Morning Drivers Should Use Caution

Anna Beth La Tour, 14 of Fayetteville, left, and University of Arkansas student Mitchell Loewen from Hawaii, watch Wednesday as Luke La Tour, 11 of Fayetteville catches air while riding a snowboard down the hill just north of Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Fayetteville schools closed early after a cold front moved across the area covering the area with a light layer of snow. More photos online at photos.nwaonline.com.
Anna Beth La Tour, 14 of Fayetteville, left, and University of Arkansas student Mitchell Loewen from Hawaii, watch Wednesday as Luke La Tour, 11 of Fayetteville catches air while riding a snowboard down the hill just north of Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Fayetteville schools closed early after a cold front moved across the area covering the area with a light layer of snow. More photos online at photos.nwaonline.com.

Residents in Washington County could be waking up to freezing rain that becomes just rain after 9 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Washington County, Fayetteville and Springdale road crews were on call throughout the night to combat slick roads, especially those near hospitals, fire stations and schools, officials said.

Any school closings will be announced by 6 a.m. today after superintendents, transportation directors and other school personnel drive roads in their districts.

School officials check the roads, particularly known trouble spots, to make sure school buses can travel safely.

“It doesn’t look promising for Thursday,” said Charles Cudney, Greenland superintendent, who planned to monitor the snow and ice accumulation.

School officials in other districts said they would do the same.

Washington County’s Emergency Operation Center expected freezing rain or sleet of up to half an inch by this morning, said Rick Johnson, deputy director of the county’s Department of Emergency Management, after speaking with the weather service.

“We ask people not to get out on the road unless they have to,” Johnson said.

People who must hit the roads to get to work should take extra time for driving and keep a safe distance from cars ahead, Johnson said. Drivers should pick the flattest routes possible and avoid steep icy hills, he said.

Fayetteville Police Sgt. Craig Stout said officers were sent to 32 reports of wrecks between about 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Most of the accidents were minor, he said, and no one was injured.

“Wrecks, wrecks and more wrecks,” Stout said. “It happens any time you get an incident like this where it snows while people are at work and kids are at school and school lets out early. Once people get to where they’re going, it should die down.”

Heavy snowfall turned into a light dusting through the afternoon.

Stout said only about seven more accidents were reported between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

In total, officers worked to 39 accidents, including a head-on collision near College Avenue and Township Street.

Kelly Cantrell, a spokeswoman for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies were called abouta few reports of cars sliding off roads and into ditches Wednesday afternoon. No major accidents were reported, she said.

Southwestern Electric Power Company had crews on standby to repair downed power lines and to cut tree limbs as needed, said Peter Main, spokesman for the company.

All crews were on standby for power outages Wednesday evening and this morning, said Penny Storms, Ozarks Electric Cooperative spokeswoman. The cooperative inventoried all fuel, transformers and wiring and have all necessary supplies to respond to power outages, she said.

Main and Storms said people should immediately contact power companies to report outages for quicker service by phone or online.

Drivers parked by most of the pumps Wednesday at the Kum & Go fuel station at the corner of Township Street and College Avenue.

Lindsey Seward of Fayetteville filled up her car before picking up her child from St. Joseph’s School. She said her family hunkers down and hangs out at home when it comes to snowy and icy weather.

“We just make sure we have groceries and make sure our gas fireplace works,” she said.

Two gasoline pumps away from Seward, David Lewis filled his car with water and antifreeze. A native of Wisconsin, Lewis said it was funny how Northwest Arkansas residents take so much caution over what he calls “mild weather.”

“Southerners are funny about their weather,” Lewis said. “They live their life around the weather. It’s going to snow. I can’t meet you. I’ve got to shut down, man. It’s going rain. It’s going to be bad so I can’t meet you.”

The temperature should reach 41 degrees today with wind up to 20 mph and thunder, according to the weather service.

Chris Craig and Josh Thomas, roommates who live in southeast Fayetteville, went grocery shopping Wednesday at the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Mission Boulevard and Crossover Avenue. The friends loaded up their car with a case of beer, a 24-pack of water and ingredients to make quesadillas and Hamburger Helper.

“We’ve got blankets and food. We have space heaters and a generator in the garage,” said Craig.

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