VIDEO: Storm spurs wrecks in Arkansas; flights canceled

LITTLE ROCK — Sleet, freezing rain and snow fell Sunday morning and afternoon in central and southern Arkansas, causing more than two dozen wrecks, canceling flights and leaving thousands in the dark.

More than two dozen accidents were reported on roads in Pulaski, Saline, Faulkner and Lonoke counties as of 4 p.m. Sunday, the Arkansas State Police said in a news release. Officials expect more accidents as temperatures drop Sunday night, but Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department spokesman Randy Ort says crews will work 12-hour shifts to clear the roads.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities.

Entergy Arkansas reported about 3,850 customers without electricity late Sunday.

Travel on the Interstate 40 bridge over the White River was perilous Sunday afternoon, and westbound traffic had stalled because of several accidents, the release said.

In the Little Rock metro area, the first flakes started falling around 2 p.m. and roadways quickly became covered with a powdery, slippery snow. Authorities were responding to numerous wrecks, including a report of a vehicle that slid into a firetruck on Little Rock's west side, but there was no immediate word on injuries.

As the sun went down, traffic became much lighter, though some vehicles stayed on the slickened streets. A steady stream of pickups and sport utility vehicles was visible going up and down the windy Cantrell Road hill and traffic on Interstate 630 through downtown was moving, albeit slowly.

Elsewhere, wrecks on Interstate 30 inside Hot Spring and Clark counties caused traffic to crawl, and troopers said traffic may be at a stand still for several hours while recovery crews remove wrecked vehicles, the release said.

The Highway and Transportation Department at 6 p.m. reported snow on most of the interstates in central Arkansas and ice or ice patches on much of the southern highways.

The National Weather Service says the heaviest snow — about five to six inches — has been reported in the Arkadelphia area in southwest Arkansas.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for the central and southern parts of the state until 6 p.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service is forecasting 2 inches to 4 inches of snow, with 6 inches in some locations.

Little Rock National Airport expects flight disruptions as the storm continues.

Delta Air Lines' Atlanta hub will cancel more than 1,000 flights from Sunday night through Tuesday morning, according to the airport's website.

The airline has already canceled 12 flights in and out of Little Rock for Monday morning. Customers affected are being contacted.

All travelers should check the airport's website at www.fly-lit.com for flight information before arriving at the airport.