Cold temps here to stay for a while

Streets are expected to be slick again today as cold weather continues to envelope Northwest Arkansas.

Benton and Washington counties are in a winter weather advisory until 6 a.m. today, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla. Freezing rain and a light wintry mix are expected to taper off by this afternoon. Bridges and overpasses likely will be slick and hazardous.

[Schools and offices across Northwest Arkansas are closed Thursday due to the winter weather.]

The high temperature today is expected to be in the high 20s with an overnight low of 18, according to the Weather Service. By Saturday, the forecast is a high near 20 with an overnight low near 8 degrees.

Bart Haake, a meteorologist with the weather service, said wind chills could hit minus 10 degrees at the coldest point Sunday morning. Temperatures won't break above freezing until possibly the middle of next week, he said.

Two Siloam Springs residents died in a crash Tuesday night as the storm moved into the area. April Fanning, 61, and Alan Fanning, 59, died in the two-vehicle crash on the Illinois River bridge on Arkansas 16 in Benton County, according to a preliminary report from the Arkansas State Police.

The Fannings were in a 2005 Lincoln Town Car heading east and lost control on the bridge, crossed the centerline and went into the path of a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado. The pickup hit the Town Car on the passenger side. Road conditions were described as rain and ice, according to to the report

Road and street departments dealt with slippery conditions all day Wednesday and followed game plans preparing for roads to get worse overnight.

Jay Frasier with the Benton County Road Department said crews use a mixture of salt and sand to treat roads. The county has two crews working 12-hour shifts, he said.

Washington County Road Department crews were spreading a mixture of sand and gravel over county roads, according to Brian Lester, county attorney.

Lt. Bret Hagan with the Washington County Sheriff's Office said the Sheriff's Office received numerous calls about slick roads and an updated list of road conditions is being posted on its Facebook page.

Dennis Birge, Bentonville transportation director, said the city uses a salt brine mixture to pre-treat streets. The mixture is applied at about 50 gallons per lane mile, he said.

"After we see the precipitation we will then move to a de-ice method that includes some salt brine, but mostly a pre-treated salt granular spread. This is done more in the problematic areas such as hills, bridges and intersections," Birge said.

Safety for crew members in the cold weather is of the utmost importance, said Tony Davis, street manager for Bentonville. The crews have heavy coats with bibs, gloves and toboggan hats.

"The outside exposure is kept to a minimum when the guys have to get out of the trucks to load material," Davis said. "Guys are allowed to come in from their routes as needed to get coffee, bathroom breaks and food, which help reduce fatigue while driving for prolonged periods. There are no set break times."

Bentonville street crews will work 12-hour shifts.

Terry Gulley, transportation services director for Fayetteville, said the Street Department has five or six trucks spreading a sand and grit mix and another five or six spreading salt brine on city streets.

Frankie Guyll, street supervisor for Rogers, said Wednesday crews had salted the main roads, but secondary roads were slick. Crews put out 100-150 tons of salt mixed with 50 tons of sand, he said.

Cassi Lapp, spokeswoman for Bella Vista, said crews will work around the clock to treat the streets, she said.

The Springdale Public Works department treated "hot spots" Wednesday and planned to continue that effort overnight, said James Smith, deputy director. Hot spots include anywhere there's been a wreck and slick stretches, he said.

Lt. Jeff Taylor, a spokesperson for the Springdale Police Department, said officers responded to 35 wrecks between 6 p.m. Tuesday and noon Wednesday. None of the incidents were major, he said.

Dave Parker, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said crews would be out Wednesday night treating state roads. Crews hope to get more rock salt down Friday before the frigid temperatures arrive Saturday, he said.