For weeks, arctic air from Canada has kept temperatures in the state much lower than normal. Add the emergence of a tropical jet stream over Arkansas earlier this month, and the cold air and moisture combined to create snow.
The snow - which has remained on the ground for two weeks in some northern Arkansas areas - kept temperatures low, which in turn, aided in producing more snow and sleet.
It’s a cycle that will soon end, said National Weather Service meteorologist John Lewis.
But during that cycle, Arkansans have seen temperatures across the state that were 10-15 degrees lower than normal in February.
The state’s residents have also seen the hazards and hindrances associated with wet, wintry weather.
According to National Weather Service data, Harrison had the biggest change from its normal February weather. The Boone County town’s 23.2-degree average for the first 10 days of the month was 15.3 degrees lower than its normal 38.5-degree average for that time period.
Fayetteville’s 23.6-degree average was 13.9 degrees lower than normal, and Jonesboro’s 28.3-degree average was 11 degrees lower than usual.
Even towns farther south saw colder weather than normal. Little Rock averaged 32.2 degrees, and Texarkana averaged 35.8 degrees for the first 10 days of February - both were 10.4 degrees lower than each city’s norm. Pine Bluff’s average temperature was 11.2 degrees lower than normal at 33 degrees this month.
“We’ve had a unique amount of cold air,” Lewis said. “This doesn’t happen that much.
“We’ve had snow on the ground, and it’s been calm at nights,” he said. “The temperatures have a better chance of falling quickly because of that.”
With the chill came snow and ice. Since November, the state has seen 14 occasions of wintry precipitation, including four in February.
And with that falling frozen precipitation, came falling people.
As of Friday, the Baxter Regional Medical Center’s emergency room in Mountain Home reported treating 28 cases of falls because of ice and snow in February, said Donna K. McMullen, director of marketing at the hospital. Five of those falls were serious enough to require admission into the hospital.
So far this month, the hospital also treated six people for vehicle accidents caused by slick roads, she said Friday.
In January, the hospital handled 18 weather-related falls.
“It’s been bad,” she said. “We’ve had snow and ice around for a long time.”
The weather has also slowed work for construction companies.
“You can’t do site work with frozen grounds,” said John Daniel, a project supervisor for Shannon Kee Construction of Jonesboro. “And then when it thaws out, you have to wait two or three days for it to dry.
“February has been the worst month we’ve ever had so far,” he said. “We need two weeks of good weather just to let us start back up.”
Postal carriers in Batesville have needed traction for their cars and their shoes, said Josh Newman, a supervisor at the U.S. post office in the Independence County town.
“We put chains on the tires and cleats on our shoes,” he said.
Several carriers have slipped on the ice; one carrier in Heber Springs fell and required stitches after gashing his arm, Newman said.
“The problem is the cleats work good on ice, but if you step on tile or concrete, it makes that more slick,” Newman said. “It’s kind of a lose-lose situation.”
Rural carriers have also dealt with the snow and ice, he said. They often have to get out of their vehicles and hand-deliver the mail because plows have created a barrier of snow and slush between the curb and mailboxes.
“Our carriers are limited to how much time they have on routes,” he said. “When they have to stop and walk to the mailbox, it adds minutes.
“But the mail’s got to run. Now, you have to have a strong will, ability and good coordination to deliver the mail.”
The snow has also reduced happiness for some, said Andrew Cooper, a licensed counselor for Still Waters Family Counseling in Fayetteville.
Cooper said he’s noticed more cases of depression since the weather turned cold and wet.
“It’s noticeable,” he said. “It’s a real issue.”
He said clients also have experienced increased anxiety because of impending inclement weather forecasts.“People are hesitant about getting out if they know the weather will get bad,” he said.
Cooper said the continual snowfalls have altered the normal structure his clients are used to. “We use cognitive behavioral therapy,” he said. “We deal with those thoughts and rationalize through them rather then let them overwhelm.
“We set small goals and break down things,” he said. “We train them to get through shorter periods - an hour or two, maybe. You distract yourself and realize this is just a matter of time.”
It may only be a matter of days until the cold snap breaks, the weather service said.
Forecasters are calling for much warmer weather by today. Southern Arkansas could see temperatures reach 70 degrees, and those kinds of readings are expected to remain for a while, said the weather service’s Lewis.
“It’s been very cold this month, and we’ve got a lot of ground to go before we get back to normal temperatures for the month,” Lewis said. “But you’ll see a lot changes soon. It’s going to be radically different.”
Front Section, Pages 1 on 02/17/2014