Leftover snow, ice spurs more closings

A Searcy High School gym used for PE classes and wrestling meets collapsed under the weight of snow Early Tuesday morning.
A Searcy High School gym used for PE classes and wrestling meets collapsed under the weight of snow Early Tuesday morning.

— Dozens of schools in Arkansas remain closed or delayed today amid lingering slick conditions caused by Monday's unexpected snowstorm.

The storm dropped from 6 to 9 inches of snow on much of the northern half of Arkansas, covering highways, canceling flights, shutting businesses, knocking out power and even damaging buildings. The metal roof of the Searcy High School practice gymnasium collapsed, destroying the structure.

In Little Rock, 7.2 inches of snow made Monday's storm the eighth-largest daily snowfall in city history. It was the snowiest February day since 1966.

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A Ford Ranger pickup rolled onto its top after sliding Wednesday morning on ice in the 6200 block of Baucum Pike in North Little Rock.

The closings and delays have been prompted in large part by overnight temperatures that dipped into the 20s, refreezing slush and snow that melted Tuesday.

But conditions seem to be improving.

An online Arkansas Department of Highways and Transportation map shows ice patches on a number of highways surrounding Little Rock, Harrison and Hot Springs. But many highways across the northern half of the state that had been listed as snow-, sleet- or slush-covered Tuesday are now clear.

John Lewis, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, said his office hadn't heard reports of many wrecks this morning.

"There are icy patches on the roads, but overall the roads are not that bad," he said.

Several wrecks have been reported in the Little Rock metropolitan area, including a Ford Ranger that ended up on its top after sliding on ice in the 6200 block of Baucum Pike in North Little Rock. The driver was not believed to be seriously injured.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-30s will continue to melt some of the leftover snow today, but it won't go away completely and more could be on the way, Lewis said.

A system Thursday has the potential to drop 2 inches of snow on southern Arkansas and up to an inch in the Little Rock area. Only flurries are expected farther north.

The bulk of that snowfall is forecast to occur late Thursday.

"We may have a little bit of snow by evening, but the main snow event is after rush hour," Lewis said.

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