An unusually early snowfall that hit the Deep South on Wednesday is believed to have caused a fatal tour bus accident in northern Mississippi and prompted several counties in Arkansas to prepare for the icy worst.
Sgt. Joey Miller with the Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop E said in a statement that the bus traveling from Huntsville, Ala., to Tunica County, Miss., crashed at 12:35 p.m. on Interstate 269 in the northern part of the state. His statement called the crash "weather-related" but didn't elaborate. Two people were killed and the other 44 passengers were taken to hospitals with injuries.
Southern and eastern Arkansas saw as much as an inch of accumulation from the pre-winter storm, the National Weather Service said. Northeast Arkansas, meanwhile, was on track to receive up to 2 inches by early today.
Jonesboro E-911 director Jeff Presley said Wednesday afternoon that law enforcement officials had received a report about a head-on collision where people were trapped.
"We aren't sure at this time if it was weather-related, but it could have been because of slick roads," Presley said. "We also have a five-car crash at Red Wolf [Boulevard] and Stallings [Lane] with injuries."
Wednesday afternoon large snowflakes started to fall in central Arkansas.
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Lamor Williams, communications and marketing manager for Little Rock, said the Public Works Department would have four salt trucks working throughout Wednesday night and early today to treat any bridges, overpasses or other areas that may become icy overnight.
It's rare to see snow fall in places like Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas in November. In some of these places, Houston for example, the snow is the earliest on record.
Travis Shelton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock, said the wintry mix isn't the earliest appearance on record for Little Rock.
"We usually get snow in December through February, but our earliest trace of snow on record was on Oct. 27, 2017, and our earliest measurable amount of snow was on Nov. 2 in 1951," Shelton said.
A push of cold air from the north can be blamed for the wintry mix, Shelton said.
Some schools in St. Francis, Jefferson, Lincoln, Lonoke and Mississippi counties were let out early.
Lori Hixson, a Blytheville resident and owner of Me and My Sister boutique on Main Street, said the city geared up for the weather earlier in the week.
"Good Lord the stores on Monday were crowded," Hixson said Wednesday morning.
Hixson said the schools usually close early when there is potential for icy weather.
"We have so many small roads that school buses have to go down that it can be dangerous for them to pass in bad weather," Hixson said.
Pine Bluff Police Department spokesman Richard Wegner said the school closings there were also precautionary.
"Our roads are fine for the most part," Wegner said. "We just recommend driving with due caution."
Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said the most important thing to do when driving through freezing precipitation is to slow down.
"Typically speed sets into motion the potential for losing control on wet or frozen roadways," Sadler said.
Harold Benham, assistant superintendent with the Mississippi County Road Department, cautioned drivers to slow down when the sun is down.
"It will probably get slippery on the overpasses and bridges," Benham said.
Mississippi County Sheriff Dale Cook agreed.
"I would recommend everyone to avoid all overpasses if possible because of the chance of black ice," Cook said. "The overpasses on the interstate always give us some problems."
Sadler said bridges and overpasses are where ice typically begins to form first.
"When approaching an overpass or bridge, slow down before even getting to that section of the roadway," Sadler said.
Benham said his department will be focusing on some of the high traffic areas, but besides that they can't make the roads any safer because they don't have the equipment.
"We don't have any sand machines or anything like that," Benham said. "All we can do is go out there and salt the main roads."
Presley said Craighead County was also anticipating some problems once the temperature dropped at night.
"Any of the back roads will probably get slick," Presley said. "Plus slush will be building up at the intersection and stop signs. We pre-treated the overpasses and bridges so hopefully we won't have any problems there."
Sadler said if a driver does begin to skid he should take his foot off the accelerator.
"Accelerating will only make the situation worse. Do not try to initiate hard and sudden braking to stop the skid," Sadler said.
The state police also encourage residents to keep a blanket, water and snacks in their vehicle during the winter months.
"Before any extended trip, make sure to top off your fuel tank," Sadler said. "Being stranded after skidding off the roadway or stopped in traffic for an extended period of time can be dangerous during subfreezing conditions, so be prepared."
Information for this article was contributed by staff members of The Associated Press.
State Desk on 11/15/2018