Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Winter weather likely to hit area this weekend
Service predicts cold, ice, snow
FAYETTEVILLE — Freezing rain, sleet, snow and dangerous wind chills are possible throughout Northwest Arkansas this weekend.
Rain chances will increase today transitioning to freezing rain, sleet, and snow tonight into Sunday morning, according to a report from the National Weather Service. A period of heavy snow is possible late tonight into Sunday morning across far Northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma.
Snow accumulation of at least 1 to 3 inches appear likely, the report said. Higher snowfall totals are possible near the Oklahoma-Kansas border and also the Arkansas-Missouri border areas.
Additionally, light icing is possible from eastern Oklahoma through Northwest Arkansas with accumulations around one tenth of an inch possible.
Winter precipitation will end from west to east during the day Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Gusty wind and sharply colder temperatures will create dangerous wind chills Sunday through Tuesday, the report said. Temperatures are likely to be 15 to 30 degrees below normal, and wind chills of 0 to minus 10 degrees will be widespread at times early next week.
Icy weather Thursday and Friday caused numerous problems on local roads and Interstate 49. Arkansas State Police was called to 42 wrecks in a two-hour period Thursday morning and about nine Friday morning, the agency reported.
A pair of Washington County deputies narrowly escaped injury Friday morning when their vehicles were hit by a semitrailer while working a wreck on the icy interstate south of West Fork.
Cpl. Mitch Smothers and Cpl. Brian Velasco were assisting State Police when the incident occurred about 4 a.m., according to Maj. Rick Hoyt with the Sheriff’s Office.
Hoyt said the accident happened in the southbound lanes just south of a bridge that was slippery with ice. He said one of the deputies had been involved in a minor accident before the tractor-trailer hit the deputies’ 2017 Chevrolet Tahoes.
“He was hit from behind on the way there,” Hoyt said “They got there, and they were stopped on the roadside doing what they were supposed to be doing when this 18-wheeler hit their vehicles.”
One of the vehicles is considered a loss, he said. The second will be evaluated by insurance adjusters, Hoyt said, adding the Sheriff’s Office will work with the trucking firm on an insurance settlement. He didn’t identify the firm.
Hoyt said the Sheriff ’s Office normally has four “spare” vehicles for deputies to use when needed. One of those was in use and Friday’s accident leaves the Sheriff’s Office with just one available vehicle. He said law enforcement vehicles are only manufactured for a set time each year and the Sheriff’s Office may not be able to buy replacement vehicles this year.