Emergency services personnel urged Benton County residents to stay off roads this morning if at all possible after an overnight ice storm was expected to hit the area.
At A Glance
Weather Watch
To Report Electrical Outages
• Ozarks Electric Cooperative, www.ozarksecc.com, 800-521-6322
• Southwestern Electric Power Co., www.swepco.com, 888-218-3919
• Carroll Electric Cooperative, www.carrollecc.com, 800-432-9720
• Bentonville Electric Department, www.bentonvillear.com, 479-271-3135; 800-286-1262 after 4 p.m.
• Siloam Springs Electric Department, 479-524-3777, days; 479-524-4118, nights.
To Report Emergency
• Source Gas, www.sourcegasarkansas.com; 800-563-0012
For Road Conditions
• Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department
www.arkansashighways.com
800-245-1672 or 501-569-2374
• Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
www.dps.state.ok.us
888-425-2385
• Missouri Department of Transportation
www.modot.org
800-222-6400
• Kansas Department of Transportation
www.ksdot.org
800-585-7623
• National Weather Service
www.nws.noaa.gov
Tulsa, Okla., 918-832-4116 or 918-838-7838
North Little Rock 501-834-0308
Source: Staff Report
The National Weather Service predicted overnight ice accumulation of up to half an inch in some areas of the county, with up to 0.4 inches in Bentonville and Rogers.
Robert McGowen, director of the Benton County Emergency Management Agency, said the main concern Wednesday night and this morning was ice accumulation coupled with strong wind. Downed tree limbs and heavy ice could result in power outages, he said.
“I hope it’s not that bad,” McGowen said.
Southwestern Electric Power Company had crews on standby Wednesday night and this morning to assist with any downed power lines and to cut tree limbs as needed, said Peter Main, company spokesman.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department started treating major routes such as Interstate 540 on Wednesday. Steve Lawrence, engineer for District 9, said he thought icing could be “more substantial” than what Northwest Arkansas residents have seen so far this winter.
“We just ask people to stay off the roads (this) morning if they can,” Lawrence said. “We anticipate it will be slick, but by the afternoon and evening, we should be in pretty good shape.”
Snow started falling about 10 a.m. Wednesday in Bentonville and Rogers and quickly covered the ground. Some schools in Benton and Washington counties let out early in anticipation of more bad weather.
Keith Foster with the Rogers Police Department said only three traffic accidents had been reported in the city.
Cars packed the parking lot of the Midtown Shopping Center in Bentonville as shoppers loaded up on supplies at the Harp’s grocery store.
Elizabeth Hendricks of Bentonville pushed a full cart out of the store through the slushy parking lot. She said the trip was her regular trip, but she “picked up a few extras because of the weather.”
At A Glance
Tips For Using Generators
• Do not connect generator directly to home wiring.
• Never plug a portable electric general into a regular household outlet. Connect individual appliances that have outdoor-rated power cords to receptacle outlet of the generator or use a heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cord.
• Do not overload generator. Overloading a generator can damage appliances.
• Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage. Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide.
• Make sure generator is grounded.
• Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it is running.
• Turn off all equipment powered by generator before shutting down generator.
Source: Rogers Fire Department
By afternoon much of the snow had melted, but skies turned dark again about 4 p.m. as the temperature dipped to 32 degrees with a wind chill of 29.
Street and road crews in the county, Bentonville and Rogers played a waiting game Wednesday afternoon and into the night.
The county Road Department was set for an anticipated second wave of bad weather Wednesday night, said Cindy Jones, road coordinator. She said many personnel went home for the day because they planned to work most of the night and into this morning.
“We know there are two waves to this,” Jones said. “We’re in the first wave, but the second one looks to be more substantial.”
Rogers Street Department crews put salt and gravel on problem areas by noon Wednesday, said Frankie Guyll, streets director. Rogers streets were monitored as the temperature dropped Wednesday night.
“We have all the bridges and overpasses salted,” Guyll said. “I think we're in pretty good shape.”
Workers with the Bentonville Transportation Department applied anti-ice material to bridges and overpasses as the temperature dropped Wednesday night, said Tony Davis, street manager.
“We’ll monitor the roads until we feel that the event has passed,” Davis said.
At Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Highfill, officials urged flyers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport this morning as flights could be delayed or canceled because of the weather.