A blanket of snow expected for Christmas Eve shouldn’t be thrown over Northwest Arkansas until after area malls ring up their final sales.
But the snowy holiday sentimentalists dream about appears to be on the way.
“A lot of areas are going to see a white Christmas more than likely,” said Ed Calianese, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tulsa.
The heaviest snow from the storm will fall in northeast Oklahoma, southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, which could see 4-8 inches of snow, Calianese said. Wind associated with the storm could produce blizzard-like conditions, with up to 10 inches of snow.
In Arkansas, the chance of snow increases with distance north from Interstate 40, Calianese said. The greatest probability is near the borders with Oklahoma and Missouri, he said.
Snow is possible again Christmas day but isn’t expected to accumulate, Calianese said. Forecasters also are looking ahead to light snow next week.
The temperature is expected to dip below freezingtonight in much of Northwest Arkansas, Calianese said. The temperature isn’t expected to get above freezing for several days.
The snow should come in the early evening, according to Calianese, though he wasn’t as willing to offer a time as was his colleague, Kenneth Jackson.
Jackson predicted rain giving way to snow starting around 6 p.m., with snow continuing into Friday. He estimated that Benton County could see more than 5 inches of snow, and similar accumulations in Carroll County.
Northwest Arkansas Mallin Fayetteville and Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers both close at 6 p.m. today. The predicted snow isn’t likely to stop shoppers even if it comes earlier, said Brenda Majors, marketing director for the Promenade shopping center.
“We’re prepared, but we kind of look at it - that when it snows at this time of year, it’s kind of mood snow,” Majors said.
Mall merchants have reported holiday shopping started earlier and stayed busier than last year, Majors said. The success could be because of the spate of good weather, she said, but a little snow might be nice.
“To be honest, we kind of like the flurries,” she said.
Many people may be looking forward to snow on Christmas, but they need to remember to adjust their driving habits accordingly, said Fayetteville police Sgt. Bill Phelan.
Phelan distributed a news release reminding drivers that bridges freeze quickly and that it takes longer to stop on slick roads. It’s wise to leave more distance between vehicles, stay off the gas on bridges and steer into the direction of a slide, he said.
Drivers also should have plenty of gas and supplies, such as water and blankets, in case they get stranded, Phelan said.
While Phelan’s notice todrivers was triggered by the threat of snow, officials in Benton County don’t wait on the weather man.
“We’ve been prepared for almost a month now, so there wasn’t much to do in preparation for this forecasted event,” said Greg Hines, director of public safety.
His managers have plans in place should they need to call out employees on Christmas, he said. The county will be able to move materials more efficiently, too, because of the county’s new east side road facility, he said.
The goal will be to use the fewest number of employees to keep the public safe, Hines said.
“Those guys gave a lot of their time during the ice storm. Some of those guys spent several days away from their families,” Hines said. “So if I can keep them at home with their families at Christmas, I’m going to.”
Carroll County Judge Sam Barr said his road crews are also ready for inclement weather, though he worries as much about rain storms as he does snow.
Barr said he hopes to buy a snow plow and a truck after the first of the year, budget permitting. Until then, the county will make do with two chippers that are used to spread materials to increase traction, he said.
“We’ve got chippers loaded on the back of two trucks and that’s about as prepared as we can get,” he said.
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Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 12/24/2009