An Arkansas Department of Transportation employee mixes a salt brine. (Courtesy of ARDOT)
With inclement winter weather expected statewide through Saturday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday declared a state of emergency and authorized $150,000 for emergency expenses.
On Wednesday, Sanders called for the closure of state offices on Thursday and Friday except for critical operations. “Out of an abundance of caution,” Sanders instructed state employees to work remotely if possible, and told agencies to implement liberal leave policies otherwise.
According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest snowfall is expected in portions of northern, western and central Arkansas. A forecast produced Thursday morning estimates the most amount of snow, eight inches, will accumulate in Mena over the next 24 hours.
Earlier this week, the Arkansas Department of Transportation began mixing salt brine in 500-gallon batches with the goal to prepare 24,000 gallons before the storm arrives. The brine, which has a lower freezing point than water, was sprayed on roads statewide to prevent frost and delay snow and ice accumulation.
ARDOT Spokesperson Dave Parker estimated Thursday that about 95% of the state’s highways and interstates had been treated before precipitation started. He predicted that the roads would have one passable lane by mid-day Saturday, but drivers should afford themselves extra time to travel slowly and safely.
“Anything that you need to do in terms of errands, groceries, whatever, you need to have that done by 3 or 4 p.m. today, statewide,” Parker said. “Then, if you can, basically hunker down tonight and tomorrow. By Saturday with daybreak, we’ll know what we got and we’ll be in better shape then. So really, we’re talking a 36-hour request to stay off the roads to let us get to them and take care of things.”
While less snow is forecast for the state’s southern region, Texarkana, El Dorado and Monticello are expected to receive wintry mix and freezing rain.
“We’ve had a dry week, which means we’ve been able to put down a lot of salt brine that didn’t get washed away,” Parker said. “That’s a positive for us, but for the extreme southern part, it’s a game changer with freezing rain and ice. It’s a different animal, and I would certainly stay off the roads down there.”
Parker said the salt brine is ARDOT’s “backbone approach” to winter storms, but crews also cut down trees in south Arkansas that posed a threat to downing power lines. About a half-inch of ice is expected in the region, and Parker said even a quarter-inch of ice “is a big mess.”
On Thursday, Sanders mobilized 140 members of the Arkansas National Guard to staff 28 winter weather response teams. The teams, which will assist Arkansas State Police by transporting stranded motorists to safe locations, will have five guardsmen, two Humvees and communication equipment.
Dozens of school districts statewide have announced closures for Thursday and Friday, according to a non-comprehensive list from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Thursday.
Municipalities have also called for closures. Pulaski County, the state’s largest, announced Wednesday evening it would close its offices for the remainder of the week with normal operations to resume Monday.
Pulaski County is forecast to see seven inches of snow in 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
Arkansas’ 95th General Assembly is scheduled to begin Monday at noon, and spokespersons from the Senate and House of Representatives said Thursday that the legislative session will not be delayed. Per the Arkansas Constitution, the Legislature convenes at noon on the second Monday in January of each odd-numbered year.
In Little Rock, officials have equipped 17 public works vehicles with ice salt and snow plows. The capital city has 60 employees prepared to work 12-hour day shifts, and 50 employees ready for 12-hour night shifts.
City crews started work Thursday with pre-treatment to specific bridges, overpasses and select steep streets between precipitation starts, according to a press release.
“At the onset of a snow event, crews will treat Little Rock’s nine designated snow routes before moving to secondary and neighborhood streets,” the press release said. “Residents are asked to please keep in mind that some City streets are state highways, and those particular streets are maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation.”
Resources
Exposure to low temperatures and wind can cause hypothermia, frostbite and other dangerous conditions. The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management is tracking statewide warming shelters on its website.
Utilities are fragile during extreme weather conditions.
The Arkansas Department of Health tracks counties that have been placed under a water boil order due to breaks in their water system or contamination. If put under a boil order, residents should boil any water used for drinking, food preparation or dishwashing for one minute before use, according to the state health department.
Entergy Arkansas, a primary source of electricity for much of the state, reports outages on its website. Ozarks Electric Cooperative, which services some Northwest Arkansas towns, does the same on its website. Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) also provides a similar outage map.
As of Thursday morning, there were no major electrical outages across the state. The health department had not issued a water boil order since Jan. 6.Travel conditions can be monitored using ARDOT’s IDrive Arkansas map. Users can adjust their map to show specific winter weather conditions by clicking on the snowflake icon on the right side of the map.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.