FORT SMITH — Kendall Beam with Sebastian County Emergency Management doesn’t mind being passed over — especially by bad weather.
The county “dodged a bullet” by not getting much freezing precipitation at all Wednesday night, Beam said Thursday. He said most of the county’s rural and secondary roads were clear and passable for travel Thursday.
The National Weather Service had issued an ice storm warning for Fort Smith and the surrounding area for overnight Wednesday. The forecast called for a 60% chance of precipitation Wednesday night with ice accumulations up to two-tenths of an inch.
Today is expected to be sunny with a high temperature near 46 degrees.
In terms of highways, the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s IDrive Arkansas tool reported Arkansas 10, Arkansas 22, U.S. 64 and U.S. 71, which had been impacted by this week’s inclement weather alongside Interstates 540 and 549, as being clear of ice and slush by Thursday afternoon.
The website was reporting Interstate 40 to the Bobby Hopper Tunnel and U.S. 62 also clear as of Thursday afternoon.
Philip Pevehouse, spokesman for the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, said his deputies didn’t have to respond to any weather-related vehicle accidents Thursday as of about 1:50 p.m.
Sebastian County’s offices were open Thursday morning as well after being closed the previous three days due to the weather, according to Beam.
Thursday saw the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith open its campus for normal operations and classes after being closed since Monday, albeit at a later time of 10 a.m. The Fort Smith School District also announced it would resume on-site learning for students Thursday after three days of online learning.
However, the Greenwood School District announced via its Facebook page Wednesday it would continue online learning Thursday, citing many secondary and rural roads in the area being “unsafe for driving” at the time, along with concerns about the weather service’s ice storm warning for overnight Wednesday.
All Crawford County schools had in-person classes Thursday, but Van Buren, Alma and Mountain-burg had some changing bus routes due to icy roads.
The forecast for Saturday is partly cloudy with a high of 51 degrees. Sunday should be warm and sunny with a high of 60 degrees. The beginning of next week is expected to be cloudy and rainy with highs in the 50s, but lows are not expected to get below freezing.
Thomas Saccente can be reached by email at [email protected].
Monica Brich may be reached by email at [email protected].