Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Weather turns wintry
About 6 inches of snow received in some areas of region.
BENTONVILLE — Areas in Northwest Arkansas got more than 6 inches of snow by Sunday afternoon, said Michael Lacy, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tulsa.
Lacy said 6.5 inches of snow was recorded in Centerton and 6 inches was recorded on the west side of Bentonville.
The Weather Service received reports of 5.5 inches of snow in Rogers, 4 inches in Pea Ridge, 2.5 inches in Lincoln, 1 inch in Springdale and 3.5 inches two miles south of Eureka Springs, Lacy said.
The snow was expected to taper off Sunday evening and there’s no snow in the forecast for today, Lacy said. The forecast does call for a chance of snow Tuesday. “There’s less than an inch of accumulation,” Lacy said.
The weather forced school districts in Bentonville, Rogers, Fayetteville, Gravette, Springdale, Siloam Springs, Pea Ridge, Decatur, Elkins, Greenland and Prairie Grove to move to online learning today.
Road crews for area cities treated streets and began to remove snow from roads Sunday.
Centerton Mayor Bill Edwards said road crews got out early and treated city streets.
“The main roads are in good shape,” he said. “We’ve had one wreck and it was a minor one.”
Crews put sand on roads in case of an overnight freeze, Edwards said.
Cassi Lapp, spokeswoman for the city of Bella Vista, said the police department was swamped with calls and road crews were out Sunday with plows, sand and salt. She said there were two serious wrecks.
“Any roads that are hilly are likely slick, so that pretty
“Any roads that are hilly are likely slick, so that pretty much covers every road in Bella Vista. Anyone who doesn’t have to go anywhere should plan to stay put at home.”
— Cassi Lapp, spokeswoman for the city of Bella Vista
much covers every road in Bella Vista,” Lapp said. “Anyone who doesn’t have to go anywhere should plan to stay put at home.”
Crews with the Bentonville Street Department treated streets Sunday morning, according to the city’s Facebook page. Another Facebook post said crews treated sidewalks in downtown Bentonville, the parks and on the trails, but recommended people stay off the roads.
Keith Foster, a spokesman for the Rogers Police Department, said Sunday afternoon there had been about 10 minor vehicle accidents in the city.
Highfill police posted on the department’s Facebook page that officers were working multiple accidents and asked people to limit travel on Arkansas 12 near Highfill and Arkansas 264 near Northwest Arkansas National Airport. The post encouraged people traveling to the airport to use caution and the north entrance to the airport.
Jay Frasier with the Benton County Road Department said crews plowed, salted and sanded roads Sunday. Crews used graders until it got dark, and limited crews worked throughout the night, he said.
All the crews will be out early this morning, Frazier said. No county roads were closed because of the weather, he said.
Benton County posted on social media that county offices and circuit courts are closed today. Circuit Judge Robin Green will move today’s docket to Tuesday.