A weak weather system passing south of Arkansas is delivering light rain to the east-central parts of the state Thursday, forecasters said.
The system, which comes as temperatures might be just cold enough for some light freezing rain or sleet to fall in higher elevations, will head east out of Arkansas by early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
No significant accumulations are expected, but the "patchy freezing drizzle could deposit a thin glaze on bridges and other elevated" roads, potentially causing slippery conditions, the weather service said.
Patchy fog and freezing fog are possible early Thursday morning, especially where snow persists on the ground. Freezing fog can reduce visibility for drivers to a quarter-mile ahead and could create slippery frost on bridges, the weather service said. A freezing fog advisory is in place until 9 a.m. for Crittenden County and the Memphis metropolitan area.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department's road-conditions map showed that ice patches persisted Thursday morning on roads across the northeast portion of the state. The Highway Department said in a tweet that traffic shortly after 7 a.m. was "flowing normally" on Interstates 40 and 55, where thousands of motorists had been stranded in east Arkansas on Monday night and Tuesday after scores of tractor-trailers jackknifed on the icy roads and blocked lanes.
In central Arkansas, traffic was already slowing significantly on many of the major highways by 7:30 a.m..
