Northwest Arkansas Icy Roads Stall Morning Commute

Jim Erwin with Erwin's Wrecker Service based in Rogers pulls a pickup truck out of a steep embankment on East Elvendon Drive in Bella Vista on Friday December 13, 2013. The driver of the pickup slid off the road earlier in the day when the road was icy, and slid 20-30 feet down a steep embankment without sustaining any injuries.
Jim Erwin with Erwin's Wrecker Service based in Rogers pulls a pickup truck out of a steep embankment on East Elvendon Drive in Bella Vista on Friday December 13, 2013. The driver of the pickup slid off the road earlier in the day when the road was icy, and slid 20-30 feet down a steep embankment without sustaining any injuries.

Friday morning’s commute was met with icy road conditions in several spots, but better weather is expected in the coming week.

Several accidents were reported in Benton and Washington counties early in the morning as freezing rain started to fall. A steady, cold rain persisted until about 1 p.m. as temperatures hovered just above freezing. A mist then started to fall later in the afternoon.

Lt. John Overman with the Arkansas State Police said his office was called to eight accidents involving 15 vehicles near a bridge on U.S. 412 east of Siloam Springs on Friday. Only one of the accidents involved injuries, Overman said.

“There was no mass accident,” Overman said. “There were several small accidents.”

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office closed U.S. 62 because of accidents in that area, Overman said.

Keshia Guyll, spokeswoman for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies handled 21 accident calls Friday morning, but none of the accidents involved serious injuries.

Terry Nalley, administrator of public services for Benton County, said crews put salt and sand on slick spots early Friday morning.

“There are still patches of ice in spots, but we are in good shape,” Nalley said later in the morning.

Two Bentonville school buses slid off of South Coffelt Cemetery Road on Friday morning, according to Mary Ley, School District spokeswoman. One bus had six children on it and one had no passengers. No one was hurt and neither bus was damaged, Ley said.

The Bentonville High School Marching Band was supposed to travel to Little Rock for Friday night’s Class 7A championship football game, but the band’s trip was canceled because of the weather, Ley said. The football team left for Little Rock on Thursday. Also canceled was the basketball team’s trip to St. Louis.

Bella Vista police closed Lambeth Road early Friday morning because of hazardous conditions, but by 10 a.m. the road was opened. Gordon Hollow Road just over the Missouri line temporarily was closed while officers assisted the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office with a multiple-car pileup, Bella Vista dispatchers said.

Keith Foster, spokesman for the Rogers Police Department, said there were eight accidents reported in the city Friday morning. The accidents were weather related and most were simply vehicles sliding off roads.

Shawn Shrum, assistant road superintendent for Washington County, said freezing rain Friday morning caused a few icy patches in areas of high elevation.

“We got the chipper truck out there and treated it right away,” he said. “We do still have some dirt roads that are pretty slick. The snow is still hanging on to that ice.”

Jeff Coles, assistant Fayetteville transportation manager, said the rain helped melt some snow and ice from roads on Friday.

“It was somewhat of a hindrance this morning, but as the day has progressed and the temperature has risen, it has helped,” he said.

Fayetteville Police Sgt. Craig Stout said officers worked four accidents as of 3 p.m. Friday.

“They may have been wet weather related, but they weren’t ice related,” he said.

Peter Snyder, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla., said there could be a freeze after 3 a.m. today.

“Just freezing drizzle,” Snyder said. “We are not expecting an accumulation of ice.”

A dry period is set to begin and temperatures will be in the 50s next week, Snyder said.

“The high for Thursday will almost be 60 degrees,” Snyder said.

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