally during several days of brutal weather.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/after-bracing-winter-storms-arkansans-now-brace-upcoming-utility-bills

Ozarks Electric Cooperative crews clean off panels at a Fayetteville solar facility, which is used to power the city's wastewater treatment plants.

COURTESY / OZARKS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | The Rare Winter Storm of 2021

LITTLE ROCK – We still have eight days left in February, and already this is the third snowiest month in Little Rock since we started keeping records in the 1800s. And it is one of the most severe snowstorms statewide as well.

The snow and cold temperatures forced utility companies to employ rolling power outages to reduce the strain on our energy system around the state, and as a result, thousands of homes and businesses lost electricity for a limited amount of time. In addition, low pressure in a supply line cut off natural gas service to 2,300 residents of Pea Ridge, which left many of them without heat.

This record-breaking storm illustrates the degree to which states depend upon each other in a natural crisis, whether it’s an event such as the historic flood of 2019 or a bone-chilling winter storm such as this one. Arkansas was one of more than a dozen states that has endured several days of subfreezing temperatures, and all of this put pressure on energy supplies across the region.

In an effort to reduce the load on the grid before the rolling outages, Entergy, SWEPCO, and other power companies encouraged customers to use only the lights necessary, to set thermostats at sixty-five degrees to sixty-eight degrees, and to delay laundry, dishwashing, and baths until the weather relented.

Peter Main, a spokesman for Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), noted in a newspaper interview that energy doesn’t come just from “the power plant next door.”

He said, “What we do in Arkansas helps other states, and what folks do in North Dakota helps Arkansas. It's a matter of small adjustments by each individual.”

How bad was this storm? Gurdon had the most snow in Arkansas with twenty-one inches. Fayetteville set a record with a low temperature of twenty degrees below zero. Little Rock’s fifteen-inch snowfall tied a record from 1918, but the capital city’s low temperature of one-degree below zero wasn’t the coldest ever. Fort Smith’s low of eight-degrees below is its seventh coldest recorded temperature.

The weather has kept many of our road crews away from home for the entire week, and we are grateful for their service. The crew in Maumelle has been working in two shifts and sleeping in the city’s bunk house. Power company linemen have been tromping through snowy woods and climbing ice-covered poles to repair lines. Our police officers have been rescuing drivers and working dozens of accidents at great risk.

As disruptive as this storm has been, it also produced beautiful sights and sounds that we don’t often enjoy in Arkansas. There is something special about the beauty of snow-covered hills and trees. The paved streets have been empty; the traffic is on hills all over the state, and we see our kids – the young ones and the adult ones as well – slide down hills on red Flexible Flyers and brown cardboard boxes.

This rare winter storm soon will be history, and I know it has caused a hardship for many, but I hope that it has produced some warm memories as well.