Snow began falling over Central Arkansas early Sunday afternoon with the winter storm increasing in coverage and intensity across the region into this morning, according to the National Weather Service in Little Rock.
"Please stay home if at all possible," said Dave Parker with the Department of Transportation on Sunday night. "In Central Arkansas, we are expecting to be dealing with this for another three or four days. If you have to be out, take it slow."
City of Little Rock Public Works crews are on standby with replenished stockpiles of salt and sand, according to a Sunday news release. Crews will work 12-hour shifts until streets are cleared and traffic patterns can return to normal.
Arctic air will remain over the state through much of the week with some of the coldest readings the area has experienced in many years today and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast morning low today for Fayetteville is -2 degrees, Little Rock is 11 degrees and Monticello is 15 degrees.
Precipitation will begin to decrease from west to east today, according to the weather service.
In general, the eastern half of the state should expect 1-3 inches of snow today, while Northwest Arkansas is forecast to have around 2 inches.
Parker said the highway department will focus on the primary roads, such as highways and interstates, first and then get to secondary roads as the day progresses.
"We already had our game face on, with the ice storm," he said. "We're asking for patience. This is not going away for 3, 4, 5 days. It's going to be a long week. ... We were out in front of this, but we're not through this yet."
Dangerously low temperatures expected through Tuesday with highs mainly in the teens and 20s. Some parts of Northwest Arkansas will not see double digits today. Overnight lows will drop into single digits and even below zero in some parts of the state today and Tuesday mornings. Temperatures will moderate some Wednesday but still remain well below normal, according to the weather service.
Confidence remains high in seeing another strong system with the potential for several more inches of snow over most if not all the area, according to the weather service.
While it's difficult to predict 72 hours out, weather service meteorologist Erik Green said the southwest and northeast should expect the most snow in the coming days at 6-8 and 4-6 inches respectively and the northwest should see slightly less at 2-5 inches.
Roads and highways Sunday were a challenge, according to law enforcement.
"Call volume was higher than a typical Sunday afternoon and evening for the metropolitan areas and troopers were answering all calls," Bill Sadler, Arkansas State Police spokesman, said Sunday evening. "As of the last update, no fatalities had been reported."
POWER FAILURES
Entergy, which supplies power to most of the state, experienced a peak of 7,036 failures around noon Sunday, spokesman David Lewis said.
Approximately 1,600 customers remained without power, according to a Sunday evening news release.
"We have assembled approximately 1,400 restoration resources, along with mutual assistance crews from outside the state, to ensure we have the people and resources ready to respond to outages quickly and safely, should they occur," according to a news release Sunday.
Lewis said the company has around 250 added line workers, with about half of them arriving midday today from Michigan, New York, Texas, Indiana and Ohio.
"Cold weather is a different animal for us. We don't normally deal with temperatures this cold," Lewis said. "Our mantra is we hope for the best but plan for the worst."
He said he encourages anyone experiencing a failure to report it via their app or by calling (800) 968-8243.
He advises anyone who loses power to turn off their major electrical appliances, primarily their heating unit at the source, then wait about 20 minutes after power is restored to turn it back on.
"The reason is that when it's as cold as it is out there, everyone's heaters are running at a very high [rate]," he said. "It hits all at once when re-energized and causes the line to trip its own protective devices when too much power comes through."
He said on a positive note that the snow predicted should not cause problems. Electrical problems occur during freezing rain or wet snow.
In anticipation of prolonged low temperatures, CenterPoint Energy requested that, "Arkansas customers ... temporarily lower their thermostat settings to help conserve natural gas. We ask you, if possible, to reduce your thermostat setting to 60-65 degrees during the day when at home -- and lower it an additional 5-10 degrees when asleep or away from home -- through Thursday."
CLOSINGS, CANCELLATIONS
Today will be a virtual instruction day for Little Rock and North Little Rock schools and all offices will be closed, according to the districts' websites.
According to Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District, schools will be closed today for George Washington's Birthday and Professional Development Day, and, "due to winter weather, schools will also be closed to on-site instruction on Tuesday."
Both the Northwest Arkansas and Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field in Little Rock experienced delays and cancellations Sunday.
Clinton National had 11 cancellations as of Sunday night, which are calls made by each airline, spokesman Shane Carter said.
The airport is open and operational and has employees keeping the main runway, taxi ways, and air carrier ramps clear of snow and ice, he said.
FINDING SHELTER
Many Central Arkansas services for the unsheltered are collaborating to assist those who don't have a warm residence to go to during the storm.
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Little Rock and Saline County police and fire departments will help transport anyone in need of shelter to an open facility, spokesmen said.
Street Ministries, according to co-owner Gala Tallent, has been giving propane to those with mental illnesses that can't be in the shelter to keep warm during the worst of the storms, as well as accepting many gifts from the community.
She also said workers will continue to assist those in need for as long as they can do so safely, including transporting the unsheltered to places they can stay through the night. They have ordered and started to distribute over 700 sleeping bags, as well as pillows, coats, heaters and other winter supplies, she said.
They also provide hotel rooms for homeless children, she said.
"It breaks my heart; the suffering, oh my goodness, it's unbelievable," Tallent said. "The city of Little Rock has absolutely been so kind to us."
Bonnie Johnson, president of Helping Hands and Caring Hearts, purchased the old Benton Skate Center in October 2020, opening the doors to those needing shelter and a home-cooked meal.
Since Thursday, they have served around 85-90 meals, and have capacity for more people, she said.
Pastor William Holloway, said Little Rock Compassion Center has an open door policy with extra beds and blankets for those in need.
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"You get here, we'll help you out somehow. Everybody is welcome," he said.
The Union Rescue Mission in Little Rock also has open beds at its men's and women's shelter. Anyone who wants to donate supplies during the winter storm can do so through Amazon or other delivery services and send it to 823 S. Park St, Little Rock, 72202, said Michelle Harper, director of development.
Kim Carter, executive director for Cooperative Christian Ministries Clinic in Hot Springs, said the city and multiple organizations have been working together to ensure anyone who needs it has a warm place to stay.
Saturday night, the clinic housed nearly 40 people at the First United Methodist Center's 7,000 square-foot gymnasium. They expect more as the winter weather continues, she said.
"It has been so calm and gone so well," Carter said. "Some bring pets in. That's their everything. Someone donated animal crates, so they can have their dog or cat right beside their bed."