BENTONVILLE — Emily Charlton, 17, leaped face first, belly down onto a blue snow sled and slid down a hill Thursday.
Friend Angelica Byrd, 18, was right behind her, screaming all the way down the large hill in a north Bentonville neighborhood.
"That was thrilling," Byrd said. "It's kind of like going down a roller coaster."
"Yeah, but it's really cold," Charlton said.
The friends were happy to be out of school because of inclement weather for the second time in a little over a week. Byrd and Charlton and thousands of other Bentonville students are out of school today, too, because of the snow and ice leftover from Thursday. District officials called off school for today before 4 p.m. Thursday.
Chris DeWitt, district transportation director, said many side roads had little melting by 3:30 p.m. Those streets would likely freeze overnight and cause bad driving conditions this morning.
"If we have an opportunity to know that we will be closed right now it is more beneficial to the parents," DeWitt said.
Temperatures will struggle to get to 32 degrees today after a cold start around 4 degrees this morning in Northwest Arkansas, said Craig Sullivan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla.
But, he added, there will be plenty of sunshine today.
"It will be better by Saturday with temperatures in the 40s," Sullivan said.
Snow totals Thursday ranged between 3 and 4.5 inches in Northwest Arkansas, from Bella Vista to Fayetteville. The largest accumulation reported to the weather service was 4.5 inches on the east side of Springdale, Sullivan added.
Tony Davis, Bentonville street manager, was on the streets early Thursday morning as crews salted and sanded intersections and main streets. Crews were out again Thursday night as slush began to freeze.
"We will be here until it's done," Davis said.
Mayor Bob McCaslin said residents should check the city's website for information on changes in any city services because of the weather.
Gary Black, the county's public services administrator, said county Road Department crews were out early Thursday sanding and salting roads, with special attention paid to hills and bridges.
Thursday's weather prompted Benton County Judge Bob Clinard to think about the county's inclement weather policy.
Clinard said he wants to review the policy with the county's other elected officials to try to establish more formal guidelines.
"I made the call (to close county offices Thursday) but right now I don't know exactly what our policy is," Clinard said. "I'm not sure we have a written policy."
All was running well, albeit a little slow at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Highfill on Thursday.
"The planes have been coming and going, although they have been a little delayed," Scott Van Laningham, executive director and CEO of the airport, said.
Van Laningham said he was not expecting any weather delays today.
"As with everything, allow yourself plenty of time to get here," Van Laningham said.
Tabatha Hunter, Teresa Moss, Tracy Neal, Tom Sissom and Rose Ann Pearce contributed to this report.
Web Watch
Benton County, School Updates
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At A Glance
Jury Selection Delayed
Ice and snow covered roads delayed jury selection for Broderick Laswell's murder trial Thursday. Circuit Judge Robin Green said jury selection will not take place today if the Benton County Courthhouse is closed because of bad weather. Those people who missed jury selection Thursday will be given another time and date to report.
"We are trying to stay on the time schedule," Green said.
Source: Staff Report
Bad Weather Stops NWACC Classes
NorthWest Arkansas Community College called off classes Thursday because of bad road conditions.
"Since we are 100 percent a commuter school, everyone is driving to school," Mark Scott, the college's public relations officer, said. "The last thing we want is for someone to get seriously injured."
Scott said the college will not hold classes today as well..
Source: Staff