Warmer temperatures began to melt snow on Thursday, and will again on Friday, BUT very cold overnight temperatures will lead to refreezing. This makes for extremely hazardous driving conditions for any surfaces that remain wet/slushy/snow covered through this weekend. The primary mornings where refreezing is expected to cause the most hazardous driving conditions are Friday and Saturday morning.
Snow melting off of tall buildings/roofs will lead to large icicle and ice sheet formation each night which will melt again in the afternoon and could fall off in dangerous heavy chunks with some sharp edges, leading to injury for anyone near the falling ice.
Several lakes and ponds have frozen surfaces across Arkansas, and these frozen surfaces will likely remain frozen through Saturday. It has not been cold long enough for the ice to be safe to walk on. Serious injury or death could result in anyone walking out on thin ice. Lakes and ponds freeze from the edges to the middle. Your weight may be supported on the edge of the frozen body of water and not out in the middle of the frozen pond or lake.
DAILY FORECASTS
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 11. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 32. Wind chill values as low as 5. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Wind chill values as low as 9. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday
A 30% chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. South wind around 10 mph.
Sunday Night
A 30% chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest after midnight.
Monday through Thursday
- Highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s – some chances for rain.
EXTREME DANGER
- Prolonged exposure could cause damage to exposed skin in 30 minutes or less.
- The cold air will also impact young livestock and pets.
- Snow and blowing snow will make travel dangerous.
- The weight of too much snow may compromise some roofs of homes and businesses.
BE PREPARED
Your home:
- Energy companies (electric & natural gas) are asking customers to keep thermostats around 60-65 degrees in order to prevent blackouts.
- Move vehicles away from edge of house where snow and ice can fall and damage it.
The 4 “P”s:
- People – check on your neighbors, family and friends to make sure they have power and their home is stable.
- Pets – it’s too cold outside for animals. Bring them in the garage.
- Pipes – let your water drip on the inside faucets and cover your outside faucets with Styrofoam covers or towels or t-shirts to protect your pipes from bursting.
- Plants – you’ve probably already taken care of these, but normally, you should cover plants or bring them inside.
Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel:
- check IDriveArkansas for the highway conditions
- have your phone charged,
- keep a flashlight,
- food,
- water,
- extra clothing,
- blankets and
- kitty litter to be used for freeing your tires from a slippery spot.