Let it snow?
State of Emergency declared in Arkansas as winter weather hits
The forecast for the next few days in south Arkansas can be summarized simply - cold.
Jason Hansford, Senior Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Shreveport, told the News-Times late last week that residents should expect the potential for “a little bit of everything — a wintry mix of freezing rain, perhaps some sleet and then also some snow.”
That forecast has not changed much, and the drop in temperature today is likely apparent to anyone that walks outside in Union County.
Early Saturday afternoon, Sunday was set to be cloudy with a high of 31 and a low of 18. Sunday night was predicted to have a 20% climbing to a 50% chance of a wintry mix.
Predictions for Monday — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — were as of Saturday a high of 26 and a low of 12, with up to a 60% chance of sleet or snow.
Little relief is predicted to come on Tuesday; sunny weather is predicted with a high of only 26 and a low around 7.
Temperatures are expected to climb slightly as the week proceeds, with a high of 38 and a low around 22 on Wednesday and a high of 45 and low around 25 and possible precipitation Thursday night.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Friday “in an effort to funnel resources toward preparing for and reacting to the conditions,” according to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporting.
The governor directed that $250,000 of the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund be used at the discretion of the director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management,
A.J. Gary, to cover program and administrative costs, according to a proclamation she signed Friday.
On or about Sunday, severe winter weather is expected to occur throughout Arkansas and cause dangers, hardships and suffering throughout the state, which warrants executive action, Sanders said in an executive order.
In a second proclamation, Sanders also waived federal regulations restricting hours for utility trucks and trucks hauling essential items, according to a release from the Governor’s Office.
The Arkansas National Guard will also provide National Guard Civil Support beginning Sunday and will be in state active duty status throughout the event, according to a Friday release by Sanders spokeswoman Alexa Henning detailing a meeting between the governor and Major General Jonathan Stubbs, Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard, Colonel Mike Hagar, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, and A.J. Gary, Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
“As part of the Governor’s activation of the National Guard, the Guard will assist all 12 Troops of the Arkansas State Police with winter weather operations. Colonel Hagar is also preparing his agency for the inclement weather, adding extra troopers to state highways and working with the Arkansas Department of Transportation, as well as the National Guard, to treat, plow, and keep roadways clear,” the release states in part.
In El Dorado, the Salvation Army is set to open its inclement weather shelter today for anyone in need of shelter from the cold.
Usually, those who stay at the shelter must leave during the day, but those rules are relaxed during cold weather. Also removed during inclement weather is the 60-day buffer rule for anyone who has recently stayed at and checked out of the shelter.
The shelter, according to a social media post by Major Joanna Robinson, will have “hot meals, snacks and drinks for those staying with us.” Zero tolerance for any drug use will be in place. The entrance for the inclement weather shelter will be the red door on the south side of the Salvation Army headquarters, located at 419 S. Madison Ave.