Up to 5 inches of snow, blustering winds and bitter cold swept across Northwest Arkansas on Sunday.
“Everywhere is slick right now,” Bentonville police Capt. John Hubbard said. “Everywhere is just kind of snow covered.”
A thin layer of sleet, followed by several inches of snow, left roads treacherous.
AT A GLANCE
Outdoor Safety
Frost bite, hypothermia and death from subfreezing temperatures are possible as temperatures plummet. Residents should avoid being outside in the wind for more than a few minutes and wear layers of warm clothing. Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties are under a Wind Chill Warning until noon today.
Source: National Weather Service
Vehicles fishtailed and slid into each other and into ditches. State highways and Interstate 540 were covered in a mix of ice and snow.
In Washington County, Assistant Road Superintendent Shawn Shrum toured county roads and helped pull five vehicles out of ditches Sunday morning. No roads were closed, but conditions are difficult, Shrum said.
Fayetteville, Rogers and Bentonville all reported accidents caused by slick road conditions. In Rogers, officials closed Yocum Road in the Brush Creek subdivision until further notice and warned drivers Bull Hill is treacherous.
No other roads were closed, officials said. No major accidents were reported in Benton County, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Keshia Guyll.
Plows were out and chips were down in the two-county area to try to clear off roads quickly, but officials said they hoped people stayed home.
“We would prefer that people stay off the roads, but if you must get out and drive, slow down and please drive carefully,” Rogers police spokesman Keith Foster said.
Conditions were bad enough that schools including Bentonville, Fayetteville Rogers and Springdale announced Sunday afternoon they would be closed today. By 1:30 p.m., Rogers had 2.3 inches of snow accumulation. Bella Vista had 5 inches of accumulation. About 1.5 inches fell in Pea Ridge, according to the National Weather Service.
Fayetteville received 1 inch of snow.
Despite slippery conditions, drivers were out in force Sunday. People scraped ice-covered windshields and drove to open shops and restaurants. At Lucy’s Diner in Rogers, at least 20 people crowded into the restaurant to snag a bite to eat just after 10 a.m.
“Just another day,” said Nick Luchi, who came out with his wife and two children after attending church.
The family planned to go shopping in Fayetteville after eating, they said. Luchi’s son, Nathan, 17, roads seemed OK, but the blistering cold bothered him.
Temperatures in Northwest Arkansas were in the teens Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The high for Rogers was 17 degrees and fell below zero Sunday night. North and Northwest wind gusts of more than 30 mph blew snow across roads, creating snow drifts and limiting visibility.
By 3:30 p.m. Sunday, at least 40 people were at the warming center at the Salvation Army in Bentonville, said Tony Smith, housing monitor for the organization. Most people coming for shelter are homeless, he said.
The shelter expects to be open a few days as the dangerously cold weather continues to grip Northwest Arkansas through much of the week. Wind chills in the negative numbers are expected early this morning, according to the National Weather Service.