Snow showers across the northern half of the state Sunday evening and Monday morning covered a few roadways in ice and slush and forced the closure of some schools.
The Sharp County town of Calamine and Quitman in Cleburne County each reported 3.5 inches of snowfall, the most in the state, the National Weather Service said. A thin band from Mena to Hardy and portions of northeast Arkansas saw from half an inch to 2 inches of snow.
The Batesville School District closed Monday after an inch of snow fell there, and the nearby Cave City School District opened two hours later than usual Monday. Schools in western Arkansas also canceled classes Monday.
"We got an early winter wonderland," said Laura Strempke, the assistant manager of the Doublebee's Conoco in Quitman. "The roads weren't bad, but all the grass was covered up. It's a little scary that the snow came so early this year."
Some portions of the state also reported light snow Thursday.
National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Buonanno of North Little Rock said that usually, the state's first snowfall comes during the last week of November or the first week of December, but that Monday's snow should not be seen as an indicator of a long, cold winter.
This year's snowfalls are the result of an intense tropical storm that struck the Bering Strait near Alaska and drove cold air from Canada deep into the South.
On Sunday evening, moisture entered the state and met already frigid air that's about 20 to 30 degrees colder than normal for this time, Buonanno said.
Some areas of the state were spared snowfall because the moisture dried up quickly as it entered Northwest Arkansas.
The National Weather Service in Tulsa reported that areas just west of Oklahoma City received 4-5 inches of snow, and the northeastern border of Oklahoma along Kansas got up to 3 inches.
"The moisture moved out rapidly as it entered Arkansas," said Weather Service meteorologist Pete Snyder of Tulsa. "As the system advanced into the state, there wasn't much moisture left."
Eureka Springs reported a half-inch of snow, and Charleston in Franklin County and Kingston in Madison County each saw three-quarters of an inch of snowfall. Other areas in Northwest Arkansas received only a dusting, Snyder said.
The state Highway Department sent crews to help clear roads in western and north-central Arkansas on Sunday evening. There were no major problems on roadways, however, department spokesman Randy Ort said.
About 2 inches of snow fell on Ravenden in northern Lawrence County, turning rural roads into slushy messes, said Betty Konecny, an employee of the Ravenden Citgo convenience store.
"The main highway was clear," she said, referring to U.S. 63. "But the rural roads were a whole different ballgame. They were pretty slick."
Talk turned to the weather at the store Monday, she said.
"It was the conversation of the coffee drinkers today," she said. "People were saying, 'This is the beginning of a bad winter.'"
Temperatures were expected to dip into the teens Monday evening and this morning as skies clear but gradually warm through the week, Buonanno said. There is also a chance of rain moving into the state for the weekend.
Although 2 inches of snow covered the fields in Reyno in eastern Randolph County on Monday, the regular customers who visited Cole's Grocery weren't concerned about future snow.
"It doesn't seem to bother them up here," store manager Jack Adams said. "We have a lot of farmers who come in every day. They drive through mud in four-wheelers in their fields all the time. Snow doesn't bother them at all."
State Desk on 11/18/2014